home lands Archive

  • For some of you, the term “homeland”, may not make sense. We would like to offer some explanation, as homelands are so vital to empowering Yolngu across Arnhem Land, and where ever people live on Aboriginal lands.

    Homelands

    For some of you, the term “homeland”, may not make sense. We would like to offer some explanation, as homelands are so vital to empowering Yolngu across Arnhem Land, and where ever people live on Aboriginal lands.

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  • "The poverty experienced by many Aboriginal people is as morally reprehensible as torture and must be eradicated", Amnesty International secretary-general Irene Khan says. 
Strong words, but is such 'advocacy' helpful.  I argue that moralistic bites such as this are in fact dangerous.  While advocates feel that such statements point out government failures, they can actually be harmful to the people they are meant to protect. I consider why this is...

    When Indigenous Advocacy Does Damage

    "The poverty experienced by many Aboriginal people is as morally reprehensible as torture and must be eradicated", Amnesty International secretary-general Irene Khan says. Strong words, but is such 'advocacy' helpful. I argue that moralistic bites such as this are in fact dangerous. While advocates feel that such statements point out government failures, they can actually be harmful to the people they are meant to protect. I consider why this is...

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  • The latest issue before us is a policy presented by Kevin Rudd and Jenny Macklin to suspend the welfare payments of parents whose children do not attend school. Even if this policy is implemented nationally it hugely discriminates against Indigenous parents, because many Indigenous people in Australia live in situation that are wholly different to other Australian.  Yet indigenous parents in North East Arnhem have adopted a wide range of strategies to try to improve their children's prospects. We look at some examples...

    Punishing Parents – forcing attendence using welfare

    The latest issue before us is a policy presented by Kevin Rudd and Jenny Macklin to suspend the welfare payments of parents whose children do not attend school. Even if this policy is implemented nationally it hugely discriminates against Indigenous parents, because many Indigenous people in Australia live in situation that are wholly different to other Australian. Yet indigenous parents in North East Arnhem have adopted a wide range of strategies to try to improve their children's prospects. We look at some examples...

    Continue Reading...