Past Programs
Indigenous - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander - 2008
Realising the potential of desert environments
24/12/2008
Nearly three quarters of Australia is desert, you know. Consequently, most of our population centres have built up around the edges of the continent.
Recent discussion around deserts here have centred on the viability of remote indigenous communities, with remote Australia being described by some as a 'failed state' ... referring to the difficulty maintaining infrastructure like health and housing. But it's a bitter contradiction - Australia's deserts and the people living there contribute over ninety billion dollars to Australia's gross revenue. That's according to the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre.
In early November this year, over 300 people got together in Alice Springs to discuss the potential of desert environments. A sixth of the world's population live in desert regions ... and the conference examined the potential of these environments to generate energy, food, knowledge and industry. Sharing and developing knowledge of desert environments seems particularly relevant given climate change.
Guests from around the world have come to Australia because we apparently lead the way in approaches to the economic development of desert communities.
Education revolution
28/10/2008
The Rudd government says it's committed to establishing Australia as one of the world's most highly educated and skilled nations. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the promised education revolution marks the first time all states and territories have committed to a national program to improve our education system from pre-school to upper secondary.
If you compare the performance of Australian schools with other countries in the OECD between 2003 and 2006, Australia declined in both absolute and relative terms in reading literacy. Over the past six years there has been no improvement in the percentage of Australian students who are less than proficient at maths.
In response, the government has promised report cards for schools, a computer for every student and incentives to encourage the best and brightest to pursue teaching as a career path. So are these measures revolutionary? What does it take to make a real difference in our classrooms?
Delivering Indigenous health services
27/08/2008
Are our health bureaucracies set up to fail Indigenous Australians?
The 'Close The Gap' program is intended to eliminate the 17-year life expectancy gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians within ten years. But is this the best way to measure the successful delivery of indigenous health services and do the current indicators take into account the complex social structures of remote communities and the consequences of ongoing fly-in and fly-out services?
Are there alternatives and is the path to failure still paved with good intentions?
Drive safely on country roads
29/07/2008
A new five-year study of serious road accidents in remote Queensland has confirmed what researchers have know for some time. Speed and alcohol are frequently involved, the majority are single vehicle accidents and the casualties are mostly men. But it's not just young men who are affected. Males aged between 30 and 50 years also figured in the statistics. So how can we reduce the risks for drivers in rural and remote areas and what road safety campaigns are most effective?
Palm Island and Indigenous deaths in custody
07/07/2008
The death of the Palm Island man now known as Mulrunji in the island's watchhouse in 2004 was a tragedy for the family and community and put the issue of Indigenous deaths in custody back on the national agenda. In June 2007, police officer Chris Hurley was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault: charges which arose from Mulrunji's death.
On Monday's program, Anthony Funnell will revisit the circumstances of the case with authors Chloe Hooper and Jeff Waters, lawyer Andrew Boe and academic and activist Gracelyn Smallwood. The discussion will also address what developments there have been in managing the extent of Indigenous deaths in custody since.
Child protection
30/06/2008
The Australian Childhood Foundation wants authorities to rethink the way they deal with child neglect. The death of 18-month-old twins in Queensland followed by the discovery of two other alleged neglect cases have prompted the usual criticism of child protection agencies. But according to the Childhood Foundation it's not about more welfare and family support, it's about recognising early that neglect is a crime. At the same time there are new calls for a national approach to child protection. This follows the deaths of three young children and their father in regional New South Wales. Their bodies were found in a parked car in a comunity west of Eden. The Federal Government is promising a national strategy for child protection that it says will co-ordinate state services and resources. So how is the welfare community responding?
An apology, but no compensation
29/01/2008
An apology for the stolen generations, but no provision for compensation from the Federal government. This week Tasmania completed its process of compensation for indigenous Tasmanians but South Australia and Victoria are still considering their options. Will saying 'sorry' matter without financial restitution?
