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Elise Wall for National Congress co-chair?
Kubbi Kubbi woman Elise Wall with Jared Hutchison (left) & David Peachey (right) representing National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples at 2013 Indigenous All Stars Employment & Careers Expo in Brisbane, February 8. IMAGE: supplied
Why have you decided to run and campaign for the female position of co-chair?
shame in talking about mental health. There never has and never will be. by Callum Dixon This is a big issue because there’s a “There are two main reasons why very high intake of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the I’m doing this. Firstly, I believe 22-year-old Elise Wall talked to it’s time for youth to step up to mental health system. First Nations Telegraph about her take the reins from all the previous Another area that I’m very decision to run for the position of movements that have got us to passionate about is the higher co-chair at National Congress of where we are now. We [youth] education system as well as Australia’s First Peoples. make up most of the [First Nations] vocational education and training. population, but that’s not reflected in If you look at the statistics in Who’s your mob and where Congress’ membership. The other Queensland, a lot of us young are you from? reason is that National Congress is a ones are more likely to engage an “My mob are the Kubbi Kubbi dynamic and great organization that I apprenticeship or traineeship rather from the Sunshine Coast and I’m a see as having a lot of potential.” than finishing school. We need to Brisbane local.” look at how we can best keep our What would be your policy What’s your education mob engaged [in school] and support priorities as co-chair? background? them, because there’s not a lot of “One of my passions is mental support for our young ones through “I’m in my sixth year of studying health, so that’s one of the things I this process and it can be quite law and psychology at Queensland would like to advocate on. We need daunting process.” University of Technology.” a lot more open discussion about What do you think of Congress? What do you do for a day job? this issue and have to get rid of the “I really do love National stigma about mental health. We need “I work in a policy unit with the Queensland Department of Education, to get out there in the community and Congress, because it’s still in the infant stages and it’s all about the members... raise the awareness that there’s no Training and Employment.”
nganyaywana
April 6, 2013
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www.firstnationstelegraph.com ...One of my favourite things that would be a great way to recognize
I do for congress is actually going out in the community and getting more people to join Congress. Being a national representative voice, Congress provides a great opportunity for us to be heard.”
Would you support Congress including a representative body for the tribes? “If you have a look at Congress’ constitution and organizational structure, there is a capacity for this. Congress could entertain the idea of a chamber for the tribes. It would be great if Congress had a body that represented all the tribes. That April 6, 2013
has been endorsed and developed by our members’. That would be a good framework for Congress to go ahead and advocate for sovereignty. Do you think Congress needs There’s a lot of stigma around the to address the issue of First concept of sovereignty and a lot Nations sovereignty? of people who are reluctant to get involved because they don’t know Congress needs to address what it is and don’t know what it sovereignty, Constitutional recognition and self-determination. I means to them. don’t think that we can look at these Do you have any issues in isolation. There needs to adivice for other young be more community consultation First Nations people? on sovereignty, because it means In my family, we have a saying different things to different people. It would be really good if Congress put you’ve got to be involved to make a out a document saying ‘here is what change. we think sovereignty is, and this
our congress members and to make sure they have their say.”
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Applications for delegate positions for individual members open on April 8 and co-chair nominations close on June 3. Delegates represent members at the national meeting in Cairns held 19-21 July 2013. There are currently over five thousand individual members of the Congress and 120 delegates will be selected. For more information on the upcoming Congress elections CLICK HERE.
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