WGAR News: Aboriginal Sovereign Manifesto of Demands - National Aboriginal Freedom Movement

Newsletter date: 10 February 2015

Contents:

* Manifesto: Aboriginal Sovereign Manifesto of Demands - National Aboriginal Freedom Movement Aboriginal Embassy, Canberra, Australia
* Audio: Adam Evans, NIRS: Protesters come face-to-face with politicians during 'sit-in' [Featuring Tauto Sansbury and Gerry Georgatos]
* Audio Interview: Living Black Radio: 090215 ACT Freedom Sit In [Featuring Tauto Sansbury]
* Analysis / Opinion: Amy McQuire, New Matilda: They Came For The Abbott Spill, And Missed The Only Real Story In Town
* Audio: Ninah Kopel, The Wire: Protesting worlds worst child removal rate [Featuring Sue-Ellen Tighe, Michael Anderson and Tauto Sansbury]
* Video: NITV News - 9 February 2015: "GMAR groups from across the country rallied with Freedom Movement campaigners on the grounds of Parliament house to deliver a set of demands ... "
* News & Photos: CAAMA Radio at First Nations Freedom Movement Canberra 2015
* News & Photos: 9 News: Protesters attempt to derail TODAY Show's Canberra broadcast to bring attention to indigenous deaths in custody
* Photos from the Sit-In: Sovereign Union & Stop Stolen Generations Facebook
* Event: Freedom Movement Sit-In at Parliament House, Canberra, on 9 February 2015
* WGAR Background to the National Freedom Movement

WGAR News Public Google Group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news
WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

- Manifesto

Aboriginal Sovereign Manifesto of Demands
National Aboriginal Freedom Movement Aboriginal Embassy, Canberra, Australia

Sovereign Union: http://sovereignunion.mobi/content/aboriginal-sovereign-manifesto-demands

"Contents:

DECLARATION from the Freedom Summit held at Mparntwe (Alice Springs, NT) on 27 - 28 November 2014

Aboriginal Sovereign Manifesto of Demands

The legal and political foundations for our demands

New pathway forward to locating solutions

Interim measure of goodwill, leading to full reparations and
compensation by the Commonwealth of Australia:

* Country
* Families and children
* Education
* Racist and inappropriate legislation"

"'Day One' of the Sit-in was successful in gaining world attention, due to government 'spill' being moved forward by a day. The media and the government were not fully prepared but First nations people have been planning this day for a month. Their demands were presented to Nigel Scullion, Minister for Indigenous Affairs by sit-in delegates and a copy was also given to Bill Shorten, Leader of the opposition. Scullion later came to the Aboriginal Embassy and met with protesters."

"World news services have been broadcasting images and protesters have been approached for details, images and video's from a major world news organisation"

- Audio

Adam Evans, NIRS: Protesters come face-to-face with politicians during 'sit-in' [Featuring Tauto Sansbury and Gerry Georgatos]
http://nirs.org.au/NEWS/Protesters-come-face-to-face-with-politicians-du...
9 Feb 15: "A member of the Freedom Movement has welcomed the attendance and conduct of demonstrators in Canberra. A large number of people are participating in a sit-in at Parliament House to confront politicians about the state of Indigenous affairs around the country. Narungga man Tauto Sansbury says he's delighted to see support for the movement. ... NIRS News correspondent Gerry Georgatos was on the scene and described this morning's events."

