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We must fight for indigenous-led solutions

LETTERNovember 2001 - As the year draws to an end ANTaR and the Sea of Hands are preparing for the tasks that lie ahead, and reflecting on a climate dramatically altered by recent events.

News reporting has been dominated by only a few topics recently. You may not be aware that the Federal Government was recently forced by public pressure (including ANTaR's) to release a damning report which it had suppressed for six months.

The Commonwealth Grants Commission's report put beyond doubt what ANTaR and many Indigenous organisations had been trying to draw attention to for many years, that: - Indigenous people's access to mainstream commonwealth funded health, employment and education services is scandalously low; - the resulting inequities are compounded by the very high levels of entrenched disadvantage experienced by Indigenous people.

The Grants Commission is the latest of a growing number of government agencies appealing urgently to the Government to understand that "the full and effective participation of Indigenous people" is essential to finding solutions to Indigenous disadvantage.

ANTaR has been working alongside Indigenous and other Australians in advocating this fundamental change of approach and the urgent need for formal talks to begin.

Time is not on our side.

For young people, who make up 60% of Australia's Indigenous population, opportunities are very limited under present conditions.

For communities, many languages, traditional lands and cultures are at extreme risk or on the brink of being lost.

The impact of government Indigenous policies over recent years has been devastating -

• drastic cuts to ATSIC,
• extensive native title extinguishment,
• rising incarceration rates.

adding to the on-going, unaddressed problems of acute disadvantage and inadequate funding.

But perhaps the most profound damage has been the most subtle.

In order to head off electoral loss, Federal and State governments have gone out of their way to foster a community focus on racial and cultural differences, and to encourage racially-based envy, blame and fear. This has stimulated the views of existing divisive elements to spread widely within the general community.

But rolling back the damage is a daunting and unrelenting challenge. Now is the time for the hard work on reconciliation.

Whichever party forms government over the coming years, ANTaR will be fighting for Indigenous-led solutions developed through good faith negotiations and agreement. ANTaR is working for people like you, who share their vision of a racially and culturally tolerant humanity ...

Zita Antonios, Race Discrimination Commissioner, 1994 - 1999
Mick Dodson, Indigenous Social Justice Commissioner, 1993 - 1998
Chris Sidoti, Human Rights Commissioner - 1993 - 1998 1995 - 2000

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