Newsletter date: 25 February 2014
Contents:
* Eva Cox, The Conversation: Closing the Gap: we know what works, so why don't we do it?
* SNAICC News: Disappointing sense of deja vu on closing the gap - Article by Angela Webb in The Australian 13 February 2014
* Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT): ALS calls for Justice Targets to be incorporated into Closing the Gap
* CAAMA Radio: Working together… [Featuring Barbara Shaw discussing the National Apology and Closing the Gap report]
* CAAMA Radio: Close the gap ... but apparently not with public servants wages! [Featuring Michael Mansell talking about institutional racism]
* Paddy Gibson, Solidarity Online: Abbott's attitude to Aboriginal people shows a new paternalism
* WGAR News: Closing the gap that scars Australia: stop our mob from dying prematurely: Mick Gooda and Kirstie Parker, The Guardian (13 Feb 14)
* CAAMA Radio: Arm-twisting the Abbott Government not to be the chief protectors [Featuring Congress co-chair Les Malezer]
* Dan Harrison, The Canberra Times: Lack of funding for First People's congress 'disappointing', says Tom Calma
* Background to National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
* EVA COX, THE CONVERSATION: CLOSING THE GAP: WE KNOW WHAT WORKS, SO WHY DON'T WE DO IT?
- Analysis / Opinion
The Conversation: Closing the Gap: we know what works, so why don't we do it?
The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/closing-the-gap-we-know-what-works-so-why-don...
NACCHO: http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/02/20/naccho-aboriginal-healthy-debate-...
19 Feb 14: "The disappointing data that regularly appears in Closing the Gap reports should raise serious questions about policy development and funding processes. The assumption of media stories and many politicians is that gap closing is a "wicked" problem - that is, it’s too hard because of faults of the Indigenous targets. It is easier to blame others when good intentions fail, but there is a much more mundane explanation, backed by substantial evidence: poor outcomes could be the result of flaws in how officials devise and deliver programs and funding." Eva Cox
Eva Cox - The Conversation
http://theconversation.com/profiles/eva-cox-1012/profile_bio
"Professorial Fellow Jumbunna IHL at University of Technology, Sydney ... My professional expertise is policy and research issues. I am working on evidence bases for social policy with Jumbunna with an emphasis on income management at present. I have written widely on a range of political and social issues."
* SNAICC NEWS: DISAPPOINTING SENSE OF DEJA VU ON CLOSING THE GAP - ARTICLE BY ANGELA WEBB IN THE AUSTRALIAN 13 FEBRUARY 2014
- Analysis / Opinion
SNAICC News: Disappointing sense of deja vu on closing the gap - Article by Angela Webb in The Australian 13 February 2014
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1343
14 Feb 14: "In this opinion piece that appeared in The Australian newspaper on 13 February, Angela Webb, SNAICC Deputy Chairperson (Child Welfare), argues Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations - including early childhood services - hold the key to closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage."
* ABORIGINAL LEGAL SERVICE (NSW/ACT): ALS CALLS FOR JUSTICE TARGETS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO CLOSING THE GAP
- News
Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT): ALS News: ALS calls for Justice Targets to be incorporated into Closing the Gap
http://www.alsnswact.org.au/news_items/102
12 Feb 14: "The Federal Government today delivered it’s 6th Closing the Gap statement reviewing Aboriginal disadvantage against measurable targets including health and education, but failed to announce the inclusion of Justice Targets to tackle the mass imprisonment of Aboriginal adults and young people in Australia today. ... Phil Naden, CEO of Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) says many of the current targets will be hard to achieve until we include Justice Targets in Closing the Gap."
* CAAMA RADIO: WORKING TOGETHER ... [FEATURING BARBARA SHAW DISCUSSING THE NATIONAL APOLOGY AND THE CLOSING THE GAP REPORT]
- Audio Interview
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: Working together…….
http://caama.com.au/working-together
13 Feb 14: "6 years on……Local Aboriginal rights campaigner Barbara Shaw shares her thoughts on the anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations and what progress has been made. Barbara also discusses the Closing the Gap report delivered by the Prime Minister Tony Abbott."
* CAAMA RADIO: CLOSE THE GAP ... BUT APPARENTLY NOT WITH PUBLIC SERVANTS WAGES! [FEATURING MICHAEL MANSELL TALKING ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL RACISM]
- Audio Interview
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: Close the gap…..but apparently not with public servants wages !
http://caama.com.au/close-the-gap-but-not-with-public-service-wages
19 Feb 13: "Michael Mansell talks institutional racism"
* PADDY GIBSON, SOLIDARITY ONLINE: ABBOTT'S ATTITUDE TO ABORIGINAL PEOPLE SHOWS A NEW PATERNALISM
- Analysis / Opinion
Solidarity Online: Abbott's attitude to Aboriginal people shows a new paternalism
http://www.solidarity.net.au/aboriginal/abbotts-attitude-to-aboriginal-p...
19 Feb 14: "The latest "Closing the Gap" report, released February 13, shows deteriorating conditions in Aboriginal communities across the country-a result of years of bipartisan support for assimilationist, pro-corporate policies such as the NT Intervention and attacks on Aboriginal organisations. Launching the report, Abbott repeated his patronising mantra: "All children must go to school, all adults must go to work and the ordinary law of the land must apply". But the number of Aboriginal people employed has decreased markedly since 2008-from 53.8 to 47.8 per cent. The main driver of increased unemployment has been the abolition of Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)." By Paddy Gibson
* WGAR NEWS: CLOSING THE GAP THAT SCARS AUSTRALIA: STOP OUR MOB FORM DYING PREMATURELY: MICK GOODA AND KIRSTIE PARKER, THE GUARDIAN (13 FEB 14)
- Compilation
WGAR News: Closing the gap that scars Australia: stop our mob from dying prematurely: Mick Gooda and Kirstie Parker, The Guardian (13 Feb 14)
http://indymedia.org.au/2014/02/13/wgar-news-closing-the-gap-that-scars-...
"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 ... "
* CAAMA RADIO: ARM-TWISTING THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT NOT TO BE THE CHIEF PROTECTORS [FEATURING CONGRESS CO-CHAIR LES MALEZER]
- Audio Interview
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: Arm-twisting the Abbott Government not to be the chief protectors.
http://caama.com.au/arm-twisting-the-abbott-government-to-not-be-the-chi...
17 Feb 14: "The peak representative body for Aboriginal and Islander Australians says it will be more forceful about arm-twisting the Abbott Government to not be the chief protectors that control its people’s committee’s and remove key organisations. National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples co-chair Les Malezer says the Federal Minster for Indigenous Affairs, Territory Senator Nigel Scullion was being mischievous with his comments about the role of the National Congress"
* DAN HARRISON, THE CANBERRA TIMES: LACK OF FUNDING FOR FIRST PEOPLE'S CONGRESS 'DISAPPOINTING', SAYS TOM CALMA
- News
The Canberra Times: Lack of funding for First People's congress 'disappointing', says Tom Calma
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/lack-of-...
21 Feb 14: "Indigenous leader Tom Calma says it is ''disappointing" that the Abbott Government will not provide further funding to the elected indigenous representative body, the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. ... Speaking at the National Press Club on Thursday, Tom Calma, a former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner who was instrumental in setting up Congress, said he was disappointed the work of the organisation was being "undermined". ''It is disappointing,'' Dr Calma said." Dan Harrison, Health and Indigenous Affairs Correspondent for Fairfax Media, based in Canberra
* BACKGROUND TO NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES:
Last updated: 15 February 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/05/background-to-the-national-congress-o...
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