Farewelling The Alice

Festive greetings and best wishes for the New Year! It has been almost 3 months since I last wrote and the Red Centre is really heating up the summer cooker. This will probably be my last blog from Alice as make my way back south at end of January to begin the next chapter of my life in Melbourne. I look forward to seeing many of you then and thank you all for your emails and phone calls throughout this year.

My View From Alice
What is your image of Central Australia? Channel 9’s recent series, The Alice, paints the picture of a mysterious and exciting place for sexy young folk to travel and work. Travel brochures sell the exotic desert, natives and fun-loving lifestyle. The media mixes these messages with this year’s headline of degenerate Aboriginal communities. Yet how often do you hear the voice of a local? Well I’m no local but this year I have been sharing with you the joys, frustrations, anger and hope that I have found living in Central Australia. My views have been continually challenged and my ideas constantly evolve. Here are a few more thoughts.

Homelands. Before coming to Alice I knew that land was central to Aboriginal world view but couldn’t really understand why. But having witnessed this relationship I think I am beginning to comprehend it. I’ll make a feeble attempt at explanation. Many of us experience a sense of wonder at the universe when watching the stars at night, or sitting atop a mountain. Most of us understand the feeling of ‘coming home’ to loving friends and family (perhaps for Christmas). Now combine this universal awe and specific sense of belonging - this perhaps comes close to the ‘oneness’ and integral connectedness Aboriginal people feel ‘to country’. This sacred connection between the eternal land, living people, their ancestors and family is the basis for the Aboriginal worldview.

Culture. I frequently see elderly Aboriginal men and women wearing ‘Eminem’, ’50 Cent’ and other labelled rap gear. A contradiction? Culture is often a fluffy word used to describe the exotic appearance and behaviour of another people. However, when I hear Aboriginal elders talk about knowing (or remembering) culture this is not what they have in mind. ‘Culture’ strikes at the heart of the Aboriginal worldview (described above) and is the foundation for ethics, meaning and motivation. Peter Singer talks about ‘taking the view of the Universe’ as a first step in living an ethical life. And when Aboriginal elders bemoan the ‘loss of culture’ by the younger generation this is a major part of what they refer to. Living without ‘culture’ is like boating without a rudder. And it is fully possible to wear an ‘Eminem’ singlet and still be entirely true to culture!

The Impact of Inequality. Richard Wilkinson has written a book by this title, describing the social and health consequences of inequality. Never have I seen this to be more evident than here in Alice Springs. Wilkinson’s research says that relative income inequality is more damaging to health and wellbeing than absolute poverty per se. So perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised to see the poor health of Aboriginal Australians (who almost all subsist below the national poverty line AND are hugely disenfranchised relative to the non-Aboriginal population). But I am still appalled at the magnitude of ‘diseases of poverty’ that my patients present with – childhood anaemia, malnutrition, scabies, chronic ear infections, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease; early onset kidney disease, heart disease, trachoma, diabetes and its many complications. This inequality is a national disgrace and if my blogs I have made you even slightly more aware and uncomfortable that they will have done their job.

Grog wars. A typical night shift in ED sees every second patient admitted with alcohol related health problems. The victims are invariably the most vulnerable members of society – women, kids, already living in poverty with crappy housing and few obvious hopes for the future. I have described the war between locals and the grog lobby (alcohol companies and suppliers) and the painfully slow progress in tackling alcohol abuse problems. The NT still has over twice the national per capita consumption of alcohol! If alcohol issues alone were reduced to the national average the immediate reduction in violence, toxicity and withdrawal would be phenomenal (I may not even being needed for ED nightshifts)!

Hope. Despite the stark descriptions of poverty and inequality I have seen this year there is still much hope. I find this hope in the people of Central Australia. I find it in the many non-Aboriginal health and community workers who stay committed to the region despite much better pay and conditions elsewhere. But most of all I find hope in the Aboriginal people whose families trace their origins to the Dreaming. People like my colleagues Emma and David Nungala, who are health workers (and parents) in their own community and will never get the recognition or reward they deserve. People like Willy Tilmouth who offers Alice Springs’ most marginalised groups in the Town Camps social support and representation. People like Maggie Malbunka, who has moved into town for dialysis but returns to community whenever she can to sit with the ‘young ones’.

The ‘NT Intervention’ was a poorly conceived idea that has improved somewhat and will hopefully end up doing more good than harm. But the extent of its success will be relative to how much community voices are listened to and acted upon. We are at least seeing some consultation now with local communities but to really make a significant difference community participation must be drastically increased! We have a new Government who has made some good commitments, but this can easily slip of the political agenda. So if you could all make a small effort and email the PM our voices can help keep the important issues in the forefront (see my previous posts/letters for reference).

In Brief - It has been a busy last few months for me, hence my decreased blog frequency. Here’s a quick update:

Fostering – since becoming foster carers, my brother and I have looked after three kids over the past few months ranging from 18 months to 2.5 years. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience, and I have a hugely increased respect and admiration for all parents with young kids (especially with physical or intellectual disabilities!).

Recycling – my pet project this year was to start a Recycling program at Alice Springs Hospital. From humble beginnings we have now collected a few tons of glass, tin and aluminium over the past 6 months from hospital residences. In the New Year it will be expanded to cover all hospital residences and double the amount recycled. I’m chuffed (-:

Brother’s Marriage – in November I had a quick trip down to Tassie for my brother Dylan’s marriage to Felicity. It was a beautiful beach ceremony and a fun time with his new in-laws. They are now enjoying a holiday in South America…

Bush Trips – I’ve had the chance to make a couple more trips out and about. Last week we went to Redbank Gorge (2.5 hours west of Alice) and enjoyed a long walk and a canyon swim (replete with water snakes, frogs, tadpoles, centipedes and other unidentifiable water creatures).

Bali Climate Change conference – better progress than I dared hope for! Check the story - http://www.avaaz.org/en/bali_report_back/ If you haven’t joined Avaaz, join now…

2008 Plans – I will return to Melbourne at the end of January and return to full-time study at RMIT to complete my Masters in International Development. Then I’ll be looking for an overseas posting for the second six months, who know where…

From Alice to Cuba

Spring has arrived and the giant birch standing beside the hospital is now covered in fresh green foliage. My humble garden is growing wonderfully providing herbs for the table, flowers for the bees and the miraculous unfolding of every new leaf feeding my awe at life. Meanwhile the temperature is steadily rising reaching the high 30s most of this past week – and summer is still a few months away!

News of ‘The Intervention’
The response to the ‘Aboriginal crisis’ is continuing to roll out. Dr. Jim Thurley, the coordinator of the central child health checks, visited Alice Springs Paediatric department and updated us on what was happening with this. He is a long-term NT resident, having worked as a Paediatrician and GP in Alice Springs and remote communities for the past 30 years. He signed on to the role of coordinator after reading with concern the initial intervention plans with the rationale, “it’s gonna happen, and I want to make sure it at least does some good”. The child health checks that are now being implemented are totally different from the initial idea. They are fully voluntary. They are comprehensive health checks. They do not aim to uncover sexual abuse – any suspicion of this requires referral to the sexual assault unit as per normal. They aim to see every child in the communities selected. They gather masses of information (that is sent to Canberra for compilation).

