WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
WGAR website: http://wgar.info/
Contents:
Northern Territory (NT) Intervention:
* Film Premiere: Ampilatwatja Walk Off Camp
* Raw sewage dumped in NT ‘prescribed community’
* Book Review: "This Is What We Said"
* Petition for reinstatement of an Unrestricted Racial Discrimination Act
* Other NT Intervention Articles
Other Aboriginal Articles
NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:
- Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Northern Territory National Emergency Response
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_intervention
Intervention walk-off's Blog:
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/
IRAG (Intervention Rollback Action Group):
http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/
STICS (Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney):
http://stoptheintervention.org/
WGAR (Working Group for Aboriginal Rights):
http://wgar.info/
* FILM PREMIERE: AMPILATWATJA WALK OFF CAMP:
- Background
Intervention walk-off's Blog:
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/
- Film Screening
Indymedia Australia: Film Premiere: Ampilatwatja Walk Off Camp
http://indymedia.org.au/film-premiere-ampilatwatja-walk-off-camp
"Date and Time: Thu, 29/04/2010 - 7:00pm
Location: Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville
... with indigenous music, performers and speakers"
* RAW SEWERAGE DUMPED IN NT 'PRESCRIBED COMMUNITY':
- Media Release
Rollback the Intervention: Media Releases
Raw sewage dumped in NT ‘prescribed community’
http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/media/
8 Apr 10: "On Tuesday April 6, 3000 litres of raw sewage was dumped by the Barkly Shire at the local tip at Ampilatwatja, a ‘prescribed community’ under the NT Intervention. The sewage is still sitting uncovered in the tip (picture below). ... Alyawarr spokesperson Richard Downs led a walk-off from Ampilatwatja in July 2009, following the failure of government agencies to deal with sewage overflowing into the streets of the community. Downs has called for the NT Intervention to end immediately, for proper council jobs to be created for local people and for community control to be restored to the Alyawarr. A protest will be held at Ampilatwatja on Tuesday to press these demands."
- Video
Intervention walkoff's Blog: New video-latest Ampilatwatja sewage saga
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/new-video-latest-amp...
15 Apr 10: "Click here to link to the latest video report from Ampilatwatja. 3000L of raw sewage were recently dumped at the local tip, uncovered. This act was carried out by contractors because local Shire workers refused to undertake the work."
- News
Koori Mail: Anti-Intervention group claims sewage dumped
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
13 Apr 10: "THE Intervention Rollback Action Group (IRAG) has accused the Barkly Shire of dumping 3000 litres of raw sewage at the Ampilatwatja tip, causing a contractor who carried out the job with no training, gloves, masks or other safety equipment to become sick. Some residents walked off Ampilatwatja nine months ago after sewage overflowed into the streets of the NT Intervention 'prescribed' community."
NT News: S**t hits the fan at Red Centre community
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/13/138901_ntnews.html
13 Apr 10: "A TERRITORY shire has defended itself after community residents complained 3000 litres of raw sewage was left uncovered at a rubbish tip."
ABC: Raw sewage left uncovered at rubbish dump
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/12/2870027.htm?section=justin
12 Apr 10: "Raw sewage overflowing from septic tanks in a remote Central Australian community has been left exposed at a nearby tip because the local council's earthmover has been damaged."
Green Left: Raw sewerage dumped in Aboriginal town
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2010/833/42875
10 Apr 10: "Barkly Shire dumped 3000 litres of raw sewage at the local tip at the Northern Territory Aboriginal Ampilatwatja township on April 6. The township is a “prescribed community” under the Northern Territory Intervention. One of the contractors employed to dump the sewage fell sick and was later flown to hospital. Ampilatwatja residents say the contractors were not given training to safely deal with the sewage."
* BOOK REVIEW: "THIS IS WHAT WE SAID"
Green Left: REVIEW: What was really said at intervention consultations
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2010/833/42871
11 Apr 10: "This Is What We Said follows on from the report Will They Be Heard?, which was released in November 2009. ... Using pictures and quotations taken from footage of actual consultations at Bagot, Ampilatwatja, Utopia and Yirrkala between June and August 2009, this book shows the depth of frustration and despair of many Aboriginal people in the NT regarding the intervention." Review by Sabine Kacha
* PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT OF AN UNRESTRICTED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ACT:
- Sources for the petition
Go Petition: http://www.gopetition.com/online/35341.html
STICS (Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney): http://stoptheintervention.org/rda-new-legislation/petition-RDA
ANTaR South Australia: http://antarsa.auspics.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=...
