Newsletter date: 26 February 2013
Contents:
* The Stringer: International Prisoners Justice Day highlights Australia's horrific incarceration rates of Aboriginal peoples
* Background to Aboriginal imprisonment and Deaths in Custody
* Dr Alice Clark, The Stringer: Housing and homelessness issues for Aboriginal and Islander Peoples living in South Australia
* The Stringer: One of Australia's worst massacres - 150 Yaburara men, women and children slaughtered
* Paddy Gibson, Solidarity Online: "Captain's pick" Nova Peris will make NT Labor's problems worse
* The Stringer: "Nothing to live for," said Stolen Generations father
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: 4 years on the Bellottis still wait for compensation and answers
* THE STRINGER: INTERNATIONAL PRISONERS JUSTICE DAY HIGHLIGHTS AUSTRALIA'S HORRIFIC INCARCERATION RATES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES
- News
The Stringer: International Prisoners Justice Day highlights Australia's horrific incarceration rates of Aboriginal peoples
http://thestringer.com.au/international-prisoners-justice-day-highlights...
19 Feb 13: "The maltreatment and abuse of prisoners, and the high incarceration rates of particular cultures, especially Indigenous cultures, is a world-wide phenomena, according to social researcher and academic Dr Brian Steels, however no peoples have endured worse disproportionate incarceration rates than Australia’s Aboriginal peoples. The Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory and Western Australia are the world’s most incarcerated peoples, and they will be at the forefront of discussions and remembrance around the world on International Prisoners Justice Day on August 10."
See:
The Stringer
http://thestringer.com.au/the-stringer/
"Independent News, Investigative Journalism, Multi Award winning writers
The Stringer went live on February 19 and will be formally launched on February 25 at The Media at the Crossroads Conference at NSW Parliament’s Theatrette. Independent news media contributes to the unfolding landscape of human rights and social justice. It is our aim to provide every opportunity to the rise of voices that far too often are denied. ... Kind Regards from The Stringer editors - Gerry Georgatos and Jennifer Kaeshagen."
* BACKGROUND TO ABORIGINAL IMPRISONMENT AND DEATHS IN CUSTODY:
Last updated: 22 February 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/12/17/background-to-aboriginal-imprisonment...
* DR ALICE CLARK, THE STRINGER: HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ISSUES FOR ABORIGINAL AND ISLANDER PEOPLES LIVING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Housing and homelessness issues for Aboriginal and Islander Peoples living in South Australia
http://thestringer.com.au/whats-happening-at-your-place-housing-and-home...
22 Feb 13: "Safe, affordable and culturally appropriate housing is particularly difficult to attain for many Aboriginal and Islander Peoples living in South Australia. The majority of publicly owned housing is built to accommodate small nuclear families consisting of mum, dad and two kids, rather than catering for the extended family groups and visitors that are an everyday part of life for Aboriginal and Islander Peoples. When there are no alternative housing options, Aboriginal and Islander Peoples can find themselves without adequate space in their homes and experience heavy drains on their financial and material resources." By Dr Alice Clark
* THE STRINGER: ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S WORST MASSACRES - 150 YABURARA MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN SLAUGHTERED
- News
The Stringer: One of Australia's worst massacres - 150 Yaburara men, women and children slaughtered
http://thestringer.com.au/one-of-australias-worst-massacres-150-yaburara...
22 Feb 13: "For the first time in 145 years, black and white Australians have jointly organised the first national commemoration day of one of Australia’s largest massacres - the Flying Foam Massacre. The remembrance of the massacre nearly a century and a half later commenced at dawn on Sunday 17 February. It was not only remembered in the north west of Australia but also in every major city in the nation. ... Custodian of the Country where his ancestors were nearly wiped out, Senior Law Boss and Elder Wilfred Hicks said women and children were murdered by the colonialists "by gunshot." He called it "genocide.""
- Event
Event: Sun 17 February 2013: West Perth, WA
Flying Foam Massacre Remembrance Day
"In memory of the 17 February 1868
Flying Foam Massacre of the Yaburara people
of the Burrup, there will be a Stand Up for
the Burrup photo-shoot action at the the
WA Parliament House ... "
Event details: http://www.greenleft.org.au/events/53248
* PADDY GIBSON, SOLIDARITY ONLINE: "CAPTAIN'S PICK" NOVA PERIS WILL MAKE NT LABOR'S PROBLEMS WORSE
- Analysis / Opinion
Solidarity Online: "Captain's pick" Nova Peris will make NT Labor's problems worse
http://www.solidarity.net.au/53/captain%E2%80%99s-pick-nova-peris-will-m...
February 2013: "Prime Minister Julia Gillard has appointed Indigenous former-Olympian Nova Peris as the lead candidate on the Labor Party’s Northern Territory (NT) Senate ticket for the September federal election. ... This so-called "captain’s pick", however, is cynical tokenism that will only add to Labor’s crisis. This turn to celebrity rides rough-shod over the local committed Labor members and branches and has increased the disillusionment with Labor. Labor leaders' use of "star power" candidates like Peter Garrett, Maxine McKew and now Peris, is part of the general, long-term deterioration of Labor, desperate to find ways to try to maintain votes as it slides in the polls but remains determined to continue along its right-wing policy trajectory." Paddy Gibson
See:
WGAR News: NT leader: Nova Peris is wrong, Stronger Futures must go: STICS (4 Feb 13)
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/02/04/wgar-news-nt-leader-nova-peris-is-wro...
WGAR News: Sovereign Union condemns Peris-Kneebone "steamrolling" (24 Jan 13)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/23/wgar-news-daughter-of-maralinga-test-...
* THE STRINGER: "NOTHING TO LIVE FOR," SAID STOLEN GENERATIONS FATHER
- News
The Stringer: "Nothing to live for," said Stolen Generations father
http://thestringer.com.au/nothing-to-live-for-said-stolen-generations-fa...
15 Feb 13: "Elderly Noongar couple Donald and Sylvia Collard are fighting for a slice of justice in the Supreme Court Stolen Generations test case. The case is underway with the Western Australian State Government defending itself in that "it was the right thing to remove the children." Mr Collard said that when his children were taken from "a good family" he did not know what to do or what to live for. Mr Collard told the Court he felt numb, sick inside and unable to breathe when his children were removed ... "
See:
WGAR News: "Landmark Stolen Generations Test Case Begins in Perth" Media Statement (8 Feb 13)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2013/02/07/wgar-news-marie-sailor-an-aboriginal-...
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: 4 YEARS ON THE BELLOTTIS STILL WAIT FOR COMPENSATION AND ANSWERS
- News
The Stringer: 4 years on the Bellottis still wait for compensation and answers
http://thestringer.com.au/4-years-on-bellottis-still-seeking-compensatio...
22 Feb 13: "Rex Bellotti Jr. - 15 years old at the time, was struck by a police vehicle on Lower King Road, Albany - it was shy of midnight as he was walking home from an Aboriginal Wake on March 6, 2009. Four years later his family are still waiting for answers and compensation - for help with his ongoing medical care. The WA Police Commission is still to come to terms with a commitment to 100 per cent responsibility, offering through their insurers 70 per cent liability in regards to an insurance claim payout." By Gerry Georgatos
- Event
Event: 6 March 2013: Sydney, NSW
Part of the National Day of Action for
Justice for Rex Bellotti in Perth, WA
Rally outside office of Police Integrity Commission (PIC) NSW
Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association - Sydney (ISJA)
Event details: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Redfern-Waterloo/message/7099
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