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The Australia of 2009 is a proud multicultural nation. It is a nation, culturally, socially and economically formed by the unique combination of its First Nation peoples, its early settlers, and by the many waves of subsequent migration. As such, negotiating diversity and respecting people of all faiths, races, cultures and identities has evolved into an important characteristic of being a member…

It is crucial to the functioning of the native title system that there are organisations representing Indigenous people and assisting them to gain recognition and protection of native title.

Improving the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a longstanding challenge for governments in Australia. While there have been improvements made in some areas since the 1970s (notably in reducing high rates of infant mortality1) overall progress has been slow and inconsistent. The inequality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other…

Improving the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a longstanding challenge for governments in Australia. While there have been improvements made in some areas since the 1970s (notably in reducing high rates of infant mortality1) overall progress has been slow and inconsistent. The inequality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other…

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires Australia to protect children's rights to cultural identity, language and religion. The most effective way of ensuring enjoyment of these rights is to encourage and allow refugee and asylum-seeking children to participate in cultural and religious activities in the community. The Australian community is well equipped to respond to this need…

In a modern workforce where men and women work side by side it is important that employers protect their employees from unwanted behaviour that is not only harmful to the employee involved but also unprofessional and unproductive for the workplace. Sexual harassment is one form of unwanted behaviour that attempts to exclude individuals from the workplace by focusing on the sex of the person…

The National Association of Community Based Children's Services (NACBCS) represents long day care, preschool, occasional care and outside school hours care services that are community owned and managed. The members of NACBCS predominantly work in direct contact with children and families in the services and advocate for quality childcare services for young children.

In submitting this report I am required to make any recommendations as to actions that should be taken by governments to improve the recognition of the human rights of Indigenous people.[1] This year’s report contains 12 recommendations, which are reproduced here and discussed further in the relevant chapters.

2.1 Introduction [1] Successive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners (Social Justice Commissioners) have always shown constant leadership and advocacy in reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights to our lands and waters in the 19 Native Title Reports written between 1994 and 2012. [2] These Reports consistently show that social justice…