ANTaR Victoria: http://www.antarvictoria.org.au/downloads/flyer-petition%20RDA%20%202%20...
ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation): http://www.antar.org.au/aboriginal_australians_awaiting_reinstatement_of...
Social Policy Connections: http://www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au/
* OTHER NT INTERVENTION ARTICLES:
- Opinion/Analysis
Croakey - the Crikey health blog:
The international evidence base and income management
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2010/04/13/the-international-evidence...
13 Apr 10: "Minister Jenny Macklin insists that her plan to extend income management is evidence-based but, as Eva Cox recently pointed out at The Stump, it all depends what you mean by evidence. Given that the Health in All Policies conference is starting in Adelaide today (program available here), Croakey thought it timely to revisit income management as a health issue."
Workers Bush Telegraph: Letter to Prime Minister re NT Intervention
http://workersbushtelegraph.com.au/2010/04/11/letter-to-prime-minister-r...
3 Apr 10: "I was a member of the ALP for 20 years and a strong supporter for many years prior to that ... I am about to leave for 6 months in the Northern Territory. I will be encouraging everyone I meet to vote Labor from office. I maintain a large email network and will start a campaign to put Labor last until you stop being racist and attacking welfare recipients." Dr John Tomlinson
Solidarity: Abbott to support the new Intervention laws
http://www.solidarity.net.au/23/abbott-to-support-the-new-intervention-l...
Apr 10: "The man Jenny Macklin said had a “dark ages” view of women, the man who refuses to acknowledge Aboriginal custodianship at public events, has indicated his support for Labor’s changes to the NT Intervention. That Tony Abbott is willing to support the laws should indicate just how bad they are." Jean Parker
- News
Australian: Housing program 'paying too much'
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/housing-program-paying-too-m...
16 Apr 10: "THE federal government is paying three times more than necessary to rebuild derelict homes in the remote Northern Territory Aboriginal community of Willowra, a local official has revealed."
Solidarity: Aboriginal people are working for rations
http://www.solidarity.net.au/current/aboriginal-people-are-working-for-r...
Apr 10: "Unions are teaming up with anti-Intervention campaigners in the NT to demand proper jobs for Aboriginal people. Activists from the Intervention Rollback Action Group, based in Alice Springs, will tour remote NT communities in April along with Richard Downs, a community leader from Ampilatwatja and Miguel Occiones, an LHMU organiser in the NT."
ABC: Mixed response for intervention police: survey
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/12/2870530.htm?site=indigenou...
12 Apr 10: "A report examining community perceptions of policing in remote Northern Territory communities since the federal
intervention has called for officers to develop a greater understanding of Aboriginal life."
OTHER ABORIGINAL ARTICLES:
- News
Local Cairns News: Yarrabah woman books United Nations trip
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/04/15/105751_local-news.html
15 Apr 10: "SHE works with disadvantaged youth and has seen first hand the affects of the Government's intervention into indigenous communities. Now, Elverina Johnson will take her perspective on life in an Aboriginal community to the United Nations."
Solidarity: Where are the real jobs, Macklin?
http://www.solidarity.net.au/23/where-are-the-real-jobs-macklin/
Apr 10: "In 2008, millionaire mining mogul Andrew Forrest launched a government-supported scheme to employ 50,000 Aboriginal people in mainstream jobs in two years. The Australian Employment Covenant (AEC) was built around the idea that ‘Twiggy’ Forrest’s connections in corporate Australia could be mobilised to solve Aboriginal unemployment. With six months to go, only 622 people have been employed, and only 88 have stayed in their position for over 26 weeks." Jean Parker
- Media Release
Greens: Time to fill in the gaps in Indigenous alcohol and drug services
http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/time-fill-gaps-indigenous-...
14 Apr 10: "The Australian Greens have welcomed the release of the NIDAC report on Indigenous-specific alcohol and other drug interventions, urging the Rudd government to implement its key recommendation to better plan and target service funding."
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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)