So far the outcomes have been pretty well as we would expect. There is a huge burden of infectious disease, especially chronic ear infection and skin infection. There are many children with anaemia, growth problems, and a few with heart murmurs previously undetected. This is a virtually identical picture to Dr. Thurley’s study in the early 1990s – showing that the health crisis is chronic and minimal improvement has been achieved. Dr. Thurley is cautiously hopeful.

“This survey will be the most comprehensive child health survey ever conducted in the NT. However, if it stops here it will be simply an enormous waste of time and money. The resources to address these problems is what is really needed… 300 teachers, 70 doctors, 3 ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgeons, billions of dollars worth of housing.”

This is an election year and all the pollies have been lavishly promising they will do what is needed. As citizens I believe we have a responsibility to keep them accountable. This is a unique historical opportunity, and if it is missed Australia will have another atrocity on our conscience.

Palm Valley

Here are a few pictures from my recent trip to Finke River National Park with my brother and a mate from Melbourne. It was an amazing place, and the views from the edge of the Amphitheatre among the best I have seen in the Red Centre. We did have a few close shaves trying to rock climb the sandstone cliffs – and I’m amazed we got away with all our limbs intact. The Ranger had a few words to say, but let’s not go there now…

Foster Parents
A couple of month ago Tristan came home and asked what I thought about becoming a foster carer. I thought it sounded alright and got a bit enthused as I imagined having a cute baby around the house. That night I had nightmares – poohey nappies, crying all night, sleepless nights and tiresome days… So I decided I better nut it out a bit more. Since then we contacted FACS (Family and Community Services – NT), submitted loads of paperwork, attended two long weekends of training, and finally completed our interview. Now we are registered as foster carers and will be on the list for Emergency and Respite care – expecting our first child in October.

Dinner with Fidel Castro
Did you know that Cubans are healthier than their USAmerican neighbours, despite the USA being 10 times wealthier, and spending 100 times the amount on health? Now check this. Cuba is now training doctors from the USA to serve poor communities back in the USA – and giving them full scholarships to do so! Wait a minute, surely this is some political ploy by Fidel in his ongoing wrestle with Washington?!?

Actually, Cuba has a long history of giving scholarships to train doctors from poorer countries around the globe – demanding only that the graduates return to their country of origin to work. The scholarships for USAmericans is apparently an extension of this, instituted after Fidel Castro met with the Mayor of a relatively poor US city and heard that the local predominantly African-American citizens could not afford to study Medicine. Fidel surprised the Mayor with his intimate knowledge of the health statistics of his electorate – then blew his mind by offering full scholarships to study Medicine in Cuba.

So I invited Fidel around for tea (via DVD) and he got chatting about his response to a run of hijackings in 2003. The film, Looking for Fidel, contained a string of interviews with Fidel Castro, exploring the Cuban social situation and particularly the multiple hijackings of 2003. In one scene, Fidel sat down with a dozen hijackers who were about to go to trial and candidly listened to their thoughts. At one stage he asked them what they thought the solution was to stop the hijackings! No doubt their answers were carefully constructed in view of their delicate legal position. But imagine John Howard sitting down with some of those asylum seekers he likes to label ‘illegals’, or perhaps the APEC protestors he likes to ridicule. Which reminds me, Chaser team – I salute you!

Alice Springs - Solar City

Finally, a quick pic from Hermannsberg community - each of these solar dishes produces enough electricity for 10 households. Alice Springs has recently been granted millions of bucks as part of the Federal Solar City project - so we may have a few more of these pop up in the next few years.

Greetings to you all, and a special cheerio to all of you now fasting for Ramadhan – may your month be full of peace and blessings!

The 'Crisis' in NT Aboriginal Communities

Published in the Australian Christian magazine, July 24th 2007.

On Thursday 21 June 2007 Prime Minister John Howard, made an announcement that would explode through Northern Territory Aboriginal communities and reverberate around Australia. Together with Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mal Brough, he revealed that the Federal Government was seizing control of 60 remote Aboriginal communities in a bid to overcome child abuse in the Northern Territory. Reactions to this ranged from labelling it the ‘second invasion’ through to lauding it as a definitive solution to the ‘Aboriginal problem’.

Since then, debate has raged fiercely and the flood of socio-political opinion has managed to muddy the issues sufficiently to confuse most intelligent Australians. Furthermore, it has drowned out the voices of those who are most affected – the individuals and families living in Aboriginal townships and communities. As a doctor based in Alice Springs I am privileged to count many of these people among my friends, colleagues and patients - and it is their voices I wish to share with you now.

“They’re coming to take our children”
Initial reactions were dominated by fear. The presence of the Australian Federal Police brought back memories of brutality, abuse and separation at the hands of authorities, miners and pastoralists within the last half century. Living members of the ‘stolen generation’ felt this most acutely and the perceived threat of further removal of children led many families to run from their homes.

As the fear now subsides it is being replaced by a quiet strength and determination. No-one questions the critical state of Aboriginal people living in remote communities (particularly regarding child abuse). No-one debates the need for urgent Government action. Aboriginal leaders have been pointing to the ‘Third world’ health statistics, appalling living conditions and the resulting social dysfunction for years, crying out for Government attention. However, there are grave concerns that the Government’s current approach will fail and may actually add to the suffering of Indigenous children rather than relieve it. Dr Mark Wenitong, President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) writes:

"As medical professionals, we question the notion that you can treat poverty, dispossession, marginalisation and despair (the root causes of substance misuse and sexual, physical and emotional abuse) with interventions that further contribute to poverty, dispossession, marginalisation and despair."[i]

An alternative approach is needed!

Looking for a Solution
The Governments ‘State of Emergency’ decree was triggered by the release of the Little Children are Sacred report[ii]. This report outlines disturbingly high rates of child sexual abuse and points out that the causative factors include alcohol abuse, unemployment, educational disadvantage, poverty, family breakdown and cultural clashes resulting in hopelessness among young men. As the report points out, none of this was new information. The solutions too are not new.

"What is required is a determined, coordinated effort to break the cycle and provide the necessary strength, power and appropriate support and services to local communities, so they can lead themselves out of the malaise: in a word, empowerment!” (p. 13)

The report provides a detailed set of 97 Recommendations about how this could be achieved. Unfortunately, there is disturbingly low correlation between these Recommendations and the Federal Government’s subsequent policy announcements[iii].

An Alternative
Aboriginal controlled organisations are at the front-line in tackling the social issues present in Territory communities. These are a diverse set of organisations involved with healthcare, education, legal assistance and community development. As a collective they have released an Emergency Response and Development Plan that will harness the current political will in way that can result in empowerment and real, sustainable change[iv].

