24/10/2010: AUSTRALIA – A CONTINUING GENOCIDE?

Contents:
Australia – a continuing genocide?
Gurindji workers’ strike protesting the NT Intervention
New Defending Indigenous Rights website
assists anti-intervention campaigning
Other Northern Territory (NT) Intervention articles
Public Discussion Forum: Deactivating Colonialism / Decolonising Activism
Other Aboriginal Articles

AUSTRALIA – A CONTINUING GENOCIDE?:

– Journal Article

Journal of Genocide Research: Australia: a continuing genocide?
Author: Damien Short
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all?content=10.1080/14623528.2010.508647
“Abstract: Debates about genocide in Australia have for the
most part focussed on past frontier killings and child
removal practices. This article, however, focuses on
contemporary culturally destructive policies, and the
colonial structures that produce them, through the
analytical lens of the concept of genocide. … Concurring
with these views the article argues that the contemporary
expression of continuing genocidal relations in Australia
can be seen principally, and perversely, in the colonial
state’s official reconciliation process, native title land
rights regime and the recent interventionist ‘solutions’
to indigenous ‘problems’ in the Northern Territory.”

GURINDJI WORKERS’ STRIKE PROTESTING THE NT INTERVENTION:

– Media Releases

Greens MPs: Greens back strike by Gurindji workers in NT
http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-back-strike-gurindji-workers-nt
20 Oct 10: “The Australian Greens have voiced their support
for Gurindji workers who will strike today to protest
against the Northern Territory intervention. The workers
will be joined by residents from the remote Aboriginal
communities of Kalkaringi and Dagaragu. Greens spokesperson
for Aboriginal Issues, Senator Rachel Siewert says the
Government’s failure to deliver the jobs promised to
replace the abolished Community Development Employment
Projects (CDEP) is unacceptable. “The CDEP jobs were
essential to the operations and daily life in many towns
in the Northern Territory. They provided services to
residents as well as skills and empowerment and
responsibility to workers,” Senator Siewert said.”

NATSIEC’s Blog:
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission
NATSIEC Statement of Support for the Gurindji strike
http://natsiec.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/natsiec-statement-of-support-for-the-gurindji-strike/
19 Oct 10: “The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC) would like to send
a message of support and solidarity to the Kalkaringi and
Dagaragu communities for your protest against the
Intervention. We are concerned to hear about the negative
impact of the Intervention measures on your communities
and how these measures are causing hardship. We are
particularly concerned about the dismantling of community
assets and initiatives. This is a story common to many
communities across the Northern Territory.”

Stop the Intervention:
Gurindji strike against Government Intervention
http://stoptheintervention.org/jobs-with-justice-cdep/media-release/gurindji-strike-against-government-intervention
18 Oct 10: “On Wednesday 20th October Gurindji workers and
residents from the remote Aboriginal communities of
Kalkaringi and Dagaragu will stop work and stage a protest
against the NT Intervention. Gurindji leaders are saying
that the closure of the Community Development Employment
Projects (CDEP), local government reforms and the seizure
of land and assets under the Intervention have had a
devastating impact on the community. The Labor government
promised to phase out remaining CDEP programs and
transition Aboriginal workers into ‘real jobs’ but instead
hundreds have been forced onto income management and local
services are struggling or have collapsed.”

– Audio

Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane
Let’s Talk – Indigenous presented talkback:
http://989fm.com.au/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
21 Oct 10: “John Leemans: Karen Dorante spoke with Gurindji
Protest Spokesperson, John Leemans. They spoke about
Gurindji Protests and the Northern Territory Intervention.”
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasting/audio/98fm-podcast-2010-10-21-76037.mp3

CAAMA – Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association
CAAMA Radio online news 21-10-10
http://caama.com.au/radio/caama-news-21-10-10/
21 Oct 10: “Kalkaringi protest against Intervention into
remote Aboriginal communities.”

SBS Audio and Language: Aboriginal: Gurindji Walkoff
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/118662/t/Gurindji-Walkoff/in/english
20 Oct 10: “It’s beng called history repeating itself –
with Gurindji workers and residents from the remote
communities of Kalkaringi and Dagaragu stopping work to
stage a protest against the Northern Territory Intervention.
Dagarau is the site of the original Wave Hill walkoff,
where Gurindji stockmen went on strike to fight for better
lviing conditions, equal wages and the return of
traditional homelands. National rallies for “Jobs With
Justice” will also be held on October 29, 2010.
John Leemans speaks with Michelle Lovegrove.”

