Welcome Welcome to the Family Empowerment Report (FER) for July to December 2021
Key Hope Vale community members gathered together with cake to celebrate the formal recognition of the Guugu Yimithir Alliance, Australia’s first Local Partnership Structure.
Yalada, As I welcome you all to mark another milestone in the achievements and challenges of this past six months, I would also like to reflect on the unique times we are living in. By the time this report goes to print, we will have endured almost two years of learning to live with and adapt to the global pandemic of Coronavirus. And while our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been hit the hardest, we have witnessed extraordinary strength, courage and care for each other. Our resilience as First Nations people continues to inspire me. At Cape York Partnership, we continue to take every opportunity to minimise the risk to our workforce, and in turn our Cape York communities and families. While our core business – and passion for what we do – has not changed, the way in which we do things has irrevocably shifted. One of the ways we have managed to stay connected throughout this pandemic is through hosting our first virtual All Staff Symposium in 2021. This stands as a successful reminder that while we might miss some of the face-to-face contact we have previously enjoyed, there are still ways we can keep communicating, connecting, and sharing stories, just as we have always done. Our theme, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow was expertly interwoven throughout the sessions by a variety of panellists and speakers, from Wik man Herbert Yunkaporta in his stirring ‘Rights Denied’ piece, through to Unfinished Business with Fred Gela and Shireen
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Family Empowerment Report // July-December 2021
Morris. I look forward to another year of ever creative ways of bringing people together in 2022 and sharing our stories with each other. The Pama Futures team, supported by local backbone, have been negotiating across several Cape York communities to return the power of local decision-making and funding opportunities back into local hands. In a first for Empowered Communities, the Hope Vale Local Partnership Structure was the first community in Australia to be recognised by the Federal Government. To have received this confirmation last year from the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, The Hon Ken Wyatt has been a huge milestone for the Pama Futures team, and in particular the Hope Vale backbone. I want to thank everyone who believed that this could be achieved and to those at the local level leading this essential empowerment work for their people. I remember hitting the road under Empowered Communities throughout Cape York talking about our hope of this opportunity. And here we are today, making this a reality. Recently, the launch of Mayi Market in Aurukun heralded the beginning of a new, sustainable fresh food source for the remote community. This adds to the communities of Hope Vale, Coen and Mossman Gorge already enjoying the benefits of affordable fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and pantry items delivered direct into our Cape York communities. Mayi Market helps vulnerable communities provide affordable and
