[LINK] Internet to Empower Indigenous Communities

[Tom Worthington]

A report on Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse was 
released by the Northern Territory Government 15 June 2007 
<http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/inquirysaac/>. The Australian Government 
has responded by proposing to take control of Aboriginal communities 
in the NT, restricting welfare payments and by imposing outside 
police and welfare workers 
<http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2007/Interview24380.cfm>. This 
runs counter to the report's recommendations and may make the 
situation worse, not better.

Perhaps the Internet and the web can be used to empower the local 
communities, as DCITA suggest on their web site 
<http://www.e-strategyguide.gov.au/creative_web_use/build_communities>. 
This could allow the local community to run its own affairs, while 
having unobtrusive oversight of this by state and federal 
authorities. It would also allow the local community to have more 
oversight of what state and federal governments were doing and be 
heard. More at: 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2007/06/internet-to-empower-indigenous.html>.



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd           ABN: 17 088 714 309
http://www.tomw.net.au            PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617