Update from Women For Wik

[a post relocated from my retired blog]

The latest information about the important Women For Wik initiative.

We are growing fast, and it is a job dealing just with emails and general organisation, so we apologise for not keeping you up-to-date more actively. The main things that have happened this week are:

• A schedule of events has been put in place. These are scheduled in Darwin (today), Brisbane Tuesday, 18th Sept), Adelaide (Friday and Sat, 28th & 29th Sept), Canberra (13th Oct) and Sydney (14th Oct) - www.womenforwik.org/national.html. If you want to schedule something in your town, let us know and we will help.
• There was a protest at the Australian Consulate in Edinburgh (see press release below, for photos go to: www.womenforwik.org/press_release.html
• We were aiming for 1,000 people by 12th September – and we got to almost 1,500!
• We refined our statement (with your feedback, thanks). The slightly revised statement is copied below.

Aside from our own activities, the most important even in this last week is the formation of the National Aboriginal Alliance, which grew out of Aboriginal people’s concerns about the Federal Action in the NT. There is information on this at: www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22417169-29277,00.html

Finally, Women for Wik-Monitoring the Intervention launched on 1st September, so we are only 2 weeks old. This is a lot of action in 2 weeks - so thank you so much to all the people who have come together on this, to make so much happen in such a short time.

Please forward this email o your friends, and encourage them to endorse our statement. We need to demonstrate that there is a groundswell of concern here, if we are going to affect government policy on this issue.

As Fairlie Arthur says in her 3rd September quote of the day: ‘Together, we can make a difference.’

all the best,

Claire, Christine, Eileen, Olga, Rosie and Raelene

Statement. Women for Wik – Monitoring the Federal Action in the NT

The Federal Action in the Northern Territory could provide a unique opportunity to improve conditions in Aboriginal communities, but there is also a real possibility that it may make things worse. As currently planned, it will undermine key aspects of Aboriginal societies - country, kin and culture. Moreover, by using a top-down approach, it has the potential to work against self-government and, in some instances, contravene human rights. This will not improve the lives of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory.

Accordingly, we call on both Federal and Territory governments to recognise the importance of Indigenous identity and develop an environment of mutual respect through cross-cultural awareness, communication and engagement. Like the many Australians who walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of reconciliation, we believe our generation can ensure a fair go for Indigenous citizens.

Worldwide Women’s Protest Against Federal Action In The Northern Territory

An international women’s day of action is planned for Friday, October 19 to protest against the Australian Government’s action in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

Women for Wik, a grassroots organisation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, has attracted more than 1500 signatures on its website and at least one international sister group since going public on this issue two weeks ago.

A group of women from Australia, Scotland and France, organised a protest at the Australian Consulate in Edinburgh on September 13.

Organiser Kate Worland, said, ‘It is vital to raise awareness all over the world about what is going on right now in Australia. We need to stop the implementation of this draconian legislation any way we can.’

Women for Wik, originally formed in 1997 to combat the Howard Government’s attempts to extinguish native title, is calling on Australian women around the world will organise similar events on October 19. Action kits are available through the Women for Wik website, www.womenforwik.org.

Australian organiser, Associate Professor Claire Smith, says “We live in an interconnected world. Once we started providing access to information about the impact of this Federal action on Aboriginal community people, it was inevitable that this movement would garner international support.”

‘It is ironic that this occurred on the same day that the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous peoples passed. This shows how far Australia is out of step with the rest of the world’, says Associate Professor Smith.

Professor Lynn Meskell of Stanford University says: “It is not enough that the Prime Minister has Australians involved in a war abroad that is not our own, we have begun persecuting and dominating our own people at home.”

Professor Meskell continues: “Like one million other Australian citizens, I live overseas. This does not mean that I do not notice, or care about, what happens in Australia.’

Legislation allowing the Australian government’s action in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities passed the Senate in August. The government seized control of around 70 Aboriginal towncamps and community centres. This has been done without consultation with Aboriginal organisations.

The Government acted in response to the Little Child Are Sacred report that reported widespread child abuse in NT Aboriginal communities. But even the authors of the report say the feel they betrayed by the Government’s response to this report.

Federal actions include alcohol and pornography controls and controversial changes to the permit system for access to Indigenous land. Many opponents, including Women for Wik, object to the way the child-abuse issue has been linked to land rights.

“This wouldn’t be accepted by any other section of the Australian society,” says Olga Havnen, Indigenous leader and CEO of the Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the Northern Territory. “If they tried to implement this against women, or Jews, or gays, the country would be in an uproar. Why do we accept it for Aboriginal people?”

Background Information

WOMEN FOR WIK-MONITORING THE FEDERAL ACTION IN THE NT STATEMENT

The Federal Action in the Northern Territory could provide a unique opportunity to improve conditions in Aboriginal communities, but there is also a real possibility that it may make things worse. As currently planned, it will undermine key aspects of Aboriginal societies - country, kin and culture. Moreover, by using a top-down approach, it has the potential to work against self-government and, in some instances, contravene human rights. This will not improve the lives of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory.

Accordingly, we call on both Federal and Territory governments to recognise the importance of Indigenous identity and develop an environment of mutual respect through cross-cultural awareness, communication and engagement. Like the many Australians who walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of reconciliation, we believe our generation can ensure a fair go for Indigenous citizens.

Supporters

Prominent women supporting us monitoring the Federal Action in the Northern Territory include Lady Deane, Tamie Fraser, Lowitja O’Donoghue, Justice Elizabeth Evatt, Helen Caldicott, Anne Deveson, Kate Grenville, Gabi Hollows, Faith Bandler, Anita Heiss, Margaret Fulton and Rosemary Stanton.