Indigenous
Building Sustainable Partnerships Seminar - 11 March 2008
"Building sustainable partnerships: Aboriginal community-controlled and generalist organisations learning together "
Tuesday 11 March 2008
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Muriel Bamblett, CEO
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care AgencyBuilding the bridge: Making partnerships real between Aboriginal and mainstream services
In this presentation, Muriel reflected on her experiences of partnership formation and reflected on the learnings so far from VACCA’s work on developing the Cultural Competence Framework with DHS and the Aboriginal Child and Family Services Network.
Download Muriel Bamblett's presentation (PowerPoint)
PANEL PRESENTATIONSJohn Lawrence, CEO
Kilmany UnitingCare
Download John Lawrence's speaking notes (Word)
Helen Burt, Director of Services
MacKillop Family ServicesBuilding respectful partnerships with Aboriginal child and family welfare organisations
Seminar Objectives
- Document and share the key learnings to date of partnering relationships between Aboriginal community-controlled and generalist organisations, in both metropolitan and regional areas.
- Demonstrate the value of walking side-by-side in developing improved ways of working to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal children, families and communities.
- Bring together the pool of knowledge and good practice in partnering relationships, particularly: what worked, what didn’t, what were the stumbling blocks, what strategies were used to overcome these?
- Provide an opportunity for networking and sharing effective practice.
- Identify the key steps that organisations need to undertake in developing and maintaining effective partnering relationships.
Next steps
We are currently collating the feedback from the day and will use this to inform the range of steps that VCOSS will undertake to support and strengthen the development of partnering relationships between Aboriginal community-controlled and generalist organisations.One of the steps will be the development of a policy brief which will draw on the presentations and discussions from the seminar so as to share more broadly the key learnings from partnering relationships between Aboriginal community-controlled and generalist organisations. This will shortly be made available on the VCOSS website – so keep a look out for it.
Artist: Jodie Cadd - Gunditjmara
The tree represents our culture which stems from the land. Within the tree holds the children (yellow fruit) and the extended family (red fruit) and the community (the leaves). The black tracks that lead into the tree with the white tracks beside it represent VACCA and the Aboriginal community walking alongside with DHS and mainstream CSOs. From each of the meeting places DHS and mainstream CSOs are able to learn more about Aboriginal people and eventually appreciate and understand more about our culture and we are better enabled to navigate our way around the dominant culture.
This picture is not just about compliance to a new system of care which respects Aboriginal people and their culture. It is about creating communities of embrace and reconciliation. It is a vision of the future for a social and cultural environment where our children are loved and valued for who they are and our children’s culture and heritage is valued as a positive and vibrant part of our shared heritage as Victorians.
The Building Sustainable Partnerships Seminar is supported by:
Sign the pledge to LISTEN Up!
Muriel Bamblett. Photographer: Justin McManus
LISTEN Up! is a coalition of concerned LISTEN Up! is calling on individuals and
Muriel Bamblett, Chairperson of SNAICC (Secretariat of National Ab
VCOSS is committed to promoting the wellbeing of Indigenous Victorians and their communities, and addressing the disadvantage they experience. A central part of the VCOSS vision is our respect for the land we live in and our recognition of the Indigenous custodians of this country. The VCOSS vision is also one where as a community, we have reconciled all injustices with Indigenous Australians.
VCOSS has completed a report which provides a brief overview of historic and contemporary factors impacting on Indigenous communities. The information provided is not exhaustive, but is intended to provide an overview and context for the experience of Indigenous children and young people. View the report.
Working with Aboriginal controlled organisations is integral to VCOSS work. In June 2006, VCOSS hosted a roundtable discussion with the CEOs and Presidents of the following Aboriginal controlled peak and statewide organisations: Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd (VACSAL), Victorian Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisation (VACCHO), Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc (VAEAI) and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) - (a representative from the Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria was unable to attend).
At this discussion, a range of priorities were identified, including the need to focus on both strengthening the capacity of Aboriginal-controlled organisations and improving the cultural practice of generalist/mainstream organisations.
Through VCOSS’ facilitation and as input into the VCOSS A Fairer Victoria (AFV) Project, the Aboriginal statewide and peak organisations developed A framework for AFV - Indigenous Victorians: A plan for action. This document outlines a framework for creating ‘A Fairer Victoria’ for Aboriginal communities, based on the key principles on which those organisations are founded.
Carolyn Atkins
carolyn.atkins@vcoss.org.au