The National Closing the Gap Day was established to focus attention on the continued disparities in health, education, and employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The day seeks to promote a coordinated effort by all levels of government, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders to address these disparities and to work towards improving outcomes for First Nations communities.
Recently, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, has acknowledged that the recent release of new data shows the gap between First Nations people and other Australians is not closing fast enough. Of the 9 targets in the National Agreement with new data recently released, only two are ‘on track’ to meet their goals – with employment (Target 8) and land rights (Target 15A) both showing progress. All other targets, however, are either showing no progress or are now falling further behind.
“More of the same isn’t good enough. We need to do things differently by working in partnership with communities to get better results.”
Linda Burney – Minister for Indigenous Australians
The federal government, in partnership with the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (the Coalition of Peaks), has announced an implementation plan for Closing the Gap, which includes more than $400 million in extra funding. The Coalition Peaks has called for urgent implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap by all governments to achieve the Priority Reforms, which aims to change the way governments work with Indigenous people.
As one of the 16 National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) organisations, QIFVLS’s primary focus is Target 13 of the Closing the Gap Agreement, which aims to reduce the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by at least 50% by 2031. However, there is data deficiency with this target with no new data since the baseline, leaving it unclear whether Target 13 is on track or not.
A recent ANROWS research project in has identified that a major cause for contact between First Nations children and the youth justice and child protection systems is the negative effects of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV). The project generated two new research reports and a practice framework, which has recommended significant changes to policy and practice, including the need to elevate the voices of First Nations communities and community-controlled organisations.
An initiative that QIFVLS has developed is our Bama Healing Ples Partnership – which means ‘a Place of Healing for Family’. This partnership is a Health-Justice Partnership (HJP) between QIFVLS and other Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). Bama Healing Ples Partnership is an effective way to address the complex and interconnected issues that affect the health and wellbeing of First Nations communities, especially those who face systemic barriers and discrimination.
By partnering with community-controlled health clinics, QIFVLS can help to address the underlying social determinants of health that can contribute to poor health outcomes – such as poverty, discrimination, and social exclusion. This kind of partnership can also help to break down silos between health and legal services, which can make it easier for people to access the support they need. ACCHOs are often better placed to understand and respond to the unique health needs of Indigenous communities, and working in partnership with them can help to ensure that services are culturally safe and respectful. This model is proving successful in creating better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Watch this space, as we will be releasing a short video about Bama Healing Ples Partnership soon.
SDPLO Departure.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Aaron Luki, QIFVLS’s Senior Deputy Principal Legal Officer, will be moving on from his role. Aaron has been with us since 2015 and has played a crucial role in the growth and success of our organisation. While we are sad to see him go, we are proud to announce that he has been offered a new opportunity as an incoming Director at the Office of the Child and Family Official Solicitor. We want to thank Aaron for his time and service over the past eight years. We know that Aaron will bring a wealth of knowledge (and his good humour) to this new exciting opportunity.
We have now begun the process of recruiting a new Senior Deputy Principal Legal Officer. We are committed to finding a suitable replacement who will continue to uphold the values and principles of our organisation.
The 2023 Barry Doyle Scholarship Awardees
Each year, we collaborate with our partners QATSIF to identify a group of Queensland-based year 11 students who meet certain criteria for a school-based scholarship. Specifically, these students must have Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage and demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career focused on providing a safe, positive environment for Indigenous families, such as law, counseling, social work, or community development.
For this year’s program, we are proud to announce that we have selected 10 exceptional students from across the state to receive this scholarship. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to QATSIF for their invaluable partnership and commend the schools and students for their dedication and hard work. The two infographics below were produced by QATSIF and look at the post-schooling destination of their graduates, or which the Barry Doyle awardees are included.
International Women’s Day #EmbraceEquity
International Women’s Day took place earlier this month, providing us with an opportunity to honor and appreciate the resilience, strength, and contributions of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women. These women have long been at the forefront of the fight for social and environmental justice, advocating for the rights of themselves and their communities. We must continue to uplift their voices and support their leadership to create a world where Indigenous women can thrive and drive positive change.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #EmbraceEquity, highlights the importance of recognizing the distinction between equality and equity. Equality entails treating everyone the same, whereas equity involves treating everyone fairly based on their unique circumstances. As such, we should prioritize fairness and justice rather than uniformity and sameness.
Our Principal Legal Officer, Thelma Schwartz, made a recent appearance on ABC’s The Drum program where she discussed a range of topics, including the hypocrisy of Australia’s criticism of other nations for their human rights abuses, while turning a blind eye to its own mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. You can watch her appearance by clicking the image below.
We have a number of employment opportunities available in different locations around Queensland. If you or someone you know is looking for an exciting opportunity to work in a career where you are directly helping people in need, while experiencing travel through amazing country, then please hop over to our employment page or to all the Seek listings.
Please consider making a personal or corporate donation to help our teams deliver the services that are so vital to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Watch the video below for one example of how some of the donations made to QIFVLS is utilised to make the lives of people in crisis better.
