Living in Harmony Community Grants 1999

Australian Captial Territory

Woden Youth Centre, Woden Community Service Inc.

woden.gif - 17228 Bytes

The Reconciliation Roads Community Development Project

$55,000 Awarded

| Aims | Activities | Outcomes |

Aims

This project, now completed, aimed to:

  • address the disadvantage, discrimination and despair experienced by Indigenous youth and promote a positive view of Indigenous culture in the ACT and regional community

  • make contact with Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, bringing them together in an environment of racial harmony and respect, through a mainstream youth service

  • develop knowledge and cultural understanding of Aboriginal culture and history and to support young people, their families, community elders and workers to address social issues affecting young Indigenous people

  • help other mainstream service providers meet the needs of the rapidly growing Indigenous youth population in the ACT

Activities

The project:

  • after extensive consultation with local Indigenous groups found that the original plan for providing a cultural renewal and arts training package for the local Indigenous community would not yet be practical, because:

    • there had not been a direct request for this from the community

    • realistically, to produce the program and document it would extend beyond the available timeframe

    • after many attempts at implementation, found the clients' response to traditional dance workshops etc too sporadic and uncommitted to support a program

  • substituted a Cultural Contact Package instead, to complement the cultural awareness training undertaken by Reconciliation Roads workers through the youth and community sectors, which:

    • involved visits and discussions with local Indigenous agencies and elders

    • provided a resource on relevant community services for young Indigenous people and people working with them

    • emphasises traditional culture and protocols necessary to undertake this work sensitively

    • included an extensive list of cultural contacts such as artists, dancers, storytellers, elders and trainers; an Indigenous worker contact list and Indigenous organisation contact list

    • supplemented a services directory put out by ACT Government, which is more Indigenous health-and welfare-oriented

  • found that the original plan of establishing a model program for Indigenous health/welfare services to provide sessional visiting services at the Centre was unworkable because of the fluctuations in attendance by young Indigenous people

  • took on several part-time Indigenous youth workers (including one specifically to mentor the young men) who discussed issues with the clients including:

    • racism and discrimination

    • cultural identity

    • promotion of culture and traditions

    • breaking down some of the stereotypes about Indigenous people

  • created two Indigenous-theme murals, signposting the Indigenous Youth Service at the Centre and at its linked drop-in centre in nearby Narrabundah

  • linked in with other significant local events which gave young people increased opportunities to participate in a variety of cultural, educational and social activities focused on Indigenous issues, including:

    • Youth Coalition of the ACT

    • Youth Conference of the South East Region

    • Survival Day

    • Canberra College - Woden Campus Rock Eisteddfod

    • Corroboreee 2000

Outcomes

The project:

  • formed valuable partnerships with many community and government organisations and services, including:

    • Police

    • ACT Government

    • ATSIC Regional Council

    • Australians for Reconciliation

    • Indigenous Education authorities

    • Juvenile Justice

    • Winnunga Nimmijah Aboriginal Medical Service

    • Young Men's Support Network, Men Mentoring Men

    • Youth Coalition of the ACT, Youth in the City

  • contributed to an environment at the youth centre where Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth were able to interact (after initial resistance from the "original" non-Indigenous clients), which ultimately contributed to breaking down non-Indigenous young peoples' stereotypes and misconceptions about Aboriginality

  • involved non-Indigenous staff in a new range of activities, helping them to develop networks with Indigenous service providers and good relationships with Indigenous young people, and increased overall awareness in the centre of the concept of Reconciliation

  • drew favourable comment from many Indigenous community members as a result of positive media coverage

  • contributed to and resulted in:

    • ACT Government creating an Indigenous Affairs Officer within the Department of Education and Community Services to provide support across their youth and education programs

    • Australian Federal police increasing their Indigenous Community Liaison positions from one to five officers in the ACT

    • establishment of protocols and policies by the Youth Coalition of the ACT to assist the youth sector to better understand and address the needs of young Indigenous people

    • a staff member joining the (ATSIC) Bogong Regional Council and positioning the Reconciliation Roads project to influence policy and infrastructure developments impacting on Indigenous young people throughout the region

  • provided one of the three young people (Michael Quall) chosen from Living in Harmony participants to represent Australia at an International Youth Anti-Racism conference in Canada

Previous: Living in Harmony initiative - ACT grants index