JourneyOnline
ON A GLOBAL scale the United Nations figure is that one in six people live on less than US$1 a day.
When faced with this statistic it is possible to forget the extent of poverty on our own doorstep.
According to the Australian Human Rights Commission life expectancy for Indigenous Australians is almost twenty years less than it is for non-Indigenous Australians.
One of the major contributing factors towards reduced life expectancy is poverty.
There are a number of campaigns focusing on Indigenous poverty in Australia.
The Close the Gap campaign aims at decreasing the disparity in life expectancy.
At the launch of the Close the Gap campaign in April 2007, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice and Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner Tom Calma commented on the general lack of energy and enthusiasm to deal with Indigenous poverty and health issues.
“As a nation we pride ourselves on being the ‘lucky country’ and on giving everyone a fair go,”
Mr Calma said during his call to action.
“Yet we remain largely unconcerned that the basic facilities for good health do not exist for many Indigenous peoples.”
Mr Calma said he did not want the Close the Gap campaign to simply talk about the crisis, but address the issues and work for a solution, a solution that he says is completely achievable.
“We will continue to work together and are determined that this issue be treated as a national priority.
“This means putting it on the top of the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments – something that is currently not the case.
“Our message and our goal is to champion hope and to focus on solutions. This crisis is not insurmountable. We can triumph.
“We are making steps but they are too slow and not broadly focused enough.”
The Australian community has accepted the challenge to work towards the UN Millennium Development Goals, but Mr Calma implored Australians to also realise and acknowledge the disadvantage of Indigenous Australians.
“Why should we believe we can halve poverty in Africa by 2015 – as the Millennium Development Goals promise to do – and yet we are not bold enough to commit to action for Indigenous health within Australia?” he asked.
“We implore governments to be true to their words in addressing this critical issue and we beseech all members of the Australian community to join with us, to show us your support and let governments know in no uncertain terms that the time for action and progress has arrived to address this crisis.”
When commenting on the Make Indigenous Poverty History resources, Uniting Church minister Rev Mawunydjil Garawirrtja of the Northern Synod said the best way to help indigenous people is to stop and listen to their needs.
“If you really wanted to help we should come together and you should listen to my concerns, my feelings, my thoughts,” he said.
Mr Garawirrtja is also the Deputy Chair of the Aboriginal Resource and Development Services.
This is an incorporated body that aims to build capacity in the areas of health, economic, legal, social and governance systems in north-east Arnhem Land.
He said working together was the key to reducing Indigenous poverty.
“The non-Indigenous people are looking at us on the outside part, not the inside part, what we want.
“They say they can do this and do that but sometimes they are wrong. They can work with, not for, the Indigenous people. Give them more of a chance so they can work themselves.”
Photo : Olympic gold medallists Catherine Freeman and Ian Thorpe helped launch the Close the Gap Indigenous health campaign, which seeks to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within a generation. Photo by Michael Myers/OxfamAUS
