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Post by rambler on Apr 20, 2006 1:47:04 GMT -5
The issue of a treaty process remains an important item of the 'unfinished business' of reconciliation and for the nation.
When hundreds of thousands of Australians walked in the "bridge marches" of May 2000, they walked to show their support for some very basic values - like decency, honesty, fairness and compassion.
Indigenous people in Australia responded, through their elders and other representatives, by expressing a long-held hope that maybe, at last, we could come together in talks.
Recent indigenous calls for a treaty process mirror similar calls throughout the period of non-indigenous occupation of Australia. By a treaty process, they mean formal talks or negotiations which result in written and binding agreement.
Australia is the only Commonwealth country which has never entered into a treaty with its Indigenous peoples.
Now is the time to make a start!
The first decade of the Reconciliation process, overseen by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, has seen major change in the hearts of many Australians and at the neighborhood level. We are now entering the vital second stage of the Reconciliation process, in which we will need to go beyond change at the personal level to talks about changes at higher, more formal levels. The final report of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation recommended that an agreement or treaty process be established for dealing with the 'unfinished business' of Reconciliation.
Talks are the obvious process for exploring the terms of a new relationship. A treaty process is the usual mechanism for implementing and safeguarding what's agreed to during talks.
Unfortunately, the Howard Government has reacted to community support for a treaty by stimulating fear that it will mean division or two separate nations in Australia. The many thousands who support Reconciliation do not accept this shallow response. They know that we now have a valuable opportunity for renewal of relations between the first and later Australians, for a halt to the conflict and litigation, for greater certainty, for unity.
Modern-day treaty negotiations in other countries have not led to division or secession. Canada celebrates its treaty processes as a second chance to establish relationships based on mutual trust, respect and understanding. It won't all be easy, but formal talks towards a treaty offer the chance of lasting outcomes, something which is going to work through the future and through many changes.
It's time for government to sit down in talks with indigenous people and to genuinely bring our society together.
In the absence of Government support, community discussion about the merits of a treaty process is nevertheless occurring.
In 2002, ATSIC established a National Treaty Support Group and Treaty Think Tank to develop discussion of the issue amongst Indigenous communities. The NTSG also launched a Treaty Now website to provide information and resources. In May 2002, ANTaR launched a Treaty Community Seminar Kit for use in the non-Indigenous community. In August 2002 a National Treaty Conference, jointly organised by ATSIC, ANTaR and AIATSIS, was held in Canberra. Also in 2002 the Gilbert + Tobin Centre for Public Law began a three year Treaty Project. These and other initiatives will ensure that the issue continues to be discusssed over coming years. It wont go away
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Post by lennie on Apr 20, 2006 2:15:35 GMT -5
Excellent comments Rambler on a subject that is very dear to my heart. Sadly though, Australia's Indigenous Community will not get a respectable response from any Government in Australia until they realise that they need representation in Parliament, as the Maori people do in New Zealand. It is imperitive that we follow the pattern of the Kiwi's and only then will the Aboriginal Community have a true voice in Australia.
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Post by johnofmelb on Apr 20, 2006 10:12:03 GMT -5
Rambler said "It's time for government to sit down in talks with indigenous people and to genuinely bring our society together."
I couldn't agree more, true reconciliation will come from positive and open discussion between the Politicians and elders of the Koori/Murri/Nungar peoples. Followed by the signing off of a treaty or similar document. It should be happening, and it should be happening now, hell, it should of happened years ago.
It will not come about from "talking heads" making disparaging remarks about the bravery under fire of Australian Diggers, nor will it come about about from threatening people walking through public parks with $50,000 fines and telling Police officers posted to maintain the peace that they're trespassing.
Regards
John P.S. Will you people stop being so damned reasonable, earlier you had me agreeing with one of the gunsafe collective, now you've got me agreeing with a journo! ;D
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Post by fusil on Apr 22, 2006 1:32:58 GMT -5
I may be wrong but I thought that back in 1967 or so the Australian people voted for Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the general population and treated the same as everyone else? Once this is done some progress might be made.
Fusil.
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Post by aussie on Apr 22, 2006 2:19:12 GMT -5
I may be wrong but I thought that back in 1967 or so the Australian people voted for Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the general population and treated the same as everyone else? Once this is done some progress might be made. Fusil. They are treated the same and better
Each year $6 billion is spent on them.
Also
No other racial group in Australia gets that
Today 200,000 Aborigines live in Australia work that out as a percentage of 20 Million people
Also In the areas of education and housing, Aboriginals
Have A variety of programs in universities that recognise that many people throughout Australia may be disadvantaged in their educational attainment. For instance, there are special admission programs for applicants who have suffered long term educational disadvantage due to poverty, disability or severe medical conditions. Special entry programs for Indigenous Australians recognise that they are severely disadvantaged in the area of education
There are a number of State and Territory home ownership schemes available to aboriginals not available to all other Australians
To ensure Indigenous people are looked after
There are 76 free community-based Aboriginal Medical Services No other racial group has these services.It should be noted that Indigenous Australians use mainstream services and benefits such as pharmaceutical benefits and aged care at a much lower rate than other Australians
Also 20 free independent Aboriginal legal services operate throughout the country.
Aboriginals are the only racial group in australia who do not pay for fishing licences.
Australia. Indigenous people have certain rights to particular areas of land and water which originate in their traditional ownership unlike other Australians who must buy land
And So On..........................
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Post by usenetfeed on Apr 22, 2006 7:55:28 GMT -5
I may be wrong but I thought that back in 1967 or so the Australian people voted for Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the general population and treated the same as everyone else? Once this is done some progress might be made. Fusil. They are treated the same and better
Each year $6 billion is spent on them.