– Article

Solidarity: Cuts to CDEP slash jobs in Aboriginal communities
http://www.solidarity.net.au/28/cuts-to-cdep-slash-jobs-in-aboriginal-communities/
Oct 2010: “John Leemans is another Gurindji man reviving
the spirit of the walk-off. He is organising a protest in
the community on October 20 to demand an end to the NT
Intervention and for serious investment in employment and
community development. Gurindji workers will then travel
to Alice Springs to join a National Day of Action on
October 29. The NDA has the support of the LHMU, CFMEU and
MUA. John told CAAMA radio, “Too many people have lost
their jobs. Now they are making people work for the
BasicsCard. What more harm are they going to do to us?”
“Everyone knows about the Wave Hill walk-off. Now the old
people are seeing it’s going back to those days again. A
lot of young people are very angry. We need to fight again”.”
Carl Taylor and Paddy Gibson

– News

Koori Mail: Gurindji strike echoes historic walkoff
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
20 Oct 10: “GURINDJI workers and residents from the remote
Northern Territory Aboriginal communities of Kalkaringi and
Dagaragu will today stop work and stage a protest against
the NT Intervention. Gurindji leaders say the closure of
the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), local
government reforms and the seizure of land and assets under
the Intervention have had a devastating impact on the
community.”

NEW DEFENDING INDIGENOUS RIGHTS WEBSITE ASSISTS ANTI-INTERVENTION CAMPAIGNING:

About Defending Indigenous Rights
http://defendingindigenousrights.wordpress.com/about-2/
“Welcome to the Defending Indigenous Rights website.
This site is intended as a resource for groups and
individuals around Australia campaigning against the
Northern Territory Intervention. The Intervention into
Aboriginal communities in the NT was introduced by the
former Coalition government in June 2007. It has continued
– and in many cases been extended – under the federal
Labor governments. In response to large numbers of
Aboriginal people affected by the laws declaring it racist,
unwelcome and harmful, campaigning groups around the
country sprang up, working in solidarity with the NT
communities and building a movement to demand the
government fully repeal the intervention laws. For more
information about the NT intervention and the campaign
against it, visit one of the links provided. This website
will help groups around the country, as well as communities
and individuals, share information about upcoming campaign
events, poster designs, fundraising appeals and other
resources. … “

OTHER NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION ARTICLES:

– Media Releases

ANTaR – Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation:
ANTaR launch of ‘A Better Way:
Success stories in Aboriginal community control in the NT’
http://www.antar.org.au/media_alert_antar_launch_of_a_better_way_success_stories_in_aboriginal_community_control_in_the_nt
22 Oct 10: “Community-control and genuine engagement must
at the heart of a long-term sustainable community
development strategy if governments are to partner
effectively with Aboriginal people and successfully respond
to the challenges facing Northern Territory communities.
This will be the key message at the launch on Tuesday of
ANTaR’s publication, ‘A Better Way: Success stories in
community control in the Northern Territory’. …
Event details:
What: Launch of ANTaR publication: A Better Way:
Success stories in community control in the Northern Territory.
When: 10am, Tuesday 26 October, 2010.
Where: Northern Territory Supreme Court foyer,
State Square, Darwin.
Who: Speakers include:
* Olga Havnen – Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Strategy, Red Cross
* John Paterson – Executive Officer,
Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance NT (AMSANT)
* Jonathan Hunyor – Principal Legal Officer, NAAJA”

Greens MPs:
Divert income management millions to NT child protection
http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/divert-income-management-millions-nt-child-protection-greens
20 Oct 10: “The Australian Greens are calling for money
being wasted on income management in the Northern Territory
to be diverted and used to deal with the crisis facing the
Territory’s child protection service. Senator Rachel
Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal Issues says the
report from the Inquiry into the Northern Territory’s Child
Protection System outlines a disturbing situation, and that
implementing the long list of recommended actions would be
far more effective than continuing expensive and
ineffective income quarantining. “Despite serious concerns
about the negative impact of income management, the
Government have set aside $410 million to pay for the
program,” Senator Siewert said today.”

– Articles

Australian: Another indictment of neglect
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/another-indictment-of-neglect/story-e6frg71x-1225940882551
20 Oct 10: “THAT employment is up in Northern Territory
indigenous communities is good, demonstrating some success
for Canberra’s intervention program. But it is not good
enough, given that everything that occurs in indigenous
policy must be assessed against the 2007 Little Children
are Sacred report, which detailed the extent of abuse in
the Territory.”

