ANTaR WESTERN AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER 16 November 2004

Contents NEWS & EVENTS Wardarnji Festival in Fremantle this Saturday - 20 November: 1-6pm Celebrating Christmas in Mooro Country - Northern Suburbs Reconciliation Group Saturday 4 December ANTaR Media Release: Government's Coercive Approach to Indigenous Reform Discrminatory and Unsustainable Tiwi Calendar 2005 Group Fundraising Reconciliation Groups Northern Suburbs Reconciliation Group Meeting this Thursday 18th!! City of Bayswater Suburbs Reconciliation Group Walyalup Group Meetings - South of the River Next ANTaR WA Committee Meeting Wednesday 24th November, 5.30pm ANTaR - Mission Statement

NEWS & EVENTS Wardarnji Festival in Fremantle this Saturday - 20 November: 1-6pm Top Wardarnji Festival, a celebration of Aboriginal culture is on again in Fremantle this coming Saturday, the 20th November. The festival is held down on the Esplanade Reserve on Marine Terrace from 1pm to 6pm and has a great lineup of Indigenous artists and songwriters to entertain you, including Kerrianne Cox, MaryG & Baamba, Yabu and Yowarliny Singers. As usual there will be lots of stalls & food on sale, so come down and join in the celebration! Celebrating Christmas in Mooro Country - Northern Suburbs Reconciliation Group Top Saturday 4 December Top The Northern Suburbs Reconciliation Group invites you to join them for their "Celebrating Christmas in Mooro Country" event on Saturday 4 December from 11.00am to 3.00pm at Mirrabooka Community Square. The Community Square is at the Mirrabooka Shopping Centre off Yirrigan Drive at the end of Ilkeston Place.There'll be a sausage sizzle, fun & games & Santa! Everyone is welcome! ANTaR Media Release: Government's Coercive Approach to Indigenous Reform Discrminatory and Unsustainable Top The following media release was issued by National ANTaR and the National President, Phil Glendenning last Friday: The Government's coercive approach to welfare and service delivery reform for Indigenous communities will usher in a renewed era of racially discriminatory treatment of Indigenous peoples, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) said today."Indigenous people do not need further punishment, they need support", said ANTaR National President Phil Glendenning. "The Government still fails to see that unless change comes from Indigenous people themselves and solutions are 'owned' by Indigenous communities, outcomes will be piecemeal and unsustainable." Indigenous Australians already face the harshest of penalties for being Indigenous - a 20 year gap in life expectancy - that other Australians would not for one moment tolerate for their own families and communities. "The fact remains that many of the problems in Indigenous communities stem from long term under-funding of services and infrastructure and a culture of neglect by governments and mainstream departments.Indigenous Australia is littered with examples of positive initiatives by Indigenous communities which have failed to be supported or resourced by government." The Government continues to turn attention away from its own failures and shift blame onto Indigenous people by simplistically conflating Indigenous disadvantage with passive welfare. "Passive welfare is a symptom of broader failure, not a root cause. Empowerment, not coercive social engineering is required to fix the urgent problems facing Indigenous communities."Until the Government is prepared to empower Indigenous communities to take responsibility for their own futures and to provide adequate resources based on need, the situation for Indigenous Australians is unlikely to improve", Mr Glendenning concluded. Tiwi Calendar 2005 Group Fundraising Top ANTaR has produced a calendar for 2005 featuring beautiful photographs by Heide Smith of the children of the Tiwi Islands. These calendars present an excellent fundraising opportunity for your group. The wholesale price is $5.00 (minimum orders of 10) and the recommended retail price is $11.00. Proceeds go to ANTaR's Indigenous Health Rights Campaign and the Bathurst Island Primary School. Order now for any events before Christmas! - For an order form email: antarwa@antar.org.au Reconciliation Groups Northern Suburbs Reconciliation Group Meeting this Thursday 18th!! Top The Northern Suburbs Reconciliation Group is a vibrant, active reconciliation group that welcomes new members. The group meets monthly either in Mirrabooka or at members homes. As an indication of their strength and commitment, the group has just completed a facilitated workshop that has resulted in the production of a 3 Year Strategic Plan for the Group!! You can join them for their next meeting at the home of member, Roy Stone at 113 Chessell Way Duncraig on Thursday November 18 at 7.30pm City of Bayswater Suburbs Reconciliation Group Top The City of Bayswater Suburbs Reconciliation Group meets the first Wednesday of each month usually in members homes. The December meeting will be a social event and good time to meet with group members if you are thinking of joining. Rachel Roberts is the contact person: Phone 9371 1082 or you can email Jan Wheare: janwheare@yahoo.com.au Walyalup Group Meetings - South of the River Top Walyalup Reconciliation Group (covering suburbs around Melville, Fremantle & Cockburn) usually meets on the third Monday of each month at the Wireless Hill meeting room (off Almondbury St Booragoon) , starting 7.30pm. New members are always welcome. For more information contact Margaret Matassa on 9330 1791 or email matassa@bigpond.com Next ANTaR WA Committee Meeting Wednesday 24th November, 5.30pm Top John Toohey Chambers 3rd floor Council House 27-29 St Georges Tce Perth ANTaR - Mission Statement Top To generate in Australia a moral and legal recognition of and respect for the distinctive status of Indigenous Australians as First Peoples and for the protection of Indigenous Australians’ rights, including their relationships to land, the right to self-determination and the maintenance and growth of their unique cultures.