Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellyfeelings about the strategies, their underlying philosophies and their potential forbenefit and harm.1n 2008 the Northern Territory Emergency Response (INTER) Review Board(2008, pp. 9-10) found that;The single most valuable resource that the National Territory EmergencyResponse lacked from its inception is the positive, willing participation of thepeople it was intended to help. The most essential element in moving forwardis for government to re-engage with Aboriginal people… based on genuineconsultation, engagement and partnership.The review board found that in many Aboriginal communities there was a deepbelief that the measures introduced by the Australian Government were a collectiveimposition based on race.The review discusses the need for new ways of moving forward that are based ontrust and an active re-engagement with community by government. They found thatthe emergency response fractured an already tenuous relationship and led manyAboriginal people to feel as if they were alien and repugnant to the rest of thecountry. In the review, Aboriginal people repeatedly spoke of racial discriminationand humiliation, of hurt and anger at being subjected to collective measures thatnever would be applied to other Australians (p 8). Many Aboriginal peopleexpressed an opinion that;Aboriginal people and their culture have been seen as exclusively responsiblefor problems within their communities that have arisen from decades ofcumulative neglect by governments in failing to provide the most basicstandards of health, housing, education and ancillary services enjoyed by thewider Australian community (p 8).Support for the emergency response measures diminished through the way it wasimposed, particularly a failure to work collaboratively with local communities andwith local health professionals. Despite this, some gains have been made such aspolice stations in communities, reduction of alcohol related violence, improvedhousing, education and employment opportunities. The Review Boardrecommended that intervention measures continue in a modified form that involvescommunity development and partnerships between community and government,53