What, Who, Where, When, Why, How & How Much?   Defined Terms and Documents      'Aboriginal Teenager Life Skills' RTV Social Inclusion Early Intervention Programme 

Why

You cannot pick your parents.  Some humans have been "Lucky" with the parents that they drew and the opportunities that they have received.  The "Lucky" ones owe it to the "Unlucky" ones to "give them a hand". 

Why will the 'Aboriginal Teenager Life Skills' Programme prove cost-effective when so many other previous interventions have failed in isolated country towns?  Because of the Motivational Incentive Of RTV and Project Development Expertise and Complimentary Low Cost Initiatives provided by the Life Skills Philanthropic Service Movement and because the Programme Budget Costs are only $1,500,000 over three years - split across Ten Corporate Sponsors.

On 13 February 2013, the then Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the then Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, announced bipartisan support for legislation known as the Act of Recognition which recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples as the first inhabitants of Australia.  Many of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples need a lot more from 'white Australia' than recognition.

Seeing what it is like to be an "Unlucky Australian" refers to an article in the SMH titled "Crying out for a new beginning" which described the remote western NSW township of Bourke, with a population of 3000 and a high Aboriginal content, to be more dangerous than in any other township in the world.  Crime rates in the nearby towns of Walgett and Cobar are not materially lower: 

 

            assault, break and enter, motor vehicle theft, malicious damage to property, child sexual abuse, neglect, family violence, youth suicide, school absenteeism, boredom, Social Disadvantage, dilapidated housing, early experimentation with alcohol, petrol sniffing and excessive cigarette smoking in remote Australian townships which have a high aboriginal population.

The title of the SMH article encapsulates 'The Solution'.

The below extracts from Rachel Olding's article evidence that -

(i)         many children in isolated country towns like Bourke, with a high percentage of Aboriginals, face unique difficulties that the vast majority of "Lucky Australians" do not; and

(ii)        Bourke has no 'role models' amongst the Aboriginal population which other Aboriginals can aspire to live like.

  • "Bourke topped the state for six of the eight major criminal offences last year including assault, break and enter, motor vehicle theft and malicious damage to property.

  •  Aboriginal youths make up 80 per cent of incarcerated people in the region.

  •  Astonishingly, there are more than 50 organisations run by the state, federal or community in Bourke that receive millions of taxpayer dollars each year to address the town's problems.

  •  State, federal and local governments have dismally failed the town of Bourke. Yet so has the town itself.

  •  "I couldn't say there are leaders in Bourke because there are no role models," said a local foster mother, Lillian Lucas, 35.

  •  One community member, who wished to remain anonymous, said the only way forward for Bourke was to start afresh with new approaches."

Productivity Commission's 2014 'Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage' report notes some disturbing concerns, including almost no change in literacy and numeracy results, "which are particularly poor in remote areas" -  Peter Harris, Chairman, Productivity Commission 

"The Government will continue to work with individuals, communities and businesses to build stronger Indigenous organisations and find practical ways to foster economic prosperity at the individual, family and community level." - Closing the Gap - Prime Minister’s Report 2015

SMH's "Crying out for a new beginning" and other newspaper articles and committee reports, evaluated in Seeing what it is like to be an "Unlucky Australian" evidence that many Socially Disadvantaged  Indigenous Australians in isolated country towns struggle in western society which -
(a)         places an enormous burden on local communities; and
(b)         evidences excessively inefficient expenditure of the 'fiscal pot'


Journalist, Rachel Olding's afore-mentioned SMH article motivated the Writer to R&D a Social Inclusion programme titled 'Aboriginal Teenager Life Skills' RTV Early Intervention Programme to achieve the Thirteen Deliverables From 'Aboriginal Teenager Life Skills' Programme - fully funded and Administered by Ten Corporate Sponsors - able to commence at end-2020.

To achieve the Thirteen Deliverables From 'Aboriginal Teenager Life Skills' Programme, in particular to Close The Gap In Indigenous Disadvantage.

Why The ABC Should Proceed With ATLSEIP