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Indigenous Speaking tour - Ampilatwatja walk-off against NT Intervention
Everyone should go.
National speaking tour - raising support for the Ampilatwatja walk-off
against the NT Intervention.
www.interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com
From October 6 - 20, Richard Downs will be speaking in major capital
cities across Australia. Richard is a spokesperson for the Alyawarr
people, who have walked off their community at Ampilatwatja against
the NT Intervention and established a protest camp outside the
boundaries of the "Prescribed Area".
Supporting Richard through the national tour is Harry Nelson, a senior
Warlpiri elder. His community of Yuendumu has also been at the
forefront of resistance to the Intervention - holding off the Income
Management system for many months in 2008 and now refusing to sign
long term leases demanded by the government.
Included below is more information on the tour and dates of major
forums. Please get in contact with local organisers to find out
details about other events planned in your city, or to help with
publicity for the tour.
Come along to the forums and show your support. Don't miss your chance
to hear these strong speakers discuss life under the Intervention and
inspiring grass-roots struggles for Aboriginal rights.
SYDNEY
Wednesday 7th October, 6.30 PM
UTS Building 4, Level 2, Room 36, 745 Harris St Ultimo
NT Intervention in Crisis: Why Macklin must resign
Speakers include:
* Richard Downs
Alyawarr People’s Walk-Off, Ampilatwatja NT
* Harry Nelson
Yuendumu Community Spokesperson
* Larissa Behrendt
NAIDOC Indigenous Person of the Year, 2009
* Chris Graham
Editor, National Indigenous Times
CONTACT: Mon Wiseman 0415 410 558 or Jean Parker 0449 646 593
www.stoptheintervention.org
——————————————
CANBERRA
Friday 9 October , 6pm
Manning Clark Lecture Theatre,
Australian National University, Canberra
Speakers include:
* Richard Downs and Harry Nelson
www.wgar.info
——————————————
MELBOURNE
Friday 16 October, 6pm.
Melbourne Youth Sport and Recreation centre (MAYSAR) 185 Gertrude St Fitzroy
‘Resistance to Invasion: the Aboriginal walk-off and protest against
the Northern Territory Intervention’.
Speakers include: Richard Downs, Harry Nelson and leading Melbourne
Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe.
Contact Marisol 0413597315 or Joe 0434127661
——————————————-
BRISBANE
Saturday 17th October, 1.30pm,
Kurlipa Hall, 174 Boundary Street, West End
Speakers include: Richard Downs, Harry Nelson and Reverend Aunty Alex
Gater, Aboriginal Women For Change
CONTACT: Sam Watson 0401 227 443 or Mark Gillespie on 07 3891 5385 /
mgillespie3@gmail.com
===============================
SUPPORT THE SPEAKING TOUR!
Help in building networks of active supporters, fundraising to support
the walk-off protest camp, promotion of events and much more.
The Federal and NT Governments have come under increasing fire in
recent months over the scandals emanating from the NT Intervention. In
August UN Special Rapporteur Professor Ananya described it as
‘’clearly discriminatory’’, and characterised the policies as
“stigmatising an already stigmatised people”.
Meanwhile, on the ground affected Aboriginal people are struggling to
survive and resist the conditions of hardship, division and racism
imposed by the legislation.
In July, echoing the dramatic land rights struggle of the 1960s and
70s, Alyawarr Elders at Ampilatwatja community, 300kms north-east of
Alice Springs, walked off their community demanding an end to the
Intervention and immediate action to address shocking housing
conditions.
‘’Aboriginal people had no other option but to walk off the Prescribed
Area…(according) them the status of being internally displaced
refugees‘’We no longer have any rights to exist as humans in our own
country and are outcasts in our own community’’, said Richard Downs,
spokesperson for the Alyawarr Elders.
More than 150 of the 300 residents have joined the protest, 3kms from
the township. They are threatening to take the entire community to set
up camp on ancestral lands unless their demands are met:
“Funds must go to community development, not ‘Intervention’’’. “End
the compulsory lease and restore land to Aboriginal control. We are
now urging and calling all communities who feel they are in same
situation as our community to stand up and support us and keep
fighting for indigenous people’s rights’’.
Minister Macklin has made clear that despite the community’s desperate
need, no new houses will be built. Ampilatwatja residents are victim’s
of the Interventions ‘growth towns’ policy that deems hundreds of
remote communities “unviable” and is starving them of funds to drive
people into ‘hub towns”.
Widespread condemnation over the Indigenous housing crisis and
government mismanagement of the Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) continues to escalate after revelations
that from the $672 million funding, not one house has been built for
Aboriginal people NT-wide.
This scandal has been explained by pro-Intervention commentators in
The Australian as a failure of “red tape”. But the real failure of
SIHIP is explained by its racism – the deliberate exclusion of
Aboriginal communities and organisations in the design and
implementation of the program.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin must resign! Racist
Intervention laws must be immediately repealed.
Richard Downs will be visiting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and
Melbourne in October to spread the message of the Alyawarr Elders and
to rally support for the walk-off and the campaign to stop the
Intervention.
“Stop the compulsory welfare quarantine. The Intervention is creating
racism, divisions, hatred and resentment across the NT’’ …’I urge all
our brothers and sisters along with non Aboriginal people to stand up
and support us.”
