Australia - Stop starvation of Indigenous peoples in remote homelands

Elderly First Nations people are starving in remote homelands because they fail to receive nutritious food on a regular basis through a community aged care programme. The programme is funded by the Australian Government and is administered by the regional Council.

"It's nothing new. It is not only at Utopia, it's throughout the Northern Territory as far as I can see - starvation is a strong word and not used for no reason. It's real" Rosalie Kunoth-Monks OAM, Koori Mail, Edition 623, 6 April 2016 - Utopia people are starving, claims Elder

This petition is asking the Australian and Northern Territory governments to:

Address any failures of aged food services and its delivery immediately.

Undertake an independent investigation into these failures

Ensure ongoing funding and delivery of nutritious food through aged and community care.

Ensure closer monitoring of aged food services in remote communities.

Introduce freight subsidies to help make food more affordable in remote communities.

Improve the general living conditions of First Nations people in their homelands by:

Acknowledging First Nations peoples’ right to self-determination, cultures, and right to live on, work and maintain their connection to county and homelands. Articles 3, 8, 9 & 26. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Respond to First Nations peoples’ calls for sustainable development initiatives.

Support community development and business aspirations as determined by local community members and the right of development on tradional lands. Article 23 UNDRIP.

Reinstate an improved community development employment programme (CDEP) that provides services, local job, dignity, and income source for residents of remote communities.

Encourage all three tiers of Government to work in true partnership with First Nations people in the Northern Territory (and across Australia) from the outset of policy directions.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

John Pilger’s article of 11 April 2016
Starvation in Australia: Utopia’s dirty secret
http://johnpilger.com/articles/starvation-in-australia-utopia-s-dirty-secret

Jon Altman Radio Interview, April 11th 2016 Interview (12minutes) http://www.respectandlisten.org/uploads/mp3/Utopia_Jon_Altman/JonAltman_Utopia_MondayBreakfast_11042016.mp3

Utopia, an Indigenous homeland represent 16 remote
outstations in the Northern Territory is being left without sufficient food to feed its 1200 Indigenous people. Jon Altman, Research Professor in the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University discusses Government policies scaling back services and programmes to homelands, encouraging Aboriginal residents to move to larger, more populated and centralised hubs, away from their homelands.

“The people seem to be being starved out ” (Interview conducted by Valerie Farfalla on 3CR Monday
Breakfast
http://www.3cr.org.au/monday-breakfast


‘concerned Australians’, Media Release of 1 April 2016
An Australian Easter 2016 – People starving at Utopia, N.T.
http://www.respectandlisten.org/miscellaneous/rosalie-kunoth-monks/media.html


United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples articles http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf


Previous UTOPIA film, John Pilger, 2013. http://www.respectandlisten.org/miscellaneous/docos/utopia


Amnesty International’s report of 2011
"'The land holds us:' Aboriginal Peoples' right to traditional homelands in the Northern Territory." http://www.amnesty.org.au/indigenous-rights/comments/26216 and http://www.respectandlisten.org/miscellaneous/ai-redfern-group/homelands-campaign.html


Utopia, Northern Territory – The Department of Health - 2008 'Instead, they conclude that outstation /homeland living with a better diet and greater physical activity, plus living more harmoniously with culture, family and land
contributed to better health

http://www.health.gov.au