chebol
21st February 2008, 06:15
Please forward widely
Public Forum: After Sorry - Where to for Aboriginal Rights?
Monday 25th February, Redfern Community Centre, 6pm.
Speakers:
Bev Manton, Chairperson, NSW Aboriginal Land Council
Phil Bradley, NSW Teachers Federation and Reconciliation for Western Sydney
Shane Phillips, Aboriginal Rights Coalition
Nicole Watson, UTS
Following Kevin Rudd's apology there has been a marked wave of
progressive sentiment on issues of Indigenous justice throughout the
country. After 11 long years of setbacks and blatant racism under
Howard, there has finally been an important step in the right
direction.
Yet there is still much to be done. Up to two thousand people rallied
the day before the apology against the ongoing injustice of the NT
intervention, with the support of a broad range of Aboriginal
organisations, unions, human rights and social justice groups. A
meeting of the National Aboriginal Alliance took forward the project
of building a strong political voice for Aboriginal people. People
from affected communities gave moving testimony:
Eileen Shaw, resident of Mt Nancy town camp argued, "These laws are
like apartheid South Africa", referring to the race based 'welfare
quarantine' which has seen 50% of all Centrelink payments to residents
of 'prescribed Aboriginal communities' withheld.
Many other women from 'prescribed communities' spoke of the intense
shame they felt having to use the store cards "when everyone else has
cash", or the inability of many people, especially in remote areas, to
even use the cards, leading to an effective halving of incomes, mass
shortages of food and an exodus to population centres.
The cry for immediate review of the intervention has gone unanswered,
the Racial Discrimination act is still suspended, Aboriginal land has
been compulsorily acquired and Non-aboriginal business managers
continue to have extraordinary powers, referred to as "analogous to a
police state" by many from communities.
There has been a call for broad, diverse rallies on the first
anniversary of the intervention in July. There are actions being
organised at Centrelinks throughout the country on March 13th,
highlighting the issue of welfare quarantines.
Come along to this forum to help build our power & to discuss the way
forward for the movement for Aboriginal rights.
For more info contact:
Greg 0432050240
Paddy 0415800586
aboriginalrightscoalition.wordpress.com (http://aboriginalrightscoalition.wordpress.com)
Public Forum: After Sorry - Where to for Aboriginal Rights?
Monday 25th February, Redfern Community Centre, 6pm.
Speakers:
Bev Manton, Chairperson, NSW Aboriginal Land Council
Phil Bradley, NSW Teachers Federation and Reconciliation for Western Sydney
Shane Phillips, Aboriginal Rights Coalition
Nicole Watson, UTS
Following Kevin Rudd's apology there has been a marked wave of
progressive sentiment on issues of Indigenous justice throughout the
country. After 11 long years of setbacks and blatant racism under
Howard, there has finally been an important step in the right
direction.
Yet there is still much to be done. Up to two thousand people rallied
the day before the apology against the ongoing injustice of the NT
intervention, with the support of a broad range of Aboriginal
organisations, unions, human rights and social justice groups. A
meeting of the National Aboriginal Alliance took forward the project
of building a strong political voice for Aboriginal people. People
from affected communities gave moving testimony:
Eileen Shaw, resident of Mt Nancy town camp argued, "These laws are
like apartheid South Africa", referring to the race based 'welfare
quarantine' which has seen 50% of all Centrelink payments to residents
of 'prescribed Aboriginal communities' withheld.
Many other women from 'prescribed communities' spoke of the intense
shame they felt having to use the store cards "when everyone else has
cash", or the inability of many people, especially in remote areas, to
even use the cards, leading to an effective halving of incomes, mass
shortages of food and an exodus to population centres.
The cry for immediate review of the intervention has gone unanswered,
the Racial Discrimination act is still suspended, Aboriginal land has
been compulsorily acquired and Non-aboriginal business managers
continue to have extraordinary powers, referred to as "analogous to a
police state" by many from communities.
There has been a call for broad, diverse rallies on the first
anniversary of the intervention in July. There are actions being
organised at Centrelinks throughout the country on March 13th,
highlighting the issue of welfare quarantines.
Come along to this forum to help build our power & to discuss the way
forward for the movement for Aboriginal rights.
For more info contact:
Greg 0432050240
Paddy 0415800586
aboriginalrightscoalition.wordpress.com (http://aboriginalrightscoalition.wordpress.com)