Crikey:
Government more ready to fund bureaucrats than welfare recipients
http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/10/12/government-more-ready-to-fund-bureaucrats-than-welfare-recipients/
12 Oct 10: “Income management is coming to a place near you
- eventually. The whole Northern Territory is already an
“experiment” as more welfare payment recipients (indigenous
and not) are being included in the program, willy nilly.
The extension of the program has occurred despite strong
opposition from many sources and a singular lack of valid
evidence of improvements in child well-being … ” Eva Cox

Arena: Embedded Anthropology and the Intervention
http://www.arena.org.au/2010/09/embedded-anthropology-and-the-intervention/
Sep 2010: “In June 2007, the Federal government staged a
dramatic military-like take over of Indigenous communities
in the Northern Territory, which was orchestrated around a
moral panic concerning allegations of pedophile rings and
the sexual abuse of children. Exploiting a growing public
awareness of serious social problems in remote Indigenous
communities, the subsequent measures known as the Northern
Territory Intervention were exempted from the Racial
Discrimination Act. Many of the measures had little to do
with violence and the protection of children from sexual
abuse.” Barry Morris and Andrew Lattas

– Audio

ABC The World Today: Calls for intervention group to be reconvened
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3037136.htm
13 Oct 10: “A former member of the Northern Territory
Intervention Taskforce says the group should be restored to
get the intervention back on track. The ophthalmologist,
Dr Bill Glasson, was one of six members of an emergency
committee brought together to manage the first stage of the
intervention in 73 remote Northern Territory communities.
But since it was disbanded, there have been reports of
large increases in the number of public servants employed
by the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory governments
to oversee the intervention. Doctor Glasson says it’s
‘frightening’, and that the built-up bureaucracy is
‘constipating’ any progress on the ground.”

– News

ABC: Porn, grog ban signs ‘not legally required’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/22/3045677.htm
22 Oct 10: “Signs in remote Indigenous communities
declaring “No pornography and alcohol” are not legally
required under the federal intervention in the Northern
Territory, the Department of Indigenous Affairs has told a
Senate estimates committee.”

Koori Mail: Greens: Scrap income quarantining
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
21 Oct 10: “THE Australian Greens say money being ‘wasted’
on income management in the Northern Territory should be
spent instead on dealing with the crisis facing the
Territory’s child protection service. Greens Senator Rachel
Siewert says addressing the 147 recommendations of this
week’s Bath Inquiry report would be more effective than
continuing expensive and ineffective income quarantining at
a cost of $410 million.”

Koori Mail: Peak health body welcomes child protection report
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
20 Oct 10: “NT Aboriginal health service peak organisation
AMSANT says the report of the Bath Inquiry in child
protection in the Northern Territory could herald a new era
in working with Aboriginal people in battling child abuse
and neglect. AMSANT CEO John Paterson says there are no
quick fixes to the issues raised in the report but the
involvement and collaboration of Aboriginal people will be
key.”

Koori Mail: Opposition: Report exposes Labor’s failures
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
20 Oct 10: “FEDERAL Opposition spokesman for families Kevin
Andrews says the report of the Bath Inquiry into child
protection shows the former Howard Government’s
intervention in the Northern Territory was justified. But
Mr Andrews says that ,while there’s been an increase in
bureaucrats under Labor, there’s been little actual
improvement in outcomes.”

Koori Mail: Feds pledge $34 million towards NT child protection
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
19 Oct 10: “THE Federal Government has announced $34
million to boost measures to protect children from neglect
and abuse in the Northern Territory, following the release
of the Bath Inquiry report yesterday. Indigenous Affairs
Minister Jenny Macklin says the funds will be put towards
increasing the number of parents on child protection income
management, provide additional family support services,
boost child protection workers in remote communities and
strengthen alcohol controls.”

SMH: Minister launches critical report
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/minister-launches-critical-report-20101018-16q1c.html
18 Oct 10: “A report slamming income management as coercive
has been launched by the federal minister in charge of
welfare. Anglicare Australia’s annual state of the family
report said Labor’s welfare quarantining policies did
little to address entrenched poverty. “The social security
system is not the appropriate system to use to try to
force people to change their behaviour,” it said. “There is
a lack of empirical evidence that the policy actually works
to improve outcomes for children or communities.””

ABC: Bureaucracy ‘constipating’ NT intervention
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/13/3037555.htm?section=justin
13 Oct 10: “A former member of the Northern Territory
intervention taskforce says the group should be restored to
get the intervention back on track. Ophthalmologist Dr Bill
Glasson was one of six members of an emergency committee
brought together to manage the first stage of the
intervention in 73 remote NT communities. But since it was
disbanded, there have been reports of large increases in
the number of public servants employed by the Commonwealth
and the Northern Territory governments to oversee the
intervention. Dr Glasson says the built-up bureaucracy is
“constipating” any progress on the ground.”