What Can You Do?
This is not an “Aboriginal problem”. It is an Australian human rights problem and it is the responsibility of all Australians to respond[v]. Change is in the air, and the policies implemented over the next few months will have repercussions for generations. What these repercussions will be depends on Australian citizens becoming informed and vocal. This doesn’t necessarily mean protests and pollie-bashing, but it does mean standing in solidarity with the Aboriginal leaders and organisations who are working so hard to make justice and equality a reality for all Australians.

1. Read and sign the open letter to Mal Brough. This has been signed by Mick Dodson, Malcolm Fraser and dozens of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations and individuals. It gives a good overview of the change of policy needed to address the ‘crisis’ and is available on ANTaR’s website: http://www.antar.org.au/content/view/441/1/.

2. Join ANTaR’s ‘Sea of Hands’ campaign: www.antar.org.au/sea_of_hands/. ‘Sea of Hands’ is a movement towards genuine Reconciliation, and the declaration adopts a human rights based approach requiring governments to work in partnership with Aboriginal communities and organisations.

3. Join the Oxfam ‘Close the Gap’ campaign: http://www.oxfam.org.au/. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders die 17 years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians. 'Close the Gap' campaign calls on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within 25 years.

4. Write your own letter to your local Federal MP. Example letters are available on the ANTaR website (http://www.antar.org.au/content/view/492/1/) and on my blog (http://www.adventureswithhamish.blogspot.com/). Follow up your letter with a phone call or visit to your MP.

More Information
http://www.antar.org.au/ – Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation have an excellent website with up-to-date information, easy to read hand-outs, letter writing tips and their “Sea of Hands” campaign.

[i] The Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association (2007), ‘Indigenous doctors demand real and long term results in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids' health (PDF)’. Media release available online: http://www.aida.org.au/res/File/Press%20releases/NT_Measures.pdf.
[ii] Northern Territory Board of Enquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse (2007), Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle “Little Children are Sacred”, NT Government: Darwin. Available online: http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/inquirysaac/pdf/bipacsa_final_report.pdf.
[iii] Anderson, I. (2007), ‘Ian Anderson compares the federal government's response to the Little Children Are Sacred report with the authors' recommendations’, Australian Policy online. Available online: http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/comment_results.chtml?filename_num=161613.
[iv] Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the Northern Territory (2007), A proposed Emergency Response and Development Plan to protect Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory. Available online: http://www.snaicc.asn.au/news/documents/CAOreport8july.pdf.
[v] Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (2007), ‘A human rights based approach is vital to address the challenges in Indigenous communities’. Media release available online: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/media_releases/2007/45_07.html.

The 'Crisis' in NT Aboriginal Communities

Back to the Future

Apologies for my blogging absence over the past month. I've recently returned to Alice Springs after taking four weeks of annual leave. It is good to be back home in the Alice, settling back into work and enjoying the summer warmth. The biggest issue happening up here is obviously the recent attention towards the social 'crisis' in Aboriginal communities. It is almost one month since the Government first made its shock policy announcements, so I thought I'd give you my perspective as the dust begins to settle...

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What's up with the 'Aboriginal Crisis'?
I returned to Alice Springs to find Aboriginal people here in a state of fear. Families have left their communities in a bid to stay away from the Federal police - out of fear of a rebirth of the stolen generation. Maybe that sounds like an over-reaction? But many Aboriginal elders here in the centre have experienced the removal of children by authorities first-hand (and remember, last time it was "in the child's interests" too). They also experienced the abuse and exploitation by goverment workers, pastoralists and miners - and fear losing control of their land will put them at risk again.

Local Aboriginal organisations, including Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (where I worked earlier in the year) have made formal responses to the government policies. The general gist is:

1. Yes, there is a social and health crisis among Aboriginal communities (and town).

2. We welcome the Federal attention and funding.

3. But we have grave reservations about the policies as they stand now.

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Allow me to step back and recap the recent developments. Four weeks ago the Australian government declared a State of Emergency for remote Aboriginal communities. This was purportedly based on the release of the Little Children are Sacred report. This report outlines disturbingly high rates of child sexual abuse and points out that the causative factors include alcohol abuse, unemployment, educational disadvantage, poverty, family breakdown, the loss of traditional family values in Australian society, and cultural 'clash' leading particularly to hopelessness among young men. As the enquiry points out, none of this was new information. Aboriginal leaders have been pointing to this crisis for years, crying out for Federal attention and support. So what does the report say?

"What is required is a determined, coordinated effort to break the cycle and provide the necessary strength, power and appropriate support and services to local communities, so they can lead themselves out of the malaise: in a word, empowerment!

Are there simple fixes? Of course not! Our conservative estimate is that it will take at least 15 years (equivalent to an Aboriginal generation) to make some inroads into the crisis and then hopefully move on from there.

However, we do make some recommendations that are capable of comparatively easy and prompt implementation. Again, they are obvious. We have been struck time and time again over these last six months, by how often the same obvious problems are exposed and the plain responses articulated. That is that everybody knows the problems and the solutions." (p. 13)

The report contains a detailed list of Recommendations - read the report. Since then, the Federal government has certainly delivered the attention, with Mal Brough (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs) and Prime Minister John Howard launching some big policies. These have included:

1. Mandatory child health checks. (These have now been scaled back to the pre-existing standard child health check, after realising that mandatory health checks are a form of abuse too).

2. Sending in the troops. Hundreds of Federal Police have been sent to remote communities to enforce law and order.

3. Removing land permits and native title power.

But what does all this have to do with the Reports call for empowerment? Indeed, where in the detailed Recommendations did the government pull any of this from? The mind boggles.

Where to from here?

Change is in the air, and despite the deficiencies of the government's approach this is an opportunity. So I'd ask you all to get on board and help make a difference for Australia's First Peoples. Here is a three-step start.

1. Read and sign this letter to Mal Brough. This is an open letter from Mick Dodson and signed by dozens of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations and individuals. This gives a good overview of the change of policy needed to actually address the 'crisis'.

2. Sign on to the Oxfam 'Close the Gap' campaign. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders die 17 years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians. 'Close the Gap' campaign calls on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within 25 years.

3. Write your own letter to your local Federal representative. I've posted up a letter I have sent to the PM and Mal Brough below - feel free to copy from this. [As a NT Government employee I am potentially breaking my contract in writing directly to MPs, hence why I keep my comments very general]

Today I took part in a national day of action specifically standing up against the proposed 'Land Grab'. Aboriginal leaders from Alice Springs and surrounding communities spoke about what land means for them.

"We do not own the land. The land owns us... Taking the land from us takes part of our self."

"Aboriginal people in central Australian have fought long and hard for control over the land from which they were removed. On this issue there is unity - land is non-negotiable."

Going Bush

Speaking of 'land', I got to go bush with my brother Tristan the other weekend. We headed west from Alice Springs for a couple of hours to Orminston Gorge - part of the beautiful West McDonnell Ranges. The days were perfect - clear blue skies and warm sunshine. The nights were freeeeezing!

