Search results

Introduction Background Health Schooling Shelter Food/nutrition Transport Interpreters Language Social Support Maternity Recommendations Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5

This Chapter considers options for addressing lateral violence in environments that concern our lands, territories and resources. Although this is the beginning of the conversation, the Chapter aims to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities some ideas about how to address lateral violence through the establishment of strong structural foundations and principles. It also seeks to assist governments to help us confront this problem by reinforcing these structures through legislation and policy.

The year of this report saw several significant changes and developments within the Commission. Some were anticipated; some had been delayed; some were more welcome than others all led to a full and active twelve month period.

a) Ngaanyatjarra Regional Partnership Agreement. b) Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly c) Post-ATSIC regional representation for Torres Strait Islanders on the mainland

The United Nations Youth Association of Australia welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention. The issue of immigration detention for children has been coming under increased scrutiny in the past eight months. As far as it affects our international standing, the standards by which we treat children and our policies regarding refugees, it is a matter of great importance, which must be rigorously discussed in the public arena.

"We reaffirm our commitment to continue our struggle to eliminate all forms of violence and torture against children and to create a world that protects and fulfils the rights of all children." [1]

In 2007-08, the number of new migrants who settled permanently in Australia was 205 940.[78] The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines ‘settled permanently’ as:

Indigenous children throughout Australia remain very significantly over-represented `in care' and in contact with welfare authorities. Their over-representation increases as the intervention becomes more coercive, with the greatest over-representation being in out-of-home care. Indigenous children appear to be particularly over-represented in long-term foster care arrangements. A high percentage of Indigenous children in long-term foster care live with non-Indigenous carers.

The most distressing aspect about the level of juvenile justice intrusion in the lives of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is the fact that entry into the system is usually the start of a long career of incarceration for many (SNAICC submission 309 page 28).

The landscape of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is under severe ecological stress. Issues such as salinity, poor water quality, stressed forests, dried wetlands, threatened native species, feral animals and noxious weeds are commonplace within the MDB. The reasons for this dramatic decline in river health are caused by water mismanagement including reversal of natural flow cycles and over allocation of water licences. Generations of bad farm practices such as deforestation have also played a major role in the ecological disaster that is the MDB.[1]

In this Chapter I review key developments within the native title system that occurred throughout the Reporting Period (1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011) and consider the impact of these events on the exercise and enjoyment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ human rights.

Native title agreements are emerging as an important tool in defining the rights of native title holders over their land. As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner I welcome negotiation and agreement-making as a way of establishing a stable and enduring basis for a dynamic and long term relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people over land. However I am concerned that throughout this process there are currently no mechanisms to ensure that the human rights of Indigenous people are being respected.

Tasneem Chopra is the current Chair of the Islamic Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria. She has been involved with this organisation since its inception over 13 years ago, and has a background in psychology, with over a decade of experience in community development. Tasneem currently works independently as a Cross Cultural Trainer and Consultant specialising in information sessions on ‘Understanding Islam and Muslims in Australia’ with a particular interest in promoting issues of social justice impacting on Muslim women.