- Audio Interview

Living Black Radio: 090215 ACT Freedom Sit In
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/391038/t...
9 Feb 15: "Delegates from the Freedom Movement first attended a meeting with the minister in Parliament House, after staging a demonstration and sit-in, as MP's and other politicians attended the failed leadership spill to remove Tony Abbott from his role as Prime Minister. Senior man, Tauto Sansbury initiated the sit-in after last years First Nations Freedom Summit, held in Alice Springs. He says the issues haven't gone away and it is important to continue to apply ongoing pressure to highlight the issues affecting first nations communities in Australia." By Uncle Tauto Sansbury

- Analysis / Opinion

New Matilda: They Came For The Abbott Spill, And Missed The Only Real Story In Town
https://newmatilda.com/2015/02/09/they-came-abbott-spill-and-missed-only...
9 Feb 15: "What the mainstream media weren’t aware of was that for months, there had been a Freedom Summit sit-in organised by Aboriginal leaders pushing for sovereignty and treaty, to be held to mark the first day of Parliament for the year. ... While breakfast television reported on the nation’s top story, there was a much more urgent story unfolding right behind them. And it was one they by and large ignored. This morning, about 100 protestors walked the short path from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy to Parliament House, where they took advantage of the media furore and hijacked the photogenic backdrop. ... " By Amy McQuire, a senior reporter with New Matilda. She's the former editor of Tracker magazine and the National Indigenous Times.

- Audio

The Wire: Protesting worlds worst child removal rate
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=12387
http://www.thewire.org.au/audio/protest.final%209.2.15_mixdown.mp3
9 Feb 15: "A protest took place at parliament house today, raising serious issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities around Australia. The sit-in was a collaboration between several groups, but they shared a common goal; to voice their concerns. In NSW one in nine aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children is removed from their families. That’s the highest racial removal rate in the world. After a meeting with Indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion, some activists feel reassured that progress will begin. There is, however, a lot of work to be done. ...
Featured in story:
* Sue-Ellen Tighe - founding member of Grandmas Against Removals NSW
* Michael Anderson - leader and spokesperson for the sovereign union and elected delegate to The Freedom Summit
* Tauto Sansbury- Narrunga Elder from the York peninsula in South Australia" Produced by Ninah Kopel

- Video

NITV News - 09 February part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeWD8hNxOII
"The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion has made a long-term commitment to Grandmothers Against Removals. Mr Scullion was presented with a list of demands in Canberra today, which he agreed to progress in Federal Parliament. A national restoration scheme to remove Indigenous children from out of home care was also tabled by Freedom Movement campaigners during an organised "sit in" this morning. Tara Callinan has more."

- News & Photos

CAAMA: CAAMA Radio at First Nations Freedom Movement Canberra 2015
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-at-first-nations-freedom-movement-canber...
9 Feb 15: "It was the first day of the First Nations Freedom Movement where the march started at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy as people walked down to the Parliament House and set up the front line of the protest. Protesters where met by police and national media who were covering the national "spill". 10 delegates hand delivered the sovereign manifesto of demands to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion inside Parliament House and discussed their concerns."

- News & Photos

9 News: Protesters attempt to derail TODAY Show's Canberra broadcast to bring attention to indigenous deaths in custody
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/02/09/10/31/protesters-attempt-to-...
9 Feb 15: "Protesters from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy attempted to derail the live broadcast of the TODAY Show and other TV programs this morning outside Parliament House. The activists took advantage of media attention on the political machinations in Canberra to protest about indigenous deaths in custody. Brandishing Aboriginal flags and at least one large cardboard placard that stated "No more black deaths in custody", the group became increasingly disruptive during the broadcast. ... "

- Photos from the Sit-In

Facebook: Sovereign Union
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sovereign-Union/340478969357448

Facebook: Stop Stolen Generations
https://www.facebook.com/stopstolengenerations

- Event

Freedom Movement Sit-In at Parliament House, Canberra, on 9 February 2015
Indymedia Australia: https://indymedia.org.au/events/freedom-movement-sit-in-at-parliament-ho...

- Background

WGAR Background to the National Freedom Movement
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/26/wgar-background-to-the-national-free...
(last updated: 6 February 2015)

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

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'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:

* The Freedom Summit's National Freedom Movement;
* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in Western Australia (WA) and South Australia (SA);
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
* Aboriginal land rights and mining;
* Suicide and self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities;
* Removal of Aboriginal children and the continuing Stolen Generation;
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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)