For statements from Ampilatwatja and more details of how you can
support the walk-off see: www.interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com or
contact Richard Down on 0428611169 or richard.downs12@gmail.com
National speaking tour - raising support for the Ampilatwatja walk-off
against the NT Intervention.
www.interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com
From October 6 - 20, Richard Downs will be speaking in major capital
cities across Australia. Richard is a spokesperson for the Alyawarr
people, who have walked off their community at Ampilatwatja against
the NT Intervention and established a protest camp outside the
boundaries of the "Prescribed Area".
Supporting Richard through the national tour is Harry Nelson, a senior
Warlpiri elder. His community of Yuendumu has also been at the
forefront of resistance to the Intervention - holding off the Income
Management system for many months in 2008 and now refusing to sign
long term leases demanded by the government.
Included below is more information on the tour and dates of major
forums. Please get in contact with local organisers to find out
details about other events planned in your city, or to help with
publicity for the tour.
Come along to the forums and show your support. Don't miss your chance
to hear these strong speakers discuss life under the Intervention and
inspiring grass-roots struggles for Aboriginal rights.
SYDNEY
Wednesday 7th October, 6.30 PM
UTS Building 4, Level 2, Room 36, 745 Harris St Ultimo
NT Intervention in Crisis: Why Macklin must resign
Speakers include:
* Richard Downs
Alyawarr People’s Walk-Off, Ampilatwatja NT
* Harry Nelson
Yuendumu Community Spokesperson
* Larissa Behrendt
NAIDOC Indigenous Person of the Year, 2009
* Chris Graham
Editor, National Indigenous Times
CONTACT: Mon Wiseman 0415 410 558 or Jean Parker 0449 646 593
www.stoptheintervention.org
——————————————
CANBERRA
Friday 9 October , 6pm
Manning Clark Lecture Theatre,
Australian National University, Canberra
Speakers include:
* Richard Downs and Harry Nelson
www.wgar.info
——————————————
MELBOURNE
Friday 16 October, 6pm.
Melbourne Youth Sport and Recreation centre (MAYSAR) 185 Gertrude St Fitzroy
‘Resistance to Invasion: the Aboriginal walk-off and protest against
the Northern Territory Intervention’.
Speakers include: Richard Downs, Harry Nelson and leading Melbourne
Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe.
Contact Marisol 0413597315 or Joe 0434127661
——————————————-
BRISBANE
Saturday 17th October, 1.30pm,
Kurlipa Hall, 174 Boundary Street, West End
Speakers include: Richard Downs, Harry Nelson and Reverend Aunty Alex
Gater, Aboriginal Women For Change
CONTACT: Sam Watson 0401 227 443 or Mark Gillespie on 07 3891 5385 /
mgillespie3@gmail.com
===============================
SUPPORT THE SPEAKING TOUR!
Help in building networks of active supporters, fundraising to support
the walk-off protest camp, promotion of events and much more.
The Federal and NT Governments have come under increasing fire in
recent months over the scandals emanating from the NT Intervention. In
August UN Special Rapporteur Professor Ananya described it as
‘’clearly discriminatory’’, and characterised the policies as
“stigmatising an already stigmatised people”.
Meanwhile, on the ground affected Aboriginal people are struggling to
survive and resist the conditions of hardship, division and racism
imposed by the legislation.
In July, echoing the dramatic land rights struggle of the 1960s and
70s, Alyawarr Elders at Ampilatwatja community, 300kms north-east of
Alice Springs, walked off their community demanding an end to the
Intervention and immediate action to address shocking housing
conditions.
‘’Aboriginal people had no other option but to walk off the Prescribed
Area…(according) them the status of being internally displaced
refugees‘’We no longer have any rights to exist as humans in our own
country and are outcasts in our own community’’, said Richard Downs,
spokesperson for the Alyawarr Elders.
More than 150 of the 300 residents have joined the protest, 3kms from
the township. They are threatening to take the entire community to set
up camp on ancestral lands unless their demands are met:
“Funds must go to community development, not ‘Intervention’’’. “End
the compulsory lease and restore land to Aboriginal control. We are
now urging and calling all communities who feel they are in same
situation as our community to stand up and support us and keep
fighting for indigenous people’s rights’’.
Minister Macklin has made clear that despite the community’s desperate
need, no new houses will be built. Ampilatwatja residents are victim’s
of the Interventions ‘growth towns’ policy that deems hundreds of
remote communities “unviable” and is starving them of funds to drive
people into ‘hub towns”.
Widespread condemnation over the Indigenous housing crisis and
government mismanagement of the Strategic Indigenous Housing and
Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) continues to escalate after revelations
that from the $672 million funding, not one house has been built for
Aboriginal people NT-wide.
This scandal has been explained by pro-Intervention commentators in
The Australian as a failure of “red tape”. But the real failure of
SIHIP is explained by its racism – the deliberate exclusion of
Aboriginal communities and organisations in the design and
implementation of the program.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin must resign! Racist
Intervention laws must be immediately repealed.
Richard Downs will be visiting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and
Melbourne in October to spread the message of the Alyawarr Elders and
to rally support for the walk-off and the campaign to stop the
Intervention.
“Stop the compulsory welfare quarantine. The Intervention is creating
racism, divisions, hatred and resentment across the NT’’ …’I urge all
our brothers and sisters along with non Aboriginal people to stand up
and support us.”
For statements from Ampilatwatja and more details of how you can
support the walk-off see: www.interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com or
contact Richard Down on 0428611169 or richard.downs12@gmail.com
