This is an impressive mob indeed. Could someone now please advise the full membership of the Bennelong Group? And, please, do we call this group Bennelong Two?? At 11:09 AM 10/26/00 +1000, you wrote: >The Sydney Morning Herald >ATSIC bypassed in new strategy for Aborigines > >Date: 25/10/2000 > >By MARK METHERELL in Canberra > >A national forum appointed by the Federal Government yesterday called for >a fresh strategy to tackle the social crisis in indigenous >communities. > >The plan effectively sidelines the nation's elected indigenous body, the >Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. > >Although two ATSIC commissioners attended yesterday, the forum's >communiqué did not mention ATSIC in its detailed plan to tackle >problems such as domestic violence and alcohol abuse, which are prevalent >in many indigenous communities. > >The forum of 20, including indigenous and non-indigenous leaders, >advocated "a new approach involving a partnership between >governments and communities that will facilitate the development of >self-reliance for indigenous Australians, rather than one that >entrenches welfare dependency". > >The round table was co-chaired by the Family and Community Services >Minister, Senator Newman, and the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, >Senator Herron, who said last night: "We now have instructions on a new >approach to a partnership between governments, indigenous >communities and families. > >"The problems that exist today are best resolved at local levels and it is >up to government to provide opportunities for indigenous >Australians to share a better future for future generations." > >The forum identified the big issues for the well-being of indigenous >families and communities as family violence, substance abuse and >chronic welfare dependency, which it said caused "debilitating effects of >an over-reliance on welfare, such as breakdown of traditional >community structures; a lack of direction for young people, resulting in >poor self-esteem, substance abuse, violence and suicide". > >No immediate response to the plan was available from ATSIC, although it is >believed that the presence of two commissioners in the >working party formed yesterday may placate the ATSIC board. > >The communiqué said the strategy should also recognise that indigenous >people be encouraged to take primary responsibility for shaping >a better life. It called for regional approaches requiring collaboration >between business, churches, indigenous organisations and the >broader community. > >The Cape York leader, Mr Noel Pearson, who produced a paper urging the >forum to restore the place of families, which he argues have >been disempowered by the current community-dominated environment, says the >new order will fail without fundamental changes to the >status quo. > >Mr Pearson, a vehement critic of the Government on native title, said he >believed yesterday's forum was worthwhile but would be >meaningless without policy changes that "go to the heart of the matter". > >"It's no use if changes are just a few more programs dealing with families." > >Besides restoration of families' influence over their own affairs, he >says, different levels of Government needed to be "joined up" in a >comprehensive way to produce effective services. > >The members of the working party nominated by the forum to advise the >Government are: ATSIC commissioners, Mr Eric Wynne and >Mr Brian Butler; the director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, >Dr Adam Graycar; the University of Wollongong's Dr Margaret >Valadian; the chairwoman of the Queensland task force on domestic >violence, Associate Professor Boni Robertson; World Vision staffer >Mr Tom Mayne; the general manager of the Moree Plains Shire Council, Mr >Vince Paparo; and the chairman of the National >Organisation of Aboriginal Housing, Mr Tom Slockee. > >This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or >mirroring is prohibited. > > > >************************************************************************* >This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without >permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, >scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal >copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of >the copyright owner, except for "fair use." ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Bodyçsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." 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