Garma organiser urges action on 'horrors in statistics'
Speaking at the annual Garma Festival at Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land, to a crowd that included several senior ministers and the prime minister, Yothu Yindi Foundation chief executive Denise Bowden said their presence was a powerful signal.
"But don't leave Garma and leave things on endless repeat," she said.
"Don't be here to think your attendance here is enough."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his time at Garma to announce an economic partnership with Indigenous organisations, which he said built on Closing the Gap commitments and would empower communities to advocate for infrastructure on their lands.
In her powerful address to the festival on Saturday, Ms Bowden told the crowd that despite the success of Garma, now in its 25th year, visitors would be leaving behind a "world that remains in crisis mode".
"On Tuesday, we will return to a life dominated by the simple fact that Aboriginal people in remote areas of Australia remain the most marginalised people in the country, if not the world," she said.
Ms Bowden highlighted high rates of rheumatic heart disease in Arnhem Land, saying the community of Maningrida, in the Northern Territory, has the highest rate of the condition in the world.
She also pointed to the over-representation of First Nations people in custody to bring home her point, with the NT second only to El Salvador when it comes to incarceration rates.
"We've become numb to this data and immune to the horrors that lie in the statistics," she said.
Ms Bowden said the status quo was not acceptable, with recent Closing the Gap statistics showing four targets going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development.
She said the Yothu Yindi Foundation had long argued the Closing the Gap data reflected a fundamental failure in Australia's governance systems, and that must change to make a real difference.
"There are good intentions and what is described as hard work, but without crunching systemic change, there will be no betterment," she said.
"People suffer because of these failures of governance that are imposed upon us."
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
Political leaders have been warned their attendance at one of Australia's largest cultural festivals is not enough to make progress for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Speaking at the annual Garma Festival at Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land, to a crowd that included several senior ministers and the prime minister, Yothu Yindi Foundation chief executive Denise Bowden said their presence was a powerful signal.
"But don't leave Garma and leave things on endless repeat," she said.
"Don't be here to think your attendance here is enough."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his time at Garma to announce an economic partnership with Indigenous organisations, which he said built on Closing the Gap commitments and would empower communities to advocate for infrastructure on their lands.
In her powerful address to the festival on Saturday, Ms Bowden told the crowd that despite the success of Garma, now in its 25th year, visitors would be leaving behind a "world that remains in crisis mode".
"On Tuesday, we will return to a life dominated by the simple fact that Aboriginal people in remote areas of Australia remain the most marginalised people in the country, if not the world," she said.
Ms Bowden highlighted high rates of rheumatic heart disease in Arnhem Land, saying the community of Maningrida, in the Northern Territory, has the highest rate of the condition in the world.
She also pointed to the over-representation of First Nations people in custody to bring home her point, with the NT second only to El Salvador when it comes to incarceration rates.
"We've become numb to this data and immune to the horrors that lie in the statistics," she said.
Ms Bowden said the status quo was not acceptable, with recent Closing the Gap statistics showing four targets going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development.
She said the Yothu Yindi Foundation had long argued the Closing the Gap data reflected a fundamental failure in Australia's governance systems, and that must change to make a real difference.
"There are good intentions and what is described as hard work, but without crunching systemic change, there will be no betterment," she said.
"People suffer because of these failures of governance that are imposed upon us."
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
Political leaders have been warned their attendance at one of Australia's largest cultural festivals is not enough to make progress for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Speaking at the annual Garma Festival at Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land, to a crowd that included several senior ministers and the prime minister, Yothu Yindi Foundation chief executive Denise Bowden said their presence was a powerful signal.
"But don't leave Garma and leave things on endless repeat," she said.
"Don't be here to think your attendance here is enough."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his time at Garma to announce an economic partnership with Indigenous organisations, which he said built on Closing the Gap commitments and would empower communities to advocate for infrastructure on their lands.
In her powerful address to the festival on Saturday, Ms Bowden told the crowd that despite the success of Garma, now in its 25th year, visitors would be leaving behind a "world that remains in crisis mode".
"On Tuesday, we will return to a life dominated by the simple fact that Aboriginal people in remote areas of Australia remain the most marginalised people in the country, if not the world," she said.
Ms Bowden highlighted high rates of rheumatic heart disease in Arnhem Land, saying the community of Maningrida, in the Northern Territory, has the highest rate of the condition in the world.
She also pointed to the over-representation of First Nations people in custody to bring home her point, with the NT second only to El Salvador when it comes to incarceration rates.
"We've become numb to this data and immune to the horrors that lie in the statistics," she said.
Ms Bowden said the status quo was not acceptable, with recent Closing the Gap statistics showing four targets going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development.
She said the Yothu Yindi Foundation had long argued the Closing the Gap data reflected a fundamental failure in Australia's governance systems, and that must change to make a real difference.