NT News: NT climate good for bureaucrats
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/10/12/185861_ntnews.html
12 Oct 10: “BUREAUCRAT numbers have ballooned in the
Northern Territory since the federal intervention. The
number of public servants employed by the Department of
Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs alone have more than doubled. Yesterday FaHCSIA
defended its expanded size, which has seen its executive
ranks swell from 50 to 139 people employed on a pay scale
that ranges from $74,953 to $205,325.”

NT News: Mobile homes get move on
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/10/12/185981_ntnews.html
12 Oct 10: “A DIRE staff housing shortage has led to a
remote shire taking up the tools to create a program that
will see transportable houses built and on site within 14
weeks. East Arnhem Shire is building houses in Darwin,
barging them fully furnished and setting them up onsite for
an estimated $350,000 as part of its modular transportable
building program. By comparison, the Federal and NT
governments’ Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) is building houses in remote
areas for an average of $450,000.” Alyssa Betts

Australian: Bureaucrats ‘too remote’ from indigenous front line
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/bureaucrats-too-remote-from-indigenous/story-fn59niix-1225937395679
12 Oct 10: “MORE evidence has emerged of bureaucratic
wastage in indigenous programs in the Northern Territory.
Doctors, police and teachers’ unions have complained that
an overly complex public service was thwarting frontline
workers in the task of combating indigenous disadvantage.
The Australian Medical Association said yesterday that
doctors and other health workers based in remote
communities were becoming increasingly frustrated at the
over-governance of remote programs.” Natasha Robinson

ABC: Welfare quarantine plan causing ‘major concern’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/09/3033799.htm?site=indigenous&topic=latest
9 Oct 10: “The National Welfare Rights Network says a
federal program to quarantine the welfare payments of
people who neglect their children will not work unless it
is coupled with measures to help families. The Federal
Government says Northern Territory parents who neglect
their children will have 70 per cent of their welfare
payments managed on a Basics Card. The Government is using
the results of a trial from Western Australia to support
the case for expanding income management. But Kate Beaumont
from the Welfare Rights Network says it is not a fair
comparison.”

Koori Mail: Govt lauds income management trial
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
8 Oct 10: “THE Federal Government says an independent
evaluation shows that a trial of child protection and
voluntary income management in Western Australia is
improving the lives of children and families. It says 61
per cent of 328 people forced on to the scheme in the name
of child protection, and 67 per cent of 803 people who went
on it voluntarily said income management had improved their
children’s lives.”

– Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Northern Territory National Emergency Response
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_intervention

Defending Indigenous Rights:
http://defendingindigenousrights.wordpress.com/

Intervention walk-off’s Blog:
http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/

IRAG (Intervention Rollback Action Group):
http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/

Jobs with Justice:
http://jobswithjustice.wordpress.com/

STICS (Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney):
http://stoptheintervention.org/

WGAR (Working Group for Aboriginal Rights):
http://wgar.info/

PUBLIC DISCUSSION FORUM: DEACTIVATING COLONIALISM / DECOLONISING ACTIVISM:

– Videos

YouTube:
Gary Foley: ‘Educate YOURSELF, then educate the people’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw8YVBbQgNg
5 Sep 10: “Aboriginal historian, activist and leader, Gary
Foley, explains the do’s and don’t’s of white activism.
100% Juice from an inspiring orator, and priceless advice
for all would-be allies of Indigenous people in the
struggle for justice.
Filmed during the public discussion forum:
‘Deactivating Colonialism / Decolonising Acivism’
convened by Clare Land at MAYSAR (Melbourne
Aboriginal Youth, Sport and Recreation), Fitzroy:
August 31st, 2010.”

YouTube:
Advice for white Indigenous activists in Australia (Gary Foley)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEGsBV9VGTQ
5 Sep 10: “Aboriginal historian, activist and leader, Gary
Foley, explains the do’s and don’t’s of white activism.
100% Juice from an inspiring orator, and priceless advice
for all would-be allies of Indigenous people in the
struggle for justice.”

YouTube:
Advice for white Indigenous activists in Australia (Robbie Thorpe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTiJ4mMFrRc
5 Sep 10: “Veteran Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe
explains the do’s and don’t’s for white activists who are
aspire to work as allies in the Indigenous struggle for
justice.”

YouTube: Genocide = ecocide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA8PxzYFPyw
5 Sep 10: “Veteran Indigenous activist Robbie Thorpe
explains the do’s and don’t’s for white activists who are
aspire to work as allies in the Indigenous struggle for
justice.”

WGAR

24/10/2010: AUSTRALIA – A CONTINUING GENOCIDE?

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