Building Engagement with First Australian Families in the Mt Druitt Area
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BUILDING ENGAGEMENT WITH FIRST AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES IN THE MT DRUITT AREA DEVELOPED BY LEAD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED AND FUNDED UNDER COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN MT DRUITT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MISSION AUSTRALIA ii BUILDING ENGAGEMENT LEAD PDA FOREWORD 05 INTRODUCTION 09 THE DARUG NATION 10 MT DRUITT & SURROUNDS: A BRIEF HISTORY, WITH ABORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE 12 UNDERSTANDING ABORIGINAL CULTURE 14 CULTURAL PROTOCOLS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & PRACTICES 16 LEAD Professional Development WELCOME acknowledge the traditional custodians of TO COUNTRY 18 this land, the Darug people. We pay our respect to the Elders past, present and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT emerging, for they hold the memories, OF COUNTRY 19 the traditions, the culture and hopes TABLE of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CULTURAL DATES OF peoples across the nation. A better OF SIGNIFICANCE 20 understanding and respect for Aboriginal CONTENTS and Torres Strait Islander cultures FORMING POSITIVE develops an enriched appreciation of RELATIONSHIPS Australia’s cultural heritage and can lead IN THE COMMUNITY 22 to reconciliation. This is essential to the CONSULTATION PHASE: maturity of Australia as a nation and GETTING IT RIGHT, fundamental to the development of an FROM THE START 24 Australian identify. WORKING TOGETHER: INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY 26 WORKING TOGETHER: WITH ABORIGINAL FAMILES 27 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 29 Checklists & Reflection Questions Resources & Networking Application Platforms Appendix A: 2016 Census Results Appendix B: Child’s Information Template ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 36 BUILDING ENGAGEMENT BUILDING ENGAGEMENT 2 LEAD PDA LEAD PDA 3 FOREWORD ONGRATULATIONS There has been a calling for Reciprocity for balance in on your decision to safer community service delivery relationships is a core practice C pick up this resource and an expectation of higher in Indigenous wisdom traditions and read the foreword. In outcomes. This calling has come such as Dadirri, (quiet stillness, doing so you demonstrate from across the sectors, from our listening with more than the a sincere commitment to peak organisations and from the ears). Community engagement is understanding and navigating many vulnerable members of our stifled when boundaries are not the challenging complexities of community whom we aim to serve. respected, or when boundaries are safe and meaningful community There is also a call for improved held so strictly that learning and engagement. So much has been organisational cultural leadership mutual support cannot take place. invested in the welfare, housing to facilitate this process. Psychological flexibility and Dadirri and family support sectors, yet a awareness create relationships common statement echoes across Community engagement is a based on creativity and respect, All the welfare in Australia won’t the space ‘We must do more’. two-way practice that hinges forming the basis for effective peer on relationships. Healing is an support. be enough in ‘Closing the Gap’ integral part of relationships and all authorities must demonstrate “If we fail to strive for It is our view that ineffective an understanding of the process community-wide healing, but better community engagement community engagement, that is to of healing and its place in building then all future investment in say, community engagement that meaningful relationships. This in social programs in Indigenous and stronger Cultural Leadership may. has not resulted in: community turn will support the community communities will be like buy-in, the development of engagement necessary to make building a house on quicksand. meaningful relationships with all the changes we need today and Any success in achieving the Closing the Gap is a government Close the Gap is Australia’s peak First Nations health bodies, stake-holders, and the sharing for the next generation. decolonisation of the psyche strategy that aims to reduce health professional bodies and human rights organisations. of resources and power between of Indigenous Australians disadvantage among Australian Individually and collectively they operate the Close the Gap services and community, is the The foundation of our wellbeing has the potential to increase First Nations peoples across Campaign to raise the health and life expectancy of peoples to that root of many program failures depends on meaningful and the wellbeing of the broader 5 key areas: life expectancy, of the non-Indigenous population within a generation or by 2030. amounting to much lost potential, purposeful relationships. Our Australian society.” child mortality, access