Open Letter to Mal Brough

Dear Mr. Mal Brough:

Thank you for your reply dated 17 May, regarding my concerns about the Town Camp redevelopment plans. At the time I raised concerns regarding the poor levels of community participation, questionable project methodology and the detrimental effects on local culture and community. These concerns were based on my review of the Alice Springs Town Camps Task Force report and discussions with local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community leaders (see Blog below). My concerns remain and it was no surprise to me that the plans were unanimously rejected by the Town Camp communities.

Since our last correspondence the Government has recognised that the Territory’s Aboriginal communities are in a State of Emergency. I agree. The levels of violence, alcohol abuse and ill health are indeed a social crisis – a fact attested to by numerous reports and in the voices of many Aboriginal leaders over the past decade. The Government has committed additional resources to address this crisis, and rolled out a number of major policies. In an interview alongside AMA President Rosanna Capulingua on the 5th of July, Tony Abbott MHR was quoted as saying “the Government will pay what’s necessary”[i].

I commend the Government on recognising this crisis and directing substantial attention and funding towards it. However, I would like to take the opportunity to express some of the concerns of myself and other health and community workers involved in working with Aboriginal people in Alice Springs.

1. ‘Aboriginal Crisis’. This is not an Aboriginal crisis – it is an Australian social crisis that must be borne by all Australians. Speaking about it as an ‘Aboriginal crisis’ only serves to place blame on Aboriginal Australians and further polarise community perceptions. Conceptualising it as an ‘Aboriginal crisis’ puts the emphasis on ethnicity as the problem rather than pointing towards the actual problems (i.e. poverty, dispossession, and barriers to accessing mainstream employment and services). Policy that adopts this view and targets Aboriginal Australians, rather than the social ills, amounts to nothing less than racial discrimination, as noted by Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner with regard to the originally proposed ‘mandatory child health checks’[ii].

2. Community Participation. A consistent theme in the multiplicity of reports regarding the burden of health and social ills on Aboriginal Australians is the need for community participation. However, current policies have been made behind the closed doors of Cabinet with, at best, token community participation. For example, the Alice Springs Town Camps Task Force report specifically noted the success of various Tangentyere Council initiatives such as the Night Patrol in reducing crime and violence. Yet Tangentyere Council has faced funding cuts to the very programs that the report identified as deserving additional support. Aboriginal controlled organisations are at the frontline in addressing Aboriginal health and social issues. It is imperative that these groups are involved not only in the implementation of Government policy but also the development, evaluation and modification of policy[iii].

3. Putting a lid on a boiling pot. I welcome the additional law enforcement personnel provided to address the violence and abuse present in some NT communities. However, we must recognise that this is simply putting a lid on a pot of boiling social ills. My fear is that the underlying issues will not be addressed and will simply be contained out of the public eye. The greater challenge is to invest long term in addressing issues of education, housing, alcohol abuse, health, employment opportunities and leadership development!

4. Aboriginal Land Title. I am puzzled and disappointed by the Government’s continued obsession with removing Aboriginal control over land. It shows complete lack of understanding of what land means for Aboriginal people. From a psycho-spiritual perspective, Aboriginal people belong to the land and removing control over it removes a part of the Aboriginal self. From a pragmatic perspective, abolishing the permit system and turning over land and housing to Northern Territory government will not assist in addressing the current crisis, and may be detrimental. Existing titles already allow security, health and welfare personnel access to communities. They also give the community some control in excluding other potentially exploitative individuals and groups. Removing this land ownership will only further erode Aboriginal self-determination, destroy Aboriginal identity and leave communities even more vulnerable to exploitation.

Aboriginal people from Central Australian communities and towns have reacted with great fear to the Government plans. The influx of security and Government personnel has raised the ghosts of the ‘stolen generation’ and many families are scared the Government will again begin removing children. These may be irrational fears, but for people who have experienced removal, exploitation and abuse by Government representatives and white land-owners and miners, these fears are very real. Aboriginal Territorians are feeling hopeless, fearful and betrayed by the current plans. We are crying out for people to stop, listen, and work out decisions in partnership, rather than simply enforce these pre-packaged solutions from outside.

I do hope that this can be used as an opportunity to more fully recognise Aboriginal people as Australia’s First People in equality with our multicultural Australian siblings.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Dr. Hamish Graham

[i] Transcript of doorstop interview Parliamentary offices with Tony Abbott MHR (Federal Minister for Health and Ageing) and Dr Rosanna Capolingua (AMA President), July 5th 2007.
[ii] I also find it extremely disturbing that the Government would consider changing existing Human Rights legislation in order to enable the implementation of other aspects of this policy!
[iii] This means getting greater representation on task forces from trusted Aboriginal leaders such as Patricia Anderson, Marcia Langton, Ian Anderson and Mick Dodson.

Poverty in Alice Spring Town Camps - A Paper

Alice Springs ‘Town Camps’
Alice Springs lies in the heart of Australia, 1200km from the nearest city. With a population of around 27,000 the town is also the service centre for another 20,000+ people living throughout Central Australia’s smaller towns and numerous remote communities. Alice Springs is now a modern tourist town with sprawling suburbs, but it is only 130 years since the first white colonists established the humble Telegraph Station from which the town has grown.

Scattered on the outskirts of the expanding Alice Springs township are 21 Town Camps that are home to approximately 1700-2000 Aboriginal people (Foster et al 2005). Residents are from a variety of family and language groups but many have lived here for 3 or 4 generations. There is an additional fluctuating visitor population of around 1000-1300 who come to Alice Springs for a whole variety of reasons[1]. While each Camp has a unique identity, they are united by a shared experience of poverty. This includes fiscal poverty as well as deprivation of access to education, health care, water and sanitation, employment, as well as deprivation of social participation, control and self-determination[2]. Town Campers view all of this through the lens of history, so to appreciate the current poverty in Alice Springs Town Camps it is essential to understand their experience of dispossession and exclusion at the hands of non-Aboriginal settlers.

History of Town Camps
The traditional owners of Alice Springs are the Arrente people who, together with their neighbour nations, have lived in central Australia for centuries. Dispossession began in the 1870s with the arrival of non-Aboriginal settlers and by 1903 the whole of Central Australia was under lease to these individuals and corporations (HREOC 1997). Town Camps sprung from this dispossession and were well established by the time Alice Springs town was chartered in the 1880s[3] (Coghlan 1991).

Protectionist policy began at the turn of the century involving the removal of all “half-caste” children and continuing into the 1940s leaving the infamous “Stolen Generation” legacy. This coincided with the classification of Alice Springs as a “prohibited area” for Aboriginal people whereby any Aboriginal person found in the town perimeters after 7pm in the evening could be arrested[4] (Tangentyere 2000). This developed into a concerted attempt to remove all Town Camps, with official policy demanding residents relocate to settlements and missions out bush where assimilation could take place[5] (Coghlan 1991).

The Town Camp communities survived all this and by the 1960s had began agitating for formal lease agreements[6]. The 1970s and 1980s saw Town Camps gradually obtain status as individually incorporated “Housing Associations” and granted “leases in perpetuity” by the Northern Territory government. They established a representative group called Tangentyere[7] (formally incorporated in 1977), to improve services, housing and infrastructure in their communities. Despite some significant progress in land control, service provision and infrastructure improvements since then, Town Camps still remain impoverished and bear the brunt of Alice Springs’ social problems.

