Category: Indigenous Australia

National Close the Gap Day is closing in. On Thursday 20 March 2014, thousands of Australians will take action to improve Indigenous health. Register your event today Read more »

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can expect a shorter life expectancy and a decreased quality of life compared to non-Indigenous Australians. It’s a situation you would associate with an impoverished nation, but it is happening right here in our own backyard. You can contribute to a fairer, better Australia–one that says no to health inequality, injustice and discrimination. Read more »

The Federal Government is set to defund the peak National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) and all law reform and policy officer positions in affiliates across the country today. The $9 million of cuts would mean the appalling over-representation of incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is likely to get worse. Read more »

Overseas aid, climate change and its impact on global hunger, and Indigenous health remain important issues after the Coalition’s election win. We are hoping that an Abbott government will work with us on these key issues to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people – both here in Australia and overseas. We […] Read more »

Oxfam has been working for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since 2010. So when the idea of the Journey to Recognition was discussed by the Recognise Reference Group as a way of taking the message of recognition around the country, it was clear that we should support it. On the 26th May […] Read more »

The following letter from Ian Thorpe appeared in The Australian newspaper on Thursday 18th April 2013: Dear state, territory and federal government leaders, I got behind the Close the Gap campaign because I believed it’s totally unacceptable that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples die 10–17 years younger than non-Indigenous Australians. I believed that long-term commitments […] Read more »

Federal, state and territory governments must recommit to crucial Indigenous health funding at this Friday’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, to ensure improvements in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health can continue. Continuing to fund the National Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Health should be on the agenda of this Friday’s COAG meeting, as it is […] Read more »

More than 140,000 people across Australia today will remind political leaders of their commitment to close the gap in health inequality, as critical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health funding is due to expire. Today is the seventh annual National Close the Gap Day, with a record 950 community events in homes, schools, universities, workplaces, […] Read more »

Lorna Schmider-Woodcock is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Brisbane. She currently lives in Canberra where she is an Indigenous cadet through the Australian Public Service Commission program at the National Museum of Australia. On December 10th and 11th, 2012, I attended the Indigenous Knowledge is Eternal: Knowledge and Culture Sharing in Indigenous […] Read more »

Oxfam Australia CEO Dr Helen Szoke: The passing of the Act of Recognition Bill through the House of Representatives is an historic moment for Australia and marks a significant step towards a referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in our country’s constitution. The Australian constitution entered into force in 1901 without input from Aboriginal or Torres […] Read more »