The 2009 conference featured presentations by some of Australia's most influential speakers on community sector issues. Transcripts are available for download at www.ourcommunity.com.au/cic2009papers.

Following the speech to the conference by Australian of the Year Professor Mick Dodson AM on June 16, 2009, conference delegates expressed the desire to send a statement to the Federal Government and Opposition to show solidarity with Prof. Dodson's view, as summarised below:

"Governments are very, very, very reluctant to lose control. They want to retain decision-making power and control and in doing so, they fail, absolutely fail, to recognise the value and benefits of Indigenous community decision-making. If we are serious about changing socio-economic conditions in Aboriginal communities, wherever they may be, then we have to be serious about engaging with them, not as recipients but as genuine partners. And that means taking our aspirations into account and respecting our culture."

Click here to download the full transcript (PDF 262kb).

The following statement has been developed by Our Community and Centacare Catholic Family Services - co-convenors of the Communities in Control Conference - with input from delegates. The statement was sent by post on July 23, 2009.

Statement

A message from the delegates of the Communities in Control Conference 2009 to

• The Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon Kevin Rudd, MP
• The Minister for Social Inclusion,The Hon Julia Gillard, MP
• The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, The Hon Jenny Macklin, MP
• The Leader of the Opposition, The Hon Malcolm Turnbull, MP
• The Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs, The Hon Tony Abbott, MP

The 2009 Communities in Control conference in Melbourne on June 15 and 16 was attended by more than 1000 individuals representing community organisations from across Australia.

We, the delegates to the Communities in Control conference, were privileged to have heard a significant presentation from the Australian of the Year, Professor Mick Dodson AM, delivering the 2009 Community Leadership Oration. We wish to express our collective outrage about the manner in which the continuing Northern Territory Intervention has wrested control from Indigenous communities and has institutionalised continuing breaches of international human rights obligations and principles.

We applaud the Government's expressed commitment to bringing the existing Northern Territory Emergency Response legislation within the scope of the Racial Discrimination Act. However, we feel that this is insufficient.

We implore the Federal Government, with the support of the Opposition, to extend the same rights to Indigenous Australian communities that are afforded to other Australian communities, and offer to Indigenous Australians and their communities the same dignity and respect that is offered to international aid recipients.

In particular, we call on the Government:

• To ensure informed engagement and participation of Indigenous peoples as genuine partners when it comes to decisions that affect their lives.
• To develop, in consultation with Indigenous communities, an alternative to the draconian top-down Northern Territory Emergency Response legislation that
  • involves new governance institutions that have been initiated by Indigenous peoples themselves on the basis of their free prior and informed consent;
  • involves trusted and respected leaders in institution building;
  • undertakes governance in ways that resonate with community members' views of what is considered to be culturally legitimate and workable;
  • excludes external coercion and the imposition of governance arrangements; and
  • understands that solutions will differ from town to town and community to community.

• To observe in its future dealings with Indigenous communities the principles of the OECD's Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness

If you would like to comment on this statement, please email service@ourcommunity.com.au.

Government & Opposition Response

A response has been received by the Leader of the Opposition, The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP. Click here to download Mr Turnbull's response.