Poverty in Town Camps
Financial Poverty
The majority of Town Campers are unemployed and not currently capable of obtaining work in the formal sector[8]. Some are involved in the short-term Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) receiving welfare benefits in return. Some people participate from informal sector activities (e.g. painting and traditional art), but this is often undermined by mainstream exploitation. Barriers to employment include lack of education, inadequate English and literacy skills, ill health, and social problems such as criminal records or drug dependence. Many Town Campers express a desire for work and many have been employed on programs such as CDEP previously however they see little future for themselves in the mainstream workforce. Not only are Town Campers living well below the poverty line but many are financially illiterate. This makes them particularly vulnerable to falling into debt and bankruptcy due to taking out ill-advised loans[9].

Infrastructure
Housing is administered by Tangentyere Council[10] under the direction of a Housing committee of elected Town Camp residents. The housing shortage in Town Camps remains severe despite huge improvements from the days of tents and “humpies”. With only 191 houses and 82 tin sheds to shelter their 2000 residents, overcrowding is the norm[11]. Sewerage and water facilities within Camps are antiquated and most have exceeded their life-span resulting in poor service and excessive costs for residents (ASTCTF 2006). Road access is adequate in most camps however street lighting and sealed pedestrian access is almost non-existent. Telephone access is not routinely available in Town Camps creating a major barrier to accessing services. Postal mail is managed through Tangentyere Council with no financial support from Australia Post or government agencies. Town Campers are acutely aware of the disparity between Town Camp infrastructure and suburban infrastructure and regard it as part of their ongoing marginalisation.

Services
Health services are accessed through the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) and the public hospital. This provides a broad range of health services for free and the CAAC bus service assists in access. Barriers include lack of telephone and postal services, language and cultural barriers[12]. Few Town Campers are comfortable in the mainstream health services and absconding from hospital before being medically cleared is commonplace. The appalling health statistics of Aboriginal Australians is well documented and the Territory government has been under attack for its perceived neglect[13].

There are a number of public schools, including a dedicated Aboriginal school (Yeperinya) but school enrolment and attendance remains low with a significant deficit in educational outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. This is due to many issues, including overcrowding, domestic tension, alcohol and other drug abuse and poor nutrition. Aboriginal children invariably come from non-English speaking backgrounds and their families have low literacy levels. Within local schools there is tension between Town Camp kids and mainstream kids with perceived inferiorities entrenched at an early age. Town Campers seem to appreciate the benefits of education for their children however it often gets lost as a priority when housing, food and the consequences of alcohol abuse and violence take so much of their time and energy.

Legal services are provided through a couple of local Aboriginal agencies. Access to Financial and other Social services has been made easier by the recent establishment of Tangentyere Council’s “one-stop shop”, including a Westpac Bank branch, Centrelink office, Housing office, Financial Counsellor and a Referral service.

Social Ills
Alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory is twice the national average with Alice Springs topping the chart for alcohol related deaths and hospital admissions (ASTCTF 2006). Town Campers are disproportionately represented in this cohort and alcohol is acknowledged as a major problem by all sectors of the Alice Springs community. Alcohol is very freely available in town and only one Town Camp has managed to establish itself as a ‘dry community’[14]. Among many Town Campers heavy alcohol consumption has become a lifestyle norm and when asked how often they drink a common reply is ‘until the money finishes up’[15]. Despite this Town Campers are aware that alcohol is a huge problem and to campaign for increased restrictions on alcohol.

Escalating violence has sent fear through Alice Springs, with residents ranking community safety as the greatest social concern (NT Government, 2006). Most violence is perpetuated by and against Aboriginal people and the most vulnerable are Aboriginal females, for whom violence is now the leading cause of death. Alcohol is implicated in most violence, with other factors including complex tribal disputes and poverty-fuelled environmental tension. Police express a growing inability in tackling this violence (ASTCTF 2006). Town Campers feel both embarrassed and helpless when confronted with this violence but recognise very well the underlying causes.

Aboriginal Australians are the most incarcerated indigenous peoples on earth, with Town Campers even more disproportionately represented. Town Campers seek respect of Traditional Law which they regard as more appropriate and effective. Traditional Law is quick, transparent, appropriate to the crime, and delivers justice to all involved. They regard dominant Western Law as protracted, secretive, inappropriate to the crime, and ultimately failing to deliver justice. Interference in Traditional Law by the dominant legal system frequently results in ‘pay-back’ being targeted at the offender’s family and associates. Perpetual cycles of violence between families are unfortunately an all too common reality. In contrast, when Traditional Law has been permitted to take its course families are usually satisfied that justice has prevailed and such ongoing conflict is averted.

Initiatives to Tackle Poverty
Initiatives to target Town Camp poverty come from all levels of government, local Aboriginal controlled organisations and Town Campers themselves. In the past these have been conceived and implemented in an ad hoc way with variable success. In late 2005 the Territory Government created the Alice Springs Town Camp Task Force to enable collaboration between all levels of governance and the Town Campers themselves. The ASTCTF report (2006) listed 16 recommendations - all of which are currently being enacted (however it is too early to remark on their success). Of the pre-existing initiatives a few deserve specific comment.
Alice in 10 is a Territory government action plan for Alice Springs and contains a few projects of particular relevance to Town Campers. Its ‘Education Engagement Strategy’ is aimed at bridging the deficit in Aboriginal education. These include outreach programs, mentoring programs and a highly successful football academy[16].

A Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2000 between the Alice Springs Town Council and Tangentyere Council aimed to deliver services such as roads, street lighting, storm water drainage, waste management, parks, political representation, and various other existing Town Council services to Town Camp residents. Apart from assistance with dog control, none of this has been achieved, though an agreement on waste management is almost signed.

The Connecting Neighbours Program has now given Territory government responsibility to deliver infrastructure and services to all Town Camps. To date the only thing it has delivered is the construction of basic sealed access roads into camps. Provision and upgrade of other essentials has been delayed by bureaucratic debate over which level of government should be responsible[17].

The Two Km Law restricting alcohol consumption in the proximity of liquor outlets has arguably had the effect of pushing more drinkers into Town Camp areas. A Dry Alice Springs Town Centre has been proposed to curb anti-social behaviour and alcohol related violence. However, even the proponents of this admit that it won’t really reduce such behaviour but simply shift it elsewhere[18]. Moderate alcohol supply restrictions have been implemented with good effect; however stricter restrictions are unlikely to be enforced[19]. The Alcohol Court legislation has been welcomed though it is too early to assess its effect.