Also
No other racial group in Australia gets that
Today 200,000 Aborigines live in Australia work that out as a percentage of 20 Million people
Also In the areas of education and housing, Aboriginals
Have A variety of programs in universities that recognise that many people throughout Australia may be disadvantaged in their educational attainment. For instance, there are special admission programs for applicants who have suffered long term educational disadvantage due to poverty, disability or severe medical conditions. Special entry programs for Indigenous Australians recognise that they are severely disadvantaged in the area of education
There are a number of State and Territory home ownership schemes available to aboriginals not available to all other Australians
To ensure Indigenous people are looked after
There are 76 free community-based Aboriginal Medical Services No other racial group has these services.It should be noted that Indigenous Australians use mainstream services and benefits such as pharmaceutical benefits and aged care at a much lower rate than other Australians
Also 20 free independent Aboriginal legal services operate throughout the country.
Aboriginals are the only racial group in australia who do not pay for fishing licences.
Australia. Indigenous people have certain rights to particular areas of land and water which originate in their traditional ownership unlike other Australians who must buy land
And So On..........................This is compensation for the fucked up society we have reduced the Aborigines to through the theft of their land, their traditional way of life, their families (through theft of their kids), massacred them at will and the destroyed their society. White Australia has short-changed them their wages, kept them as wards of the state and patronised them every step of the way. Your message smacks of what John Howard called the "Politics of Jealousy". You resent that Aboriginal Australians apparently get more than white Ausralians. However, as I've pointed out, they've had less, a whole lot less for a whole lot longer. essl Brian
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Post by usenetfeed on Apr 23, 2006 1:59:01 GMT -5
I may be wrong but I thought that back in 1967 or so the Australian people voted for Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the general population and treated the same as everyone else? Once this is done some progress might be made. Fusil. They are treated the same and better
Each year $6 billion is spent on them.
Also
No other racial group in Australia gets that
Today 200,000 Aborigines live in Australia work that out as a percentage of 20 Million people
Also In the areas of education and housing, Aboriginals
Have A variety of programs in universities that recognise that many people throughout Australia may be disadvantaged in their educational attainment. For instance, there are special admission programs for applicants who have suffered long term educational disadvantage due to poverty, disability or severe medical conditions. Special entry programs for Indigenous Australians recognise that they are severely disadvantaged in the area of education
There are a number of State and Territory home ownership schemes available to aboriginals not available to all other Australians
To ensure Indigenous people are looked after
There are 76 free community-based Aboriginal Medical Services No other racial group has these services.It should be noted that Indigenous Australians use mainstream services and benefits such as pharmaceutical benefits and aged care at a much lower rate than other Australians
Also 20 free independent Aboriginal legal services operate throughout the country.
Aboriginals are the only racial group in australia who do not pay for fishing licences.
Australia. Indigenous people have certain rights to particular areas of land and water which originate in their traditional ownership unlike other Australians who must buy land
And So On..........................Brian Said This is compensation for the fucked up society we have reduced the Aborigines to through the theft of their land, their traditional way of life, their families (through theft of their kids), massacred them at will and the destroyed their society. White Australia has short-changed them their wages, kept them as wards of the state and patronised them every step of the way. Your message smacks of what John Howard called the "Politics of Jealousy". You resent that Aboriginal Australians apparently get more than white Ausralians. However, as I've pointed out, they've had less, a whole lot less for a whole lot longer.
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Post by lennie on Apr 23, 2006 6:25:47 GMT -5
I may be wrong but I thought that back in 1967 or so the Australian people voted for Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the general population and treated the same as everyone else? Once this is done some progress might be made. Fusil. They are treated the same and better
Each year $6 billion is spent on them.
Also
No other racial group in Australia gets that
Today 200,000 Aborigines live in Australia work that out as a percentage of 20 Million people
Also In the areas of education and housing, Aboriginals
Have A variety of programs in universities that recognise that many people throughout Australia may be disadvantaged in their educational attainment. For instance, there are special admission programs for applicants who have suffered long term educational disadvantage due to poverty, disability or severe medical conditions. Special entry programs for Indigenous Australians recognise that they are severely disadvantaged in the area of education
There are a number of State and Territory home ownership schemes available to aboriginals not available to all other Australians
To ensure Indigenous people are looked after
There are 76 free community-based Aboriginal Medical Services No other racial group has these services.It should be noted that Indigenous Australians use mainstream services and benefits such as pharmaceutical benefits and aged care at a much lower rate than other Australians
Also 20 free independent Aboriginal legal services operate throughout the country.
Aboriginals are the only racial group in australia who do not pay for fishing licences.
Australia. Indigenous people have certain rights to particular areas of land and water which originate in their traditional ownership unlike other Australians who must buy land
And So On..........................And so they bloody well should have. Go and find a Video titled "A Lousy Little Sixpence" and if that doesn't change your way of thinking I don't know what will. If you had been marginalised, oppressed, had your land and your children taken away from you like the Aboriginal people did you would be pretty bloody angry about it. Hell, they even tried to breed the Aboriginal blood out of them, filthy racist bastards, thats all the English were. They also threw their babies in to the air and used them as target practice among many other forms of genocide. And we should be proud of the fact that we are offering them education, health etc. There is no shame in being an Aboriginal Australian but it's a bloody shame the way they were treated. Typically though Aussie, you are obviously one of the 'ME' generation. Why do they get more than ME?, Why can't 'ME' have that?. It is sad that there are still people in Australia who think that way.
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