to early It aims to do this through the implementation of a human rights- and significant wasted financial sense of self-worth is reflected childhood education, educational based approach set out in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and human resources. To counter back to us by those we interact – TOM CALMA, achievement, and employment Social Justice Commissioner’s Social Justice Report 2005. this, your courageous individual with. In the workplace and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait outcomes. This strategy is not to and collective commitment to the community meaningful Islander Social Justice be confused with the ‘Close the www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/aboriginal-and-torres-strait- developing greater capacity for relationships contribute to our Commissioner 2008. Gap’ Campaign. islander-social-justice/publications/social-justice-report-6 understanding and practicing productivity, our learning and our meaningful community wellness. We must understand our www.humanrights.gov.au/our- engagement may prove to be the relationship to the community, to work/chapter-4-beyond-apology- Organisations that make reference to this term, should clearly describe what role their organisation plays in missing link and the revolution this better ground us and help us plan agenda-healing-social-justice- Closing the Gap. Whether it be health, early childhood development, life expectancy, education, it is space has been yearning for. for our future. report-2008 important to specify how the organisation aims to contribute to this initiative. www.reconciliation.org.au BUILDING ENGAGEMENT BUILDING ENGAGEMENT 4 LEAD PDA LEAD PDA 5 “All the welfare in Australia OPTIMISM RELATIONSHIPS GRATITUDE Optimism is hugely important in The foundation of our wellbeing Gratitude is a practice that is won’t be enough.” Why not? knowing deep down that growth depends on meaningful and shared through learning circles. and transformation is possible, purposeful relationships. Our We look at what has been given to no matter what our circumstances sense of self-worth is reflected us, what has been taken away and are, holding a sense of faith and back to us by those we interact for what remains. We sit with any commitment to the coaching with. In the community, the discomfort, we don’t try to avoid process even when an individual workplace or the classroom, it. This guides us toward positive may not see the way. meaningful relationships perspective taking, meaningful NOT FOR PROFIT THE QUESTION? At this stage, goal setting is contribute to our productivity, connections and helps us to see SECTOR FACTS supported through allowing each our learning and our wellness. It the way forward. John Shearer, a YOU SHOULD How to equip community services sectors to engage person to articulate their values involves knowing our relationship mindful coaching practice leader, KNOW more effectively with Indigenous community, while and the actions each person to the world to better ground us puts it beautifully in his coaching considering Cultural Safety and Self Care? commits to in order to embody and help us plan for our future. guide Mindful Actions: “Gratitude www.australiancharityguide.org their values. helps make sense of your past, By sharing good practice, COMMUNITY Reciprocity for balance in brings peace for the present Australia has over 57,000 1. building our capacity ENGAGEMENT relationships is a core practice in moment and creates a vision for registered charities, with 50 for more meaningful AND CULTURAL Dadirri. Workplace relationships the future.” new ones setting up every community engagement, LEADERSHIP BEGINS can suffer when boundaries are week thus service outcomes. WITH ‘C.O.U.R.A.G.E.’: not respected, or when boundaries 2. Royal Flying Doctor are held so strictly that learning Service topped the Charity A step-by-step guide Culture, UNDERSTANDING and mutual support cannot take Reputation Index for 2018 to the GAMARADA Optimism, place. Psychological flexibility COURAGE Coaching Understanding, Understanding is about being able and Dadirri awareness creates 3. 55% of charities are growing Model designed to Relationships, and willing to listen, and to hear relationships based on creativity ENCOURAGEMENT their income, 42% are facilitate meaningful Acceptance, the perspectives of others. Valuing and respect, and forms the basis shrinking community engagement Gratitude, knowledge and process, finding for effective peer support. Encouragement is about peer 4. NFP sector income comes and Cultural Leadership: Encouragement the right human resource to get support, coaching and mentoring, from government 41%, the job done, and learning to back acknowledging that we’ve all self-generated income 50%, yourself and your organisation, made mistakes, everyone has bad donations and bequests 8% CULTURE being creative, taking weighted days, no one has all the answers 5. Less than 40% of Australian risks and being willing to fail. The and everything together.