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The Forum > Article Comments > Real solutions - not just shock and awe > Comments

Real solutions - not just shock and awe : Comments

By Lyn Allison, published 29/6/2007

Abuse of Indigenous children - we need to know what happens after the police and the medical teams leave.

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I just caught up with this - what will happen after the election. If Labor gets in, as widely expected, then nothing will happen...things will go back to the way they were. It should make a lot of people happy - but not those who matter the most. So, in the end, things are going to be even worse than they were before because expectations maong those who matter most are going to be dashed...of course none of that will matter to the true believers.
Posted by Communicat, Monday, 2 July 2007 4:31:06 PM
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Itchyvet,
It is most disheartening when one hears of projects like the citrus orchard, the fishing enterprizw and the roadhouse all failing for lack of effort. I have heard of cattle properties failing also once left in the hands of aboriginies to run. Can you inform me of other projects set up to provide businesses and employment that have failed or, more importantly, any that have succeeded.

I am also interested to hear of any aboriginal communities that function OK or well.

Although the well being of the kids is the prime object of the Federal move into the NT, I think, in the long term, changes will have to take place and we should look to what the well functioning communities are doing and try to emulate them.

I hope to be able to give the government a list of places they should look to. I have not many as yet, but hope to build such a list.
Posted by Banjo, Wednesday, 4 July 2007 4:55:48 PM
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To true
The Colonial establishment have run rough shod over Australian Aboriginals. Conservatives or Liberals as they like to be called have decimated a race of people that still have pride. They those who hold the capital do not know how to live alongside anybody who they feel is alien to themselves. The same attitude has happened in the Americas and Africa. Today they are planning to select Sites for Uranium Mining and Nuclear Waste with so much wealth they do not have to offer baubles and beads anymore they can bribe the Aboriginal with wealth. The Aboriginals know of the dangers of uranium and they express most strongly No you are not mining on our land.
Posted by Bronco Lane, Wednesday, 4 July 2007 8:45:19 PM
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Banjo

Fred Chaney, director of Reconciliation Australia, deputy president of the National Native Title Tribunal and former Liberal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 1978-1980, wrote a paper on the issue of what works. (for Crikey.com 30 May 2006)

He said: "...episodic fly-in-fly-out bureaucratic interventions don't work. Much of the existing education system doesn't work. Welfare is corrosive, a discovery publicised by Ian Viner as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs as long ago as 1977. Expecting ill-educated and financially under resourced communities to provide all their own essential services hasn't worked. Nor has governments and their bureaucracies telling Aboriginals what to do."

By contrast, he noted examples of success where people have a say in their own affairs. He cited the Pilbara and Ord developments where there's Aboriginal involvement in business development, education and employment. He cited the Argyle Diamond Mine which has achieved 25% Aboriginal employment. Employment makes a huge difference: locals are buying houses and capital goods when they get a job.

"Recognition of Aboriginal rights to land underlies these positive changes," he concluded.

He cited schools such as Kalkaringi, Thursday Island, Karatha, Cherbourg, Clontarf, and Kununurra where leadership, additional commitment by staff and students, and additional resources are giveing Aboriginal kids a real chance at equal life opportunities.

His other theme was that "Local control of resources helps. Centrally administered programs result in energy being wasted in serving the program rather than the program serving the community."

In the area of Indigenous health, there's a great publication called "Success Stories in Indigenous Health" which showcases a range of health projects which are making a real difference.

Again, the key success factor are community control of health resources, bottom up rather than top down solutions, the involvement of community Elders, and so on. (http://www.antar.org.au/images/stories/PDFs/SuccessStories/success_stories_final.pdf)

It makes you wonder why the government is repeating approaches we know have already failed and failing to develop strategies now known to be producing success.
Posted by FrankGol, Thursday, 5 July 2007 1:04:11 PM
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Alan Carpenter
Hit the nail right on the head.
Of course it is an election stunt.

The British gave the natives the bible and stole their lands,
Unfortunately the British decimated the Australian natives it would take more than a generation to educate and restore a sense of self respect.
The damage to this race has been devestating and for John Howard to try and be the saviour on the eve of an election is blatantly pathetic after starving the Aboriginals of the funds that were helping them.
Posted by Bronco Lane, Thursday, 5 July 2007 6:54:05 PM
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Bronco Lane, and when do you think that it would be a good time to be a saviour of the Aboriginal people given that we cant turn the clock back?
Posted by Jolanda, Thursday, 5 July 2007 7:45:24 PM
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