Tangentyre Council have supported a variety of grassroots initiatives arising from individual Town Camps. A successful example is the Yarrenyte Altere Learning Centre that provides a centre in Larapinta Valley town camp for young people and their elders to interact and learn together. At the time of implementation in 2000, Larapinta Valley kids were identified as very high risk with widespread use of alcohol, petrol/solvent sniffing and heavy involvement in the criminal justice system. Tangentyre also runs a mobile playgroup, youth activity program, crisis accommodation and family support, and aged care assistance in conjunction with the numerous community services noted earlier. Day Patrol, Night Patrol and Youth Patrol are further Tangentyere initiatives to provide an Aboriginal non-Police street presence to assist people in situations of dispute. These have had significant success and have been recognised with a Territory award for there effect in reducing violence. However, they remain reactive in conception and have had little impact on the causes of disputes and violence. A Return to Country program runs alongside the patrols encouraging visitors from communities to return and assisting in transport to do so. Tangentyere initiatives have had variable success, suffering from insecure funding and arguably inconsistent project implementation.

The Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) employs 285 participants and provides valuable training and experience. However, this is on a short-term basis and is not regarded as sufficient bridging to get most participants into mainstream employment.

Earlier this year the Federal and Territory governments announced $80 million ear-marked for raising Town Camp housing and infrastructure to suburban standards. Local leaders calculate that this would probably just be sufficient to cover the improvements necessary. To access this money, Town Campers must relinquish their land to the Territory government (from whom they will then rent or purchase their houses from). In April 2007, much to the government’s surprise, Town Campers overwhelming rejected this, primarily because they could not stomach losing their land. Government and Town Camp leaders are now working together to reach a compromise.

Conclusions
Town Campers live in an appalling state of poverty. The causes stem from their historical dispossession and marginalisation. Perpetuating factors include educational disadvantage, ill health, over-crowding, lack of infrastructure, clashes with the dominant culture, alcohol abuse, and institutional racism. Initiatives to address this have been piece-meal and of varying effect. However, the ASTCTF recommendations offer a genuine hope for improvement. The challenge will be sustaining the political will to complete what will be a difficult and protracted process. With not a single Aboriginal representative on Town Council, it is likely that this will depend largely on the ability of local Aboriginal controlled organisations (particularly Tangentyere) to keep the momentum going.

Acknowledgments
During the research and compilation of this paper I have been privileged to meet with and hear the stories of many local residents. I would particularly like to acknowledge the following people who have assisted me greatly.
Town Campers – thank you for welcoming into your communities, particularly in the midst of the current political and social pressure upon you. Particular thanks to the Williams family (Hidden Valley residents) and Peggy Brown (Hoppy’s Camp President).
Mr. William Tilmouth (CEO, Tangentyere Council) – you were more than generous with your time and assistance, introducing me to the impressive work of your grass-roots organisation and providing invaluable historical and political information.
Ms. Fran Kilgariff (Mayor, Alice Springs Town Council) – thank you for your availability and provision of relevant task force documents.
Dr. Peter Tait (Medical Coordinator, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress) – thank you for sharing your experiences working with the Aboriginal people of Alice Springs, your commitment is very obvious.

References
Alice Springs Town Camps Task Force (2006) ASTCTF Review Report. June 2006.
Centralian Advocate, Tuesday 3 April 2007, ‘Indigenous health rebuke’, Alice Springs: Centralian Advocate.
Coghlan, F. (1991) ‘Aboriginal Town Camps and Tangentyere Council The Battle for Self Determination in Alice Springs’. Unpublished Masters Thesis. Cited in: Tangentyere Council (2000) The Tangentyere Protocols, Alice Springs: Tangentyere Council/CADPHC/CRH.
Dart, J. (2007) ‘Aussie health shame’, Centralian Advocate, Tuesday 3 April 2007, Alice Springs: Centralian Advocate.
Foster, D., Mitchell, J., Ulrich, J., Williams, R. (2005) Population and Mobility in the Town Camps of Alice Springs. Alice Springs: Tangentyere Council Research Unit/Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre.
Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (1997) Bringing Them Home, ?????
Morrison, G. (2007) ‘No more of this… [Town Camp redevelopment feature]’, Centralian Advocate, Friday March 16 2007, Alice Springs: Centralian Advocate.
Northern Territory Government (2006) The Alice in 10 Times, Issue 10 July 2006, Alice Springs: NT Government.
Rowse, T. (1998) White Flour White Power, .
Weitz, A. and Franceys, R. (2002) Beyond Boundaries: Extending Services to the Urban Poor. Manila: Asian Development Bank.
Tangentyere Council (2000) The Tangentyere Protocols, Tangentyere Council/CADPHC/CRH: Alice Springs.
Tangentyere Council (2004) Tangentyere Council Annual Report 2003-2004, Alice Springs: Tangentyere Council.

Footnotes
[1] These include: social, shopping, sport, ceremonial and to access medical services. The latter is a particular issue, with many people coming in for therapy such as dialysis and requiring numerous family members to accompany them as well (Foster et al 2005). Camping out is prohibited by Council by-laws and accommodation is both expensive and scarce so Town Camps are the default option for anyone with relatives there.
[2] This list is drawn from the definition of poverty provided by Weitz and Franceys (2003) of the ADB.
[3] Coghlan (1991) describes these as existing initially as ration depots and labour camps.
[4] This prohibition was declared in 1928 (Aboriginal Ordinance 1918) and lasted until the 1964 Social Welfare Ordinance was passed (which the Alice Springs Town Management Board attempted to circumvent unsuccessfully on multiple occasions) (Rowse 1998).
[5] The exception to this was the maintenance of a pool of half-caste Aboriginal people in Alice Springs to provide labour for the growing town.
[6] Albert Namatjira and various other artists led the way in their application for Morris Soap Camp, which was initially rejected.
[7] Tangentyere is an Arrente word meaning ‘coming together of people’.
[8] Tangentyere CEO, William Tilmouth, described there being many barriers for Town Campers in bridging to mainstream employment. These include: language (English is never a first language); lack of education; transport difficulties; familial overcrowding and household disruptions; frequent illness; caring for unofficial dependents; differences in culture and world-view (e.g. needing to take part in ‘sorry business’ without notice).
[9] Tangentyere Financial Counsellor, Leigh Shacklady, described a steady stream of clients becoming bankrupt after signing loan agreement that they did not understand. He showed me a current brochure advertising quick cash loans with an interest rate of 1300%. He had just seen a Town Camp client who had borrowed $100 from this lender, defaulted on two repayments, had managed to pay back $100 and now owed over $300 on the original loan!
[10] Tangentyere Council is the representative organization of Town Campers and was established to coordinate services, improve infrastructure and provide a political voice (see Appendix I).
[11] During the influx of visitors it is not uncommon to see more than 20 adults and children occupying a single three bedroom house. It is quite normal to see bedding and blankets strewn outside houses with residents taking turns sleeping, washing and using the limited bathroom facilities. ‘Tin sheds’ are temporary housing facilities for those awaiting a house vacancy. Nearly half of the houses are 30 years old and only eight new houses have been built in the past five years with the backlog on maintenance and upgrading rising exponentially.
[12] The latter is exacerbated by a large number of foreign-trained doctors from non-English speaking backgrounds making the cultural and language gap even wider.
[13] The Australian Medical Association recently declared no confidence in the Northern Territory government over its poor handling of the Aboriginal health crisis. Centralian Advocate, Tuesday 3 April 2007, ‘Indigenous health rebuke’, Darwin: Media Networks. Dart, J. (2007) ‘Aussie health shame’, Centralian Advocate, Tuesday 3 April 2007, Darwin: Media Networks.
[14] It took Abbots Camp residents 7 years to get granted ‘dry town’ permission from the Liquor Commission.
[15] This is exacerbated by the steady flow of visitors who often take advantage of the plentiful supply of cheap alcohol and bring large quantities into the Camps where they are stopping with relatives.
[16] The Clontarf Foundation’s Football Academy links sport to school attendance and supports Aboriginal boys right through to further education and employment.
[17] These include power, water, sewerage, street lighting, creation of individual lots, metering of houses, guttering, kerbing, footpaths and storm water.
[18] Critics say that this ‘elsewhere’ will be into Town Camps, thus putting the most vulnerable (i.e. female Aboriginal Town Campers) at even greater risk and potentially escalating the already shocking levels of violence.
[19] Primarily due to a strong alcohol lobby and the government’s dependence on alcohol sales as a source of revenue.

