In our country of Australia we have just seen how young criminals in a youth detention centre in the Northern Territory have been brutalised. These youngsters, mainly indigenous youth, have committed criminal acts including violence yet we choose to punish them with more violence from their warders. It is sickening.
Our Prime Minister to his credit has immediately instituted a focused Royal Commission to quickly get to the bottom of this culture of punitive violence.
I heard indigenous leaders react with horror to what they have seen in the Four Corners Program on the youth detention centre. I like what Warren Mundine said about stopping the criminal acts as the front line for fixing the problem of the appallingly high rates of indigenous incarceration. I understood him to mean to get action into the communities from which the young offenders come, such that the senior community members take up the challenge to raise their youth in a culture of peaceful living. I imagine in my dreams warrior elders, men and women, walking amongst their people and somehow drawing them into a style of living that isn't short brutish and ugly. Self determination is the go.
Such self determined action won't suddenly heal the wrongs of the 1788 invasion, but it will help, especially in a context of recognising the first Australians in the Australian Constitution.
I say again that we need a group of indigenous leaders that represents the various indigenous communities across Australia to have a voice on the floor of the Federal Parliament. This group of what I call the Philosopher Kings and Queens of the indigenous peoples should sit with the parliament at least twice each year and the elected MPs should have to sit and listen to what is needed for self determination. All other parliamentary business should be suspended. The emerging actions should receive bipartisan discussion and swift decision making across both houses of the Federal parliament. Any indigenous representative who is too shy to speak for cultural reasons such as language, could have the help of someone by their side interpreting and getting the message across.
The high level indigenous group I recommend is not to be body that receives government funding for projects and that manages large amounts of government money. I don't want this group to be open to accusations of not using government funds wisely. I want them to be above this and above political affiliations.
I have written to federal politicians about my scheme but get back the typical letter from a public servant explaining to me all the wonderful things the government is doing in indigenous affairs. Nothing is substantially changing for my indigenous brothers and sisters. We the great unwashed need to be able to get through the public service barrier and have the pollies themselves respond. I'd rather them tell me my idea won't work with an explanation of why not rather than have the public service standard response.
Enough already!
GD
Noted in the press on 30/07/2016 that the NT Centre in question had been closed for some time and that there were reports of the abuse available. This is even more worrying. Facts are known, reports get written and nothing much changes. There is no doubt that indigenous incarceration rates need to be tackled at the grass roots community level in order to reduce criminal activity. A lot of guts, determination and bipartisanship is needed right now from the pollies. Right now, not tomorrow or next week.
Enough already!
GD
Noted on 2/07/2016 that the government has now decided to have Mick Gooda as a commissioner for the Royal Commission to represent indigenous concerns as well as a new legal commissioner. the original choice for Commissioner withdrew because of possible conflicts of interest. Having Mick there is something that a lot of people wanted.
Enough already!
GD
No comments:
Post a Comment