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Call for Unity for WANTOK 2013 Forum
Supplied by Emelda Davis 24 October 2013
“Honour this moment and give your very needed support and input to the political process that we will engage in at the Forum. “On behalf of Bonito Mabo, the Chairman of the ASSI PJ Interim National Body and myself as an ASSI Traditional Owner, a member of the Historical Panel of the ASSI P.J. Interim Committee and an Aboriginal activist for human rights for over forty years, I call on all Australian South Sea Islander communities to attend the upcoming WANTOK 2013 ASSI National Forum in Brisbane in November,” Dr. Gracelyn Smallwood said. Dr. Smallwood (pictured) is a Lecturer in Indigenous Studies at James Cook University in Townsville. She has both Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and ASSI Islander heritage. She said “This year marks the 150th birthday of the first arrival of ASSI people from over 80 Pacific Islands to on the shores of Australia to work as indenture laborers in the sugar and cotton industries. “And while the Forum acknowledges
this important history, it represents another watershed moment in ASSI history. “This is because delegates attending will elect the first permanent National Body for ASSI. “ Importantly it will represent their interests to governments and organizations in both Australia and overseas. “These include working closely and in a united way with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, many of whom are closely related to us,” Dr Smallwood said. “We must all act responsibly at the Forum and leading up to the Forum to ensure that we attend the event with good intentions to act in the best interests of our ancestors, ASSI heritage and that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. “This is a moment for unity We need to get a result for our communities that the majority support and feel good about. “We need to come out of the Forum with an elected body that is able to deliver results at low cost as we have no funds for permanent positions. “As you may know those who are elected to positions in the new National Body, take up these knowing that there
is no funding at this stage. “The appointments are non-paying, voluntary positions and will be so until government funding can be obtained to support them. “This will only happen if we get recognition as a united body with a strong support from the community and are united in the policies that we wish to pursue on behalf of our ASSI people and their families,” she told the gathering. “It is important to note that we owe a great deal of thanks for the Forum organization to the efforts of the ASSI. PJ, a voluntary organization appointed at the last WANTOK. “Given the mandate they received from the
WANTOK 2012 Forum, they have who have worked tirelessly over the past 18 months to successfully deliver it on so many levels. “They have successfully raised our profile with State and National Governments and gained formal recognition for our history, obtained funding for capacity building in a number of venues. “Significantly they have a researched and developed a workable, affordable model to vote on for the National Body,” Dr Smallwood said. WANTOK 2013 Forum will be held at the 2nd Floor (Auditorium 1), Queensland Library, Brisbane Australia on 1st3rd November 2013. Page 1