What’s involved?
'I know you think you should make a trip to Calcutta, but I strongly advise you to save your airfare and spend it on the poor in your own country. It’s easy to love people far away. It’s not always easy to love those who live right next to us.' Mother Theresa
The National Council of Churches has set a target to eradicate poverty among Indigenous Australians by 2015.
At the heart of the campaign is that all Australians should have a shared responsibility for the profound disadvantage that affects many Aboriginals.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have a death rate three times higher than all Australians.
Whilst only 20% of caucasian Australians die before 65, 70% of Indigenous people do. And on every key indicator, such as education, Aboriginals are far behind other groups.
The campaign recognises that money isn’t the only barrier to the problem. It’s a story of cultural dispossession, lost languages, and a lack of respect in mainstream Australia. It’s for that reason that the campaign is based on the principle that all Australians have to take a stand. It isn’t simply a problem for the government. All Australians must feel responsible for this travesty.
To sign the poverty pole online, go to: http://www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_poverty?...
Even better, you can make your own pole. Bring it to work, school, even your nan’s place...to find out how, go to: http://www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_poverty?...
To buy a wristband or t-shirt, raising funds for the program, go to: http://www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/resources/publicati...
For a few more ways to make a change on Indigenous poverty, go to: http://www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_poverty?...
Above all though, the best thing you can do is to learn. Become a learned Yoda on Indigenous poverty. Here’s a good place to start:
http://www.ncca.org.au/natsiec/indigenous_poverty/...
You should also share your Yoda wisdom. Bore people senseless with those statistics. Every time you hear someone say something that isn’t right, start talking to them. Listen to their opinions, and change them. Just by informing one person, you’ll make a real difference in the world.
Why should people do this?
I want to do this!
This work is licenced under an Attribution licence.
© 2008. First published on actnow.com.au
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