Newsletter date: 13 February 2014
Contents:
* Mick Gooda and Kirstie Parker, The Guardian: Closing the gap that scars Australia: stop our mob from dying prematurely
* The Wire: Meaningful engagement with Aboriginal communities is key
* The Wire: State cuts to Indigenous Education at odds with Closing the Gap
* NACCHO Press Release CTG report: Investment in Aboriginal community controlled health key to closing the gap
* NACCHO member news: Apunipima Cape York Health Council welcomes the Close the Gap Report and continued investment into Aboriginal health services
* NACCHO Aboriginal Health News: Dr Mark Wenitong urges health action to Close the Gap
* SNAICC News: Cullunghutti centre opens its doors to help close the gap
* Michael Gordon, The Age: Uplifting words were spoken, now what will be done to close the gap on indigenous disadvantage?
* SMH Editorial: Gap between parties will open up problems for Aborigines
* NACCHO PM CTG political alert: Download Prime Ministers Closing the Gap Report here
* Tracker: Close the gap: joint parly call
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Education is vital & a must-do say Scullion & Mundine
* MICK GOODA AND KIRSTIE PARKER, THE GUARDIAN: CLOSING THE GAP THAT SCARS AUSTRALIA: STOP OUR MOB FROM DYING PREMATURELY
- Analysis / Opinion
The Guardian: Closing the gap that scars Australia: stop our mob from dying prematurely
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/12/closing-the-gap-ind...
12 Feb 14: "Health inequality between Indigenous and other Australians is a stark reminder of the great divide in our nation, and a cause of terrible suffering and grief ... Together we agreed that this would be the generation to close the unacceptable health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. We committed to close the health and life expectancy gap within a generation: by 2030. As a result we now have a national effort to close the gap, a priority for government action until the goal is met." Mick Gooda and Kirstie Parker
* THE WIRE: MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES IS KEY
- Audio
The Wire: Meaningful engagement with Aboriginal communities is key
Produced by Miriam Alveberg
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11208
11 Feb 14: "For programs that are trying to close the gap for Aboriginal people in terms of health, education and parenting, one thing is critical. To be efficient, they need to engage within communities. A study reveals some insights into what approach works for these programs. Miriam Alveberg speaks to one of the authors behind a new study reviewing different programs and their efficiency. Also, the management leader of successful organisation HIPPY speaks on the success their program has had in improving literacy rates for young kids."
* THE WIRE: STATE CUTS TO INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AT ODDS WITH CLOSING THE GAP
- Audio
The Wire: State cuts to Indigenous Education at odds with Closing the Gap
Produced by Sarah Martin
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11213
12 Feb 14: "Budget cuts to education in Western Australia mean over 100 jobs supporting Indigenous kids have been lost. On a day when the Closing the Gap scorecard shows only moderate improvement in some areas and backwards movement in others the cuts are at odds with the federal government's commitment to ensuring children attend school. Aboriginal and Islander Education Support Officers are an important link between the education system and the community.
Featured in story:
* Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of South Australia
* Carolyn Smith, Secretary of United Voice WA
* Troy Coleman, Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer
* Jan Buchanan, Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer"
* NACCHO PRESS RELEASE CTG REPORT: INVESTMENT IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROLLED HEALTH KEY TO CLOSING THE GAP
- Media Release
NACCHO Press Release CTG report: Investment in Aboriginal community controlled health key to closing the gap
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/02/12/naccho-press-release-ctg-report-i...
12 Feb 14: "The Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Justin Mohamed (pictured above) said evidence continues to mount that investing in services run by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people makes good economic sense. "Every new Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) and every new patient attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, is a step toward closing the appalling health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians,""
* NACCHO MEMBER NEWS: APUNIPIMA CAPE YORK HEALTH COUNCIL WELCOMES THE CLOSE THE GAP REPORT AND CONTINUED INVESTMENT INTO ABORIGINAL HEALTH SERVICES
- News
NACCHO member news: Apunipima Cape York Health Council welcomes the Close the Gap Report and continued investment into Aboriginal health services
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/02/13/naccho-member-news-apunipima-cape...
13 Feb 14: "Today’s release of the Progress and Priorities Report by the Close the Gap Committee shows the investment in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations is contributing to closing the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. ... Chair of Apunipima Cape York Health Council Thomas Hudson said, “We welcome the Close the Gap Report and its recommendations for the continued investment into Aboriginal health services."
* NACCHO ABORIGINAL HEALTH NEWS: DR MARK WENITONG URGES HEALTH ACTION TO CLOSE THE GAP
- News
NACCHO Aboriginal Health NEWS : Dr Mark Wenitong urges health action to Close the Gap
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/02/12/naccho-aboriginal-health-news-dr-...