Grog, Violence and Opinions Galore

Alice Springs infamy on Today Tonight
Alice Springs is back in the news, once again described as the crime and violence capital of Australia (Today Tonight, ‘A town like Alice’, 30 Apr 2007). It was a typically soapy current affairs story full of graphic descriptions of assaults and stereotypical portrayals of ‘them’ and ‘us’. Today Tonight had been invited to Alice by a group who call themselves “Advance Alice” a small group of very vocal locals with a rather redneck agenda (although they simply say they are protecting local businesses and families). To their credit, Today Tonight did at least attempt to get an Aboriginal viewpoint through the voice of Geoffrey Shaw. Mr. Shaw was born in the riverbed and has lived in the Town Camps his whole life. He is currently President of the Tangentyere Council (the representative body and service centre for Town Campers), and has been recognised for his massive efforts in Aboriginal rights and reconciliation.

Grog Wars
Alcohol abuse is widely recognised to be the major underlying and perpetuating factor of many of Alice Springs social ills. This is particularly the case when it comes to the violence that has so saturated the local and national media. Over the past few weeks I have interviewed the Alice Springs Mayor, Tangentyere Council CEO, and a diverse range of locals regarding alcohol abuse and violence. I have found the reaction to this issue varies greatly between different quarters of the community and sheds great light on their respective values and prejudices.

Town Council
Alice Springs Mayor, Fran Kilgariff (pic), sees Alice Springs as primarily a ‘tourist town’. For her, alcohol abuse is one of the key drivers behind the antisocial behaviour that turns tourists away. Her response to the Today Tonight special was to describe the situation in Alice Springs as ‘black violence against other blacks’ saying that it shouldn’t deter tourists. The Council solution is to propose a ‘Dry-Town Centre’ policy. [Don’t confuse this with ‘dry town’ policies that work very well in many Aboriginal communities throughout the NT]. This policy would prohibit alcohol consumption in public areas within the town centre, apart from special permits (e.g. footy game ‘wet areas’ etc.). This is explicitly targeted at Aboriginal drinkers who currently sit in parks and along the river with their grog. It would have no impact on the supply of alcohol or the private licensees.

Tangentyere Council
Tangentyere Council CEO, William Tilmouth (pic), and President, Geoffrey Shaw, both see alcohol as the major factor behind the appalling rates of violence among Aboriginal people. They accurately identify Aboriginal women in Town Camps as the most vulnerable members of the community, and point out that the leading cause of death for these women is violent assault. The proposed ‘Dry-Town Centre’ policy will do absolutely nothing for these women (a fact that Mayor Kilgariff reluctantly agrees with).

Indeed, it will likely make things worse as the current problem drinkers will be pushed out of town into the peripheral Town Camps. Neither the Police nor the Town Campers have been able to control the presence of such drinkers when they enter Town Camps in the past, and there is no reason that this will change. Mayor Kilgariff’s response to this is to flippantly say that it just means Town Camps will be forced to become dry. That is, they have a choice, either (a) allow alcohol and bear the added burden of the whole town’s alcohol and social problems, or (b) ban alcohol and disallow your residents the right to a quiet beer by the BBQ. In my humble opinion, this is colonial style blackmail and is absolutely shameful.

Tangentyere Council along with other Aboriginal community groups have long campaigned for stronger alcohol laws. Their propositions include one ‘dry day’ a week, quantitative limitations on the purchase of commonly abused alcohol, and a reduction in the current number of alcohol suppliers. One Town Camp pursued the option of declaring itself a dry zone, after the institution of another Council law had resulted in drunks using their camp to evade the 2km law (no alcohol consumption within 2km of a liquor outlet). It took 7 years for the Liquor Licensing Commission to grant permission, thanks to the undermining of their application by local authorities (including the Police!?!). And in the words of Mr. Tilmouth, ‘by the time Abbot’s Camp was granted dry-zone status the camp President had already given up and turned to alcohol himself’. The major Police objection at that time was that they would not be able to police it – how on earth could they no police all 21 camps for alcohol?

So if you are ever tempted to view the rampart alcohol abuse among Aboriginal central Australians as self-inflicted or believe that they are not doing their darndest to improve things – think again. History has handed them a massive handicap and contemporary ignorance (and racism) seems intent on quashing every attempt they make to get ahead.

VB Dreaming
One local painter joked to me recently about painting the ‘VB Dreaming’ story. Green VB cans ornament all the Camps, parks and public places in Alice Springs and it is probably the most popular poison of choice (though cheap port and Listerine are other options). This tells me two things (1) people here are not very discerning drinkers (2) grog corporations don’t give a damn about the effects of their sales. Perhaps this is one of the natural outcomes of consumerism as we buy the lie that “if people will pay, then it must be okay”. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to undermine the right of Aussie Joe to crack a cold one – but does it really have to come at this price?

I can visualise a Pilger-style documentary titled “VB Dreaming – the other Stolen Generation”. It would match the adverse social effects of domestic violence, suicide, poor health, lack of education, child neglect and abuse with the collaborating evils of institutional racism and corporate consumerism. It would parallel the lives of Aboriginal Town Campers, Alcoholic victims, local community groups, local grog suppliers and alcohol lobby, and the powerful corporate bosses. Do you think I am being overly dramatic? Well until this year I would probably have thought the same, so I’d welcome any of you up here to see with your own eyes.

Doctor Doctor…
Lest you think I have left my doctoring to pursue a career in advocacy, I can assure you that my medical career is still forging ahead. I have finished work at the Aboriginal health centre to return to the bustling medical wards of Alice Springs Hospital. For the medical minded among you, the case-load here is amazing. Infectious Disease is the biggest cause of admission, not only the standard chest and urinary infections but also multiple cases of Cryptococcal meningitis, pulmonary TB, Rheumatic fever and Endocarditis.

