“The longest journey starts with one step” – how often have we heard this said? However, there have been many mis-steps along the journey to resolve the ongoing disadvantage confronting the descendants of the first settlement in Australia. Did you immediately think of convicts and early Sydney? Think 60,000 years of settlement; think 300 or so nations each with its own language; think of a living culture that respected and looked after the land; think racism and massacres and stolen children and deaths in custody and inequality on all measure of things.
We are seeing a confluence of a number of strands of history. Black deaths in custody and the Black Lives Matter Movement, the Uluru statement from the Heart, a call for constitutional recognition and a Voice to Parliament – these should focus the attention of Rotarians as we were reminded in the last edition of Rotary Down Under, August 9th being International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Rotarians already support a number of Aboriginal programs – Purple House, End Trachoma, Health Scholarships and the like. I have accepted the role as District 9865 2020/21’s chair of Aboriginal Support programs.
The first cab off the rank for this year is “The Moree Project.” The brainchild of Pam Pritchard of the Rotary Club of Turramurra and the Principal of Moree East Public School, Lorinda Potter, it has two goals: the construction of a lunch area shelter structure to provide shade in the area where the children are being provided with nutritional meals and the provision of laptop computers for around 130 students who have no access to them at home. Its stated aim is “….to address issues of disadvantage facing students in the Moree area, the majority of whom are from Aboriginal families.” Aims and goals are one thing but as with Closing the Gap, the reality often belies the vision. The Moree Project has the full support of the school’s Aboriginal community and, to that extent, has a fair chance of a successful outcome.
The second project that has reached me is from the Rotary Club of Carlingford. Into its fourth year, the project provides a nursing scholarship at the University of Western Sydney for an Aboriginal student at a cost of $7500 each year. As you would be aware, culturally-aware nursing staff are vitally important in raising the health standards of Aboriginal people.
Fund-raising in the time of COVID 19 is not going to be easy. Could you see your Club becoming part of the Moree and Carlingford projects with a donation of $10 per member? My Club, Chatswood Sunrise, (boutique not small) would donate $90. Yours? Please let me know if you are willing to join by email at peternathan64@gmail.com
Bob Selinger
Chatswood Sunrise