12 Feb 14: "Dr Mark Wenitong, a Kabi Kabi man and a leading Indigenous doctor from Cape York and advisor to NACCHO, urged governments to support community controlled indigenous health. "My mother’s work inspired me to see what health services can do for our communities and the need that exists, as well as the privilege to work with our people in health, which has been passed on to all of my children," "I can only do so much as a an individual doctor in a clinic, and this is why we need structures that can empower local communities.""
* SNAICC NEWS: CULLUNGHUTTI CENTRE OPENS ITS DOORS TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP
- News
SNAICC News: Cullunghutti centre opens its doors to help close the gap
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1341
12 Feb 14: "Unveiled on 20 January, the new centre will provide culturally-appropriate care and education, as well as family support assistance and child health care services. Cullunghutti is one of 38 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and family centres (ACFCs) created across Australia under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Early Childhood Development. The Cullunghutti centre will be co-managed, with Illawarra Area Child Care and Relationships Australia NSW offering early learning service and family support services, respectively."
* MICHAEL GORDON, THE AGE: UPLIFTING WORDS WERE SPOKEN, NOW WHAT WILL BE DONE TO CLOSE THE GAP ON INDIGENOUS DISADVANTAGE?
- Analysis / Opinion and Video
The Age: Uplifting words were spoken, now what will be done to close the gap on indigenous disadvantage?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/uplifting-words...
12 Feb 14: "The reality check came after one of those fleetingly rare but uplifting moments of unity in the national Parliament. Tony Abbott had just delivered the most powerful speech of his short prime ministership, crediting Paul Keating with providing a "watershed moment" in his life with the Redfern address of 1992, and confessing that, for him, Aboriginal policy has become personal rather than just political. Bill Shorten had replied with a vow to be constructively bipartisan in addressing profound indigenous disadvantage, ... " Michael Gordon, Political editor, The Age
* SMH EDITORIAL: GAP BETWEEN PARTIES WILL OPEN UP PROBLEMS FOR ABORIGINES
- Analysis / Opinion
SMH: Gap between parties will open up problems for Aborigines
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/gap-between-parties-will-ope...
13 Feb 14: "Editorial: The bipartisanship driving the Closing the Gap initiative on indigenous disadvantage has been laudable since then prime minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the stolen generations six years ago to the day. In the past 12 months Closing the Gap has achieved progress in two of six criteria: halving the gap in death rates for indigenous children under five by 2018, and halving the gap in year 12 completion by 2020. The program is falling short in three others: ... "
* NACCHO PM CTG POLITICAL ALERT: DOWNLOAD PRIME MINISTERS CLOSING THE GAP REPORT HERE
- Analysis / Opinion
NACCHO PM CTG political alert : Download Prime Ministers Closing the Gap Report here
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/02/12/naccho-pm-ctg-political-alert-dow...
12 Feb 14: "Key findings:
* While there has been a small improvement in Indigenous life expectancy, progress will need to accelerate considerably if the gap is to be closed by 2031.
* The target to halve the gap in child mortality within a decade is on track to be met.
* In 2012, 88 per cent of Indigenous children in remote areas were enrolled in a pre-school programme. Data for 2013, to show whether the 95 per cent benchmark for this target has been met, will be available later this year. ... "
* TRACKER: CLOSE THE GAP: JOINT PARLY CALL
- News
newsTracker: Close the gap: joint parly call
http://tracker.org.au/2014/02/close-the-gap-joint-parly-call/
6 Feb 14: "NATIONAL: Prime Minister Tony Abbott is being urged to hand down the latest report card on efforts to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage in front of a joint meeting of both houses of federal parliament. Mr Abbott is scheduled to give the sixth annual address next Wednesday. Labor senator Deb O’Neill is spearheading the push to have a joint meeting to increase the prominence of the event. "There’s a symbolic power in what the parliament can do, when it rises to its best self," Senator O’Neill told AAP." By Tracker
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: EDUCATION IS VITAL & A MUST-DO SAY SCULLION & MUNDINE
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Education is vital & a must-do say Scullion & Mundine
http://thestringer.com.au/education-is-vital-a-must-do-say-scullion-mund...
8 Feb 14: ""If we are going to be on par with the rest of Australia we need to get more of our people into the professions – teachers, doctors, lawyers. We need a couple more thousand accountants, thousands more teachers, 4000 more lawyers, well over 2000 more doctors to be on par with the rest of Australia – we need to do more work across this area to reach equality," said Mr Mundine, Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister. Last week, I was invited by Mr Mundine and the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion on a three day tour of northern and central West Australian towns ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
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