Aboriginal Centralians die 20-30 years younger than their non-Aboriginal counterparts, a statistic largely due to Sepsis mortality (though there are many other underlying factors). Despite prompt hospital attendance, and first-class medical treatment, Aboriginal mortality rates from sepsis are higher than most of the poorest African countries. The reason for this is unclear, but the local Infectious Diseases Physician theorises that it is at least partially due a quirky retrovirus called HTLV-1. It has a prevalence of at least 10-20%, is transmitted mainly through breast-milk, and has an immunocompromising effect similar to HIV (though not nearly as severe). An audit of hospital deaths last year (accounting for half of Centralian deaths) seems to support this hypothesis, though there are many other factors that will likely contribute to the septic mortality rate (e.g. ESRF, DM, childhood ID burden, malnutrition etc.).

No, this is not 'VB-Dreaming' - it is a Honey Ant Dreaming painting by Kathy Coulthard that now hangs on my wall. Tunnel full of juicy honey ants running through the centre. Concentric circles = digging pits. U-shapes = women/children with digging stick beside them.

Peace, Love and Justice

Peace and Harmony
Today is ‘Palm Sunday’, a day to remember that peaceful revolutionary who entered Jerusalem 2000-odd years ago on a humble donkey to spread a message of peace and social transformation. We celebrated it here in Alice Springs in the form of a ‘Peacenik’, raising awareness of the big social issues for us today – racism, discrimination, nuclear dumps, land dispossession – and asking “what world do we want to leave for our kids?”.

This comes one week after Alice Springs celebrated “Harmony Day”, a day to celebrate the diversity of Alice Springs and its people. As part of this I attended an Interfaith luncheon at the local Afghan Mosque along with an array of Muslim, Christian, Bahai and ‘unlabelled’ God-seekers. Not only was the food divine, but the atmosphere as we sat around and chatted felt absolutely saturated with the ‘Sacred’. Later in the day we joined a couple of hundred locals for a big celebration at the Town Hall – with more glorious food, musical acts and even a cultural fashion show.

Social Justice in Alice Springs
Given the sentiments of peace and harmony I have just described you may think Alice Springs is a particularly socially conscious town. It is true that there is a group of ‘enlightened’ Alice Springians for whom social justice is very important. However, I have also seen more individual and institutional prejudice and discrimination in three months of living here than I ever thought possible. One gentleman informed my brother of the solution to all of Alice Springs problems:

“It’s easy. Either we gotta take the Aboriginal kids off their parents and raise them in white houses – or we just shoot them all.”

He went on to explain that the ‘blacks’ are the root of every problem in the world, and Australian Aboriginal people are the worst of the lot. Just hearing my brother tell me this made me sick to the stomach. But the scary thing is that this man is not alone. And unfortunately such racist ideas are polished, made politically correct and find willing public mouthpieces (particularly through the Country Liberal Party).

Town Camps – Ghettos?
The most discriminated people in Alice Springs are residents of the Town Camps. Scattered on the outskirts of town, these Town Camps have been the sites of residence for various Aboriginal communities for years, and grew into crowded shanty villages under the 6-mile rule (preventing Aboriginal people to live within 6 miles of town). They gradually gained formal recognition in the 1970s. The Alice Springs Council did not want responsibility for them so the Tangentyere Council was established, theoretically giving communities a voice over their management. In reality they have never been adequately resourced to provide basic infrastructure, and essentials of water, sewerage, electricity and road access are still very limited. Unsurprisingly, the combination of material deprivation, economic dependence, low levels of education and overcrowding results in a state of severe poverty.

The Alice Springs mayor describes them as ‘ghettos’, and bemoans their encroachment on ‘residential areas’. Many people are quick to point to the high rates of violence, crime and neglect (with good reason). However, few people stop to realise that they are also survival communities who have battled against great odds just to be around today.

This week I sat down with four generations of the Williams family (see pics) who are long-term residents of a camp nick-named “Hidden Valley”. Grandmother Williams was removed from her parents as a child to work as a domestic servant in a white household. After starting her own family they were shunted around various locations by government order until finally settling back in Hidden Valley. Her children, grand-children and now great-grandchildren have all been brought up in this vibrant, but far-from-perfect community. Listening to these feisty and intelligent women talk it became very clear that they were acutely aware of the massive social problems facing them and would passionately debate potential solutions. [Many grassroots initiatives have been started, most failing because of poor institutional support or blatant sabotage – but that’s another story!] What was also clear was that they did not aspire to a suburban lifestyle, which they saw as fragmenting community in favour of individualism. They treasured their community, and above all wanted it to stay intact. Unfortunately, Town Camp residents are not permitted to vote in Alice Springs Council elections so the voices of people like the Williams’ are rarely heard!

$50 Million Dollar Solution
Alice Springs Town Camps have hit the national news recently thanks to a $50 million Federal government redevelopment plan “unanimously supported by all parties”. Sounds good? Yeah, probably too good to be true! The details have not been thrashed out, just vague promises of better houses, access to services and raising them to the standards of any other suburb. One thing is very clear though – to have access to the money Town Camp residents must relinquish their property to the NT government (and then rent or buy it back after redevelopment). None of the Town Campers I have spoken to have been consulted about this plan – in fact, the Williams family approached me with the newspaper headlines asking me to explain what it was all about.

I am sceptical, and have expressed my concerns to all the local and Federal parliamentarians involved. It smells to me like the Town Campers are being represented as the problem thus creating a solution that demands they shape up (i.e. conform) or ship out (i.e. go back to bush, shanty towns or river beds). Sounds a little like Governor Hindmarsh during the 1950s:

“Black men, we wish to make you happy. But you cannot be happy unless you imitate white men. Build huts, wear clothes and be useful. Love white men and… learn English.”

How much has changed?

Take Action
Hopefully I’ve stirred your conscience enough to think about how you can become more socially active. There are many other injustices in the world whose victims are crying out for support. Don’t be overwhelmed by it all. Just pick one, and start doing your little bit to make it right. Here are a few places to start, even if you can't commit much at least lend your voice to their petitions (GetUp and Avaaz make this very easy!).

- AJustAustralia (www.ajustaustralia.com) - this is the peak body for refugee advocacy in Australia and has lots of tips on letter writing, as well us up-to-date information and FAQs.
- Rights Australia (www.rightsaustralia.org.au) - this is a great resource for Human Rights issues as they pertain to Australia, with tons of information on all sorts of current issues.
- Avaaz (www.avaaz.org) - this is a new world-wide campaign movement based on the web! Jump online and add your voice to issues ranging from Zimbabwe, Iraq, Guantanamo, to Climate change and Middle-East peace talks.
- GetUp (www.getup.org.au) - this is a fun site based around collecting signatures on various topics. You can vote on issues related to the environment, refugees, Iraq, australian heritage - you can even vote David Hicks out (aka Big Brother style).
- MakePoverty History (www.makepovertyhistory.org.au) - no doubt you are all aware of this, well the campaign is still going and there is plenty more to be done.
- Medical Association for Prevention of War (www.mapw.org.au) - here's something for all you peace-loving medicos. The current focus is on the nuclear threat, with some really innovative ways of addressing it.