"There are good intentions and what is described as hard work, but without crunching systemic change, there will be no betterment," she said.
"People suffer because of these failures of governance that are imposed upon us."
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
Political leaders have been warned their attendance at one of Australia's largest cultural festivals is not enough to make progress for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Speaking at the annual Garma Festival at Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land, to a crowd that included several senior ministers and the prime minister, Yothu Yindi Foundation chief executive Denise Bowden said their presence was a powerful signal.
"But don't leave Garma and leave things on endless repeat," she said.
"Don't be here to think your attendance here is enough."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his time at Garma to announce an economic partnership with Indigenous organisations, which he said built on Closing the Gap commitments and would empower communities to advocate for infrastructure on their lands.
In her powerful address to the festival on Saturday, Ms Bowden told the crowd that despite the success of Garma, now in its 25th year, visitors would be leaving behind a "world that remains in crisis mode".
"On Tuesday, we will return to a life dominated by the simple fact that Aboriginal people in remote areas of Australia remain the most marginalised people in the country, if not the world," she said.
Ms Bowden highlighted high rates of rheumatic heart disease in Arnhem Land, saying the community of Maningrida, in the Northern Territory, has the highest rate of the condition in the world.
She also pointed to the over-representation of First Nations people in custody to bring home her point, with the NT second only to El Salvador when it comes to incarceration rates.
"We've become numb to this data and immune to the horrors that lie in the statistics," she said.
Ms Bowden said the status quo was not acceptable, with recent Closing the Gap statistics showing four targets going backwards - adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and child development.
She said the Yothu Yindi Foundation had long argued the Closing the Gap data reflected a fundamental failure in Australia's governance systems, and that must change to make a real difference.
"There are good intentions and what is described as hard work, but without crunching systemic change, there will be no betterment," she said.
"People suffer because of these failures of governance that are imposed upon us."
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Balance key as government reviews anti-Semitism report
Politicians are being implored to balance free speech against racial vilification protections amid moves to curb rising anti-Semitism. A report handed down by anti-Semitism special envoy Jillian Segal has recommended scrapping funding for universities that fail to tackle the issue adequately. Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said there needed to be "appropriate balancing" of the two priorities and he didn't think that detail had been explored in Ms Segal's report. "Of course there needs to be protection against racial vilification and hate speech, but there also has to be protection of the independence of institutions," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. "We are having discussions with (Ms Segal) to try and flesh it out, but it is really important to get that right." Ms Segal's report urges politicians to cut funding to universities, programs or academics that enable or fail to act against anti-Semitism. The Albanese government is considering its response. Mr Sivaraman called on Labor to commit to the "first of its kind" national anti-racism framework, handed down by the Australian Human Rights Commission in November. The "road map" contained 63 recommendations for proposed reforms across justice, health and media sectors. As the nation's leaders call for conflicts abroad not to be "brought" to Australia amid the Israel-Gaza war, Mr Sivaraman said to ignore global conflicts dehumanised people affected at home. "Sometimes it's because their family, friends and relatives that have been killed or hurt, or it's because they can identify with the people that are being killed or hurt," he said. "The issue is people say 'don't bring that with you ... you can come here as long as you fit in' and that's how racism operates." One way racism in Australia manifested was in the workplace, with job hunters with Anglo surnames more likely to get a call back for a gig, the commissioner said. People with qualifications from non-English speaking countries were more likely to be employed in jobs below their levels of experience, or in roles in different fields. Mr Sivaraman said Australia needed to confront the issue with "courage and honesty" and examine why racism keeps happening. The issue needed investment as opposed to the ad hoc and disjointed approaches from past governments. The voice to parliament referendum in October 2023 had led to an increase in discrimination and prejudice against Indigenous people, he said. "There can be no racial justice in this country without justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and that is abundantly clear." The commissioner said different ethnic groups were targeted in Australia during points of rupture in society. He pointed to the "bile" directed towards people of Asian heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, soaring levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinian sentiment fuelled by the war in Gaza. The Australian Human Rights Commission will next week launch an online national survey asking university students and staff about their experiences of racism. The survey aimed to get a "baseline" of prejudice at the nation's higher education institutions, Mr Sivaraman said. The questions would be distributed via email by universities and participants would remain anonymous. Politicians are being implored to balance free speech against racial vilification protections amid moves to curb rising anti-Semitism. A report handed down by anti-Semitism special envoy Jillian Segal has recommended scrapping funding for universities that fail to tackle the issue adequately. Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said there needed to be "appropriate balancing" of the two priorities and he didn't think that detail had been explored in Ms Segal's report. "Of course there needs to be protection against racial vilification and hate speech, but there also has to be protection of the independence of institutions," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. "We are having discussions with (Ms Segal) to try and flesh it out, but it is really important to get that right." Ms Segal's report urges politicians to cut funding to universities, programs or academics that enable or fail to act against anti-Semitism. The Albanese government is considering its response. Mr Sivaraman called on Labor to commit to the "first of its kind" national anti-racism framework, handed down by the Australian Human Rights Commission in November. The "road map" contained 63 recommendations for proposed reforms across justice, health and media sectors. As the nation's leaders call for conflicts abroad not to be "brought" to Australia amid the Israel-Gaza war, Mr Sivaraman said to ignore global conflicts dehumanised people affected at home. "Sometimes it's because their family, friends and relatives that have been killed or hurt, or it's because they can identify with the people that are being killed or hurt," he said. "The issue is people say 'don't bring that with you ... you can come here as long as you fit in' and that's how racism operates." One way racism in Australia manifested was in the workplace, with job hunters with Anglo surnames more likely to get a call back for a gig, the commissioner said. People with qualifications from non-English speaking countries were more likely to be employed in jobs below their levels of experience, or in roles in different fields. Mr Sivaraman said Australia needed to confront the issue with "courage and honesty" and examine why racism keeps happening. The issue needed investment as opposed to the ad hoc and disjointed approaches from past governments. The voice to parliament referendum in October 2023 had led to an increase in discrimination and prejudice against Indigenous people, he said. "There can be no racial justice in this country without justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and that is abundantly clear." The commissioner said different ethnic groups were targeted in Australia during points of rupture in society. He pointed to the "bile" directed towards people of Asian heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, soaring levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinian sentiment fuelled by the war in Gaza. The Australian Human Rights Commission will next week launch an online national survey asking university students and staff about their experiences of racism. The survey aimed to get a "baseline" of prejudice at the nation's higher education institutions, Mr Sivaraman said. The questions would be distributed via email by universities and participants would remain anonymous. Politicians are being implored to balance free speech against racial vilification protections amid moves to curb rising anti-Semitism. A report handed down by anti-Semitism special envoy Jillian Segal has recommended scrapping funding for universities that fail to tackle the issue adequately. Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said there needed to be "appropriate balancing" of the two priorities and he didn't think that detail had been explored in Ms Segal's report. "Of course there needs to be protection against racial vilification and hate speech, but there also has to be protection of the independence of institutions," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. "We are having discussions with (Ms Segal) to try and flesh it out, but it is really important to get that right." Ms Segal's report urges politicians to cut funding to universities, programs or academics that enable or fail to act against anti-Semitism. The Albanese government is considering its response. Mr Sivaraman called on Labor to commit to the "first of its kind" national anti-racism framework, handed down by the Australian Human Rights Commission in November. The "road map" contained 63 recommendations for proposed reforms across justice, health and media sectors. As the nation's leaders call for conflicts abroad not to be "brought" to Australia amid the Israel-Gaza war, Mr Sivaraman said to ignore global conflicts dehumanised people affected at home. "Sometimes it's because their family, friends and relatives that have been killed or hurt, or it's because they can identify with the people that are being killed or hurt," he said. "The issue is people say 'don't bring that with you ... you can come here as long as you fit in' and that's how racism operates." One way racism in Australia manifested was in the workplace, with job hunters with Anglo surnames more likely to get a call back for a gig, the commissioner said. People with qualifications from non-English speaking countries were more likely to be employed in jobs below their levels of experience, or in roles in different fields. Mr Sivaraman said Australia needed to confront the issue with "courage and honesty" and examine why racism keeps happening. The issue needed investment as opposed to the ad hoc and disjointed approaches from past governments. The voice to parliament referendum in October 2023 had led to an increase in discrimination and prejudice against Indigenous people, he said. "There can be no racial justice in this country without justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and that is abundantly clear." The commissioner said different ethnic groups were targeted in Australia during points of rupture in society. He pointed to the "bile" directed towards people of Asian heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, soaring levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinian sentiment fuelled by the war in Gaza. The Australian Human Rights Commission will next week launch an online national survey asking university students and staff about their experiences of racism. The survey aimed to get a "baseline" of prejudice at the nation's higher education institutions, Mr Sivaraman said. The questions would be distributed via email by universities and participants would remain anonymous. Politicians are being implored to balance free speech against racial vilification protections amid moves to curb rising anti-Semitism. A report handed down by anti-Semitism special envoy Jillian Segal has recommended scrapping funding for universities that fail to tackle the issue adequately. Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said there needed to be "appropriate balancing" of the two priorities and he didn't think that detail had been explored in Ms Segal's report. "Of course there needs to be protection against racial vilification and hate speech, but there also has to be protection of the independence of institutions," he told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. "We are having discussions with (Ms Segal) to try and flesh it out, but it is really important to get that right." Ms Segal's report urges politicians to cut funding to universities, programs or academics that enable or fail to act against anti-Semitism. The Albanese government is considering its response. Mr Sivaraman called on Labor to commit to the "first of its kind" national anti-racism framework, handed down by the Australian Human Rights Commission in November. The "road map" contained 63 recommendations for proposed reforms across justice, health and media sectors. As the nation's leaders call for conflicts abroad not to be "brought" to Australia amid the Israel-Gaza war, Mr Sivaraman said to ignore global conflicts dehumanised people affected at home. "Sometimes it's because their family, friends and relatives that have been killed or hurt, or it's because they can identify with the people that are being killed or hurt," he said. "The issue is people say 'don't bring that with you ... you can come here as long as you fit in' and that's how racism operates." One way racism in Australia manifested was in the workplace, with job hunters with Anglo surnames more likely to get a call back for a gig, the commissioner said. People with qualifications from non-English speaking countries were more likely to be employed in jobs below their levels of experience, or in roles in different fields. Mr Sivaraman said Australia needed to confront the issue with "courage and honesty" and examine why racism keeps happening. The issue needed investment as opposed to the ad hoc and disjointed approaches from past governments. The voice to parliament referendum in October 2023 had led to an increase in discrimination and prejudice against Indigenous people, he said. "There can be no racial justice in this country without justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and that is abundantly clear." The commissioner said different ethnic groups were targeted in Australia during points of rupture in society. He pointed to the "bile" directed towards people of Asian heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, soaring levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinian sentiment fuelled by the war in Gaza. The Australian Human Rights Commission will next week launch an online national survey asking university students and staff about their experiences of racism. The survey aimed to get a "baseline" of prejudice at the nation's higher education institutions, Mr Sivaraman said. The questions would be distributed via email by universities and participants would remain anonymous.
ABC News
10 hours ago
- ABC News
Garma celebrates 25 years as the gap widens for Territorians
Politicians and First Nations leaders have gathered in remote Arnhem Land for the country's largest Indigenous Festival Garma, and this year it celebrates 25 years. But there's not a lot to celebrate in the latest Closing the Gap report, particularly in the Northern Territory - the worst performing jurisdiction in the country. Closing the Gap is the key policy agreed to by federal, state and territory governments that aims to improve the health, education, employment and social outcomes for Indigenous Australians. The latest release of data this week, shows that nationally, only four out of the 19 targets are on track to be met by the deadline of 2031. Reporter: Alex Barwick with John Paterson, Ngalakan man, Chair of APONT, the peak body for Aboriginal organisations in the NT and CEO of AMSANT, the peak body for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health in the NT
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Perth Now
Finn Wolfhard gushes Pope Leo XIV is ‘cool'
Finn Wolfhard thinks Pope Leo XIV is 'cool'. The Stranger Things actor, 22, has been a familiar face on screen since his early teens and while navigating international fame continued to attend a local Catholic school during the show's early seasons rather than opting for homeschooling like many of his young co-stars. Now, with over a decade in the public eye, Finn said in a chat with Variety in which he reflectied on the intersection of faith, politics, anxiety and growing up in front of the world: 'Pope Leo XIV looks like a cool liberal guy who actually cares about people. 'I'm pretty agnostic now, but religion was a big part of my childhood.' Despite describing himself as politically active, Finn added he prefers to stay largely private when it comes to public discourse. He said: 'I am active in my personal life and try not to be in public. 'But I also know how that sounds in the sense of 'Everyone has a platform' and 'I should be more… '.' In particular, Finn identified two causes he is deeply committed to – Ukraine and Indigenous land rights. His father, an attorney, advocates for the latter. Finn added: 'I think the amount that the government gets away with, by just f****** over so many Indigenous groups. 'They have to fight the government to try to get money from them for stolen land – it's just insane.' Finn also supports Ukraine through monthly donations to United24, a fundraising platform launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Finn also opened up about how the challenges of fame were compounded by early-onset anxiety, which he says was formally diagnosed. 'Diagnosed, yeah,' he said. Finn added: 'Then I started seeing a therapist. It's something that's worked for me. I can either try to bury that stuff and just do project after project, not think about it, or be able to ask myself these questions.' Finn is currently single and describes his current focus as being firmly on his work. But when asked about his relationship status, he struggled to form a complete thought. He said: 'I'm single and like… I feel like that's something that I'm also kind of thinking about right now is just like… this is the time kind of where I have been doing the most work kind of in my life. 'So I feel like it's been kind of… maybe it's been subconsciously – what's the word? – deliberate?, to not have a committed partner. 'Just because I'm 22, I don't really want to put my… also considering how… at the rate that I'm traveling all the time and working and stuff, I just feel like it's not the time to do that.'
