[recoznet2] NAIDOC Winners
Person of the Year Mr Bob Randall, (Northern Territory) Alice Springs NT Tel: 08 89511344 Mr Bob Randall has been an active campaigner for the advancement of his people since the 1960's. He was born at Tempe Downs in the Northern Territory and is a member of the Pitjantjatjara nation. Music has been an important part in Bob's life and many of his recordings have been acclaimed and used in movies such as "The Fringe Dwellers". Bob's song, My Brown Skin Baby raises the issue of separated children. Bob's acting and music have featured in documentaries including Mixed Up Man, Secret Country, Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave. He has also acted as a consultant on Aboriginal issues for the South Australian Film Corporation. Mr Randall is currently employed with the Institute of Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs as a cultural teacher. His past experience and ability is proving to be a valuable asset to the Institute. He is actively engaged with people from all over the world who travel to Alice Springs to hear from him the cultural traditions of the Central Australia region. Elder of the Year (male) Geoffrey Shaw OAM (Northern Territory) Alice Springs Tel: 08 89528172 Geoffrey Shaw is a Kayteye man, born in 1945 in the Todd River. He grew up in Central Australia, going to school until year 8. He worked on cattle stations, then joined the army serving in Borneo, Malaya and two tours of Vietnam. On his return from active service, he found conditions of Aboriginal people in Alice Springs to be virtually unchanged from the time he had left. Realising the plight of Aboriginal people were in, he set aside his personal suffering shared by other Vietnam Veterans and began work as a Health Worker with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Geoff Shaw was also the General Manager of Tangentyere Council for over 20 years. Under his leadership Tangentyere Council developed into an effective and innovative organisation which the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody acknowledged as a model of self-determination. In 1979, Geoff Shaw participated in the redraft of the Northern Territory Electoral Act to accommodate the needs of Aboriginal people. In 1990, he was the first elected ATSIC Zone Commissioner for Central Australia and was awarded the Order of Australia medal for his work for Aboriginal people in 1993. Elder of the Year (female) Ms Zona Martin - (Queensland) Toowoomba Tel: 07 46342347 Zona Martin is an Elder and member of the Toowoomba and South West Queensland Aboriginal community as well as being the mother of 11 children. She has been involved in numerous Aboriginal and community organisations across Queensland often from their very beginning. Zona was instrumental in establishing and operating a Mobile Dental Clinic for Aboriginal families in South West Queensland as well as the creation of an Aboriginal Dental Health Service for the Aboriginal Community for the Toowoomba - Darling Downs region itself. Zona Martin was an ADC Commissioner in the period 1985 to 1989. She was appointed to the Establishment Board of the Queensland Trachoma organisation and is a foundation and long standing member of the board of the Downs Aboriginal Housing Company. Artist of the Year Mr Wenten Rubuntja - (Northern Territory) Alice Springs NT Tel: 08 89525855 Wenten Rubuntja is a Senior Arrernte lawman and a custodian of cultural sites in the Alice Springs region. He sees a great need for Aboriginal people to maintain knowledge of their country and culture and for the wider community to understand what this involves. Wenten paints in the dot and symbol technique, based on the traditional sand paintings of the desert, and in the landscape tradition made famous by his father's cousin, Albert Namatjira. He is a renowned artist in both traditional and landscape styles. Wenten has also done a number of paintings that have become the symbols and letterheads of the organisations for whom he has produced the work. In 1976 Wenten became Chairman of the Central Land Council. He has served several terms as President of Tangentyere and has had further terms as Chairman of the Central Land Council and President of Yipirinya School Council. He is also a former stock camp boss and drover, house builder, cook and a member of the original Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Sports Achiever of the Year Mr Nicky Winmar (Victoria) C/- Western Bulldogs Football Club Tel: 03 96806100 Nicky Winmar is the first Aboriginal player to play over 200 AFL games and the driving force behind the AFL's Racial Vilification Code. He practised his footy skills by leaping off tree stumps and tackling sheep at shearing time. He joined the St Kilda Football Club at the age of 21 and began his AFL career in 1987. He is a player of great skill - a spectacular, high-flying mark, a long, accurate kick, pin-point passes by hand and foot and a fierce and effective tackler. He played as a forward, being the Saints'
[recoznet2] GAC Update 10 (14 July 1999)
Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation update *** Hi, folks, The purpose of this update is 1) to provide more information on the outcomes of the World Heritage meeting. 2) notification of two events organized by endorsed Jabiluka Acton Groups 1) MORE INFO ABOUT THE WORLD HERITAGE DECISION The material below comes partly from phone conversations with GAC participants in Paris. It comes in the context of the inevitable disappointment over the adverse decision in Paris. Where such disappointment comes up there is frequently a temptation to look for scapegoats, to try to lay blame. After all, if Hill had lost, heads would have rolled; and tody is the day that Phil Shervinton is shuffled to North Ltd, and Ken Lonie (ex-boss at Ranger) clears his desk. Such looking for places to lay blame is not productive, and this update is partly a request that we show the maturity to avoid such scalp-hunting. * There is no doubt that the decision not to place Kakadu on the World Heritage in Danger list is a terrible decision from several points of view - not least from the point of view of the World Heritage Committee's own reputation. It's perfectly clear that, Robert Hill's blandishments to the contrary, the decision was made on the basis of politics, not facts. As TWS, ACF and FoE have made clear in their press releases, the expert advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee (IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM) unanimously supported in-danger listing both in December and on Monday. We understand that the Committee has never before ignored the unanimous advice of the expert advisory bodies. The structure of voting for an in-danger listing is that a vote for in-danger listing requires a two-thirds majority of the 21 State parties on the Committee at any given time. The Australian government simply has far more resources - YOUR resources, if you live in Australia - at its command than small groups such as GAC, TWS, ACF or FoE. These small groups had to convince - not buy - a two-thirds majority. The government had only to buy - or convince if it could, despite all the advice from advisory bodies - about six countries. History is not short, unfortunately, of examples where, given a choice between a principle and a profit, governments will choose a profit. The Australian government has done this in backing ERA to the hilt. It seems other countries will make similar choices where their hip-pockets are concerned. But it is important that those of us opposed to the Jabiluka uranium mine, whether because we support the Mirrar struggle or because we put anti-uranium concerns first, not become too despondent over the decision. As has been said in these updates on a number of occasions, in-danger listing was never going to stop the mine. It was only ever going to be a tool, a lever, one among many. The question is, a lever for what; and what remains of this lever. It is NOT the case that the World Heritage Committee has said the Park is not in danger. It said nothing of the kind. The Committee said quite clearly that it was extremely concerned, and it required the government to accede to a number of commitments: * Complete cultural mapping and preparation of a cultural heritage management plan with a monitoring regime from ICOMOS and ICCROM. In the past the government has refused to enforce the requirement that ERA produce such a plan before starting construction. In that context, Mirrar have refused to participate while work is going on, and ERA have refused to stop work in order to develop such a plan. Now, these World heritage advisory bodies will be involved, with less chance that the government and ERA will be able to manipulate the process. * An agreement in writing from Hill for no mining at Jabiluka for 18 months. ERA had already said in the media that they would be stopping for about a year. But that period was no doubt flexible according to their priorities - and one of their priorities is to get the profits flowing as soon as possible. There is no doubt that ERA is extremely displeased about this development and will try to wriggle out of it. Having it in writing imposes the requirement upon the government to enforce it - and of course that imposes a need on the rest of us to force the government to enforce it. * A written agreement regarding sequential mining. This was one of the original requirements from the Fox Reports - that two uranium mines not be operating at the same time in Kakadu National Park. This displeases ERA even more, since it severely restricts their ability to produce jabiluka uranium in anything like the quantities they will need to bring their profit levels up to the level they need. When this was first announced, Shervington said on the ABC that it was not going to happen. Now, by some alchemy, it is. ERA
[recoznet2] Jabiluka Action Group Media Release
Forwarded from Christine Howes: JABILUKA ACTION GROUP (Qld) Ph: (07) 3846 0246 Fax: (07) 3846 0246 MEDIA RELEASE TUESDAY 13 JULY 1999 WORLD HERITAGE 18 MONTH SUSPENSION WILL PROVE KAKADU IN DANGER After yesterday's Extraordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee, it was found that the Jabiluka uranium mine will pose serious threats to the living cultural values of Kakadu National Park. This decision has seen the mine placed on hold for 18 months to investigate the implementation of a number of requirements, including a Cultural Heritage Management Plan. This management plan was supposed to be a pre-requisite for construction commencing at the site. Progress of these measures, also including full cultural mapping of important Aboriginal sites, will be under close scrutiny by the World Heritage Committee over the next 18 months. They have stated that they will remain vigilant in monitoring the Australian Government's previously dubious efforts to minimise the effects of the mine on Indigenous people in the area, and on the surrounding environment. Executive Officer of Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation Jacqui Katona said today, "The Mirrar people now have a transparent process which we believe will lead to Jabiluka being discontinued." Jabiluka Action Group spokesperson Rebecca Duffy says, "Regardless of the World Heritage decision, Kakadu is still 'in danger'. Already the mine tunnel has desecrated an Aboriginal sacred site complex." "It is extremely disappointing that the decision last night became so politicised, that the merits of the case were overshadowed by the Australian Government's diplomatic pressure. The credibility of the whole World Heritage regime has been undermined, and the Australian public can now clearly recognise just how underhanded our government has been in this matter." "The government may see this as a win for the Jabiluka uranium mine, however there can be no victory for Kakadu National Park and the Mirrar until the mine is stopped. We will continue to fight with the Traditional Owners because we have no doubt that Jabiluka should not go ahead. It will be proved in the next 18 months that the mine is not viable ecologically, culturally or economically." In response to the decision, the Jabiluka Action Group has organised a Candlelight Vigil to acknowledge the struggle of the Mirrar to exercise their rights of self determination: WHAT: CANDLELIGHT VIGIL * SPEAKERS INCLUDE ABORIGINAL POET MAUREEN WATSON * MUSICAL PERFORMANCES FROM JEVAN COLE AND REBECCA WRIGHT WHEN: FRIDAY 16 JULY 5.30 - 7.30 PM WHERE: KING GEORGE SQUARE Bring candles, warm clothes and blankets Hot Drinks and Food available For more information contact: Rebecca Duffy on 3846 0246 or 3846 7609 STOP JABILUKA URANIUM MINE - STOP JABILUKA URANIUM MINE - STOP JABILUKA URANIUM MINE --- 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]?Body=unsubscribe%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." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
