The summit on July 3 2008 made this collective “sorry” to Aboriginal women,
now known as the Inteyerrkwe Statement:


The Eastern Arrernte dancers/traditional owners on whose land we met.

 “We the Aboriginal males from Central Australia and our visitor brothers
from around Australia gathered at Inteyerrkwe in July 2008 to develop strategies to ensure
our future roles as husbands, grandfathers, fathers, uncles, nephews, brothers, grandsons, and sons
in caring for our children in a safe family environment that will lead to a happier, longer life
that reflects opportunities experienced by the wider community.

We acknowledge and say sorry for the hurt, pain and suffering caused by
Aboriginal males to our wives, to our children, to our mothers, to our grandmothers,
to our granddaughters, to our aunties, to our nieces and to our sisters.

 We also acknowledge that we need the love and support of our Aboriginal women to help us move forward”

 
All participants signed the Inteyerrkwe Statement (pronounced In-eke-wa) 

To download the full statement and
John Liddle’s (Congress Aboriginal Male Health Summit manager) speech
CLICK HERE

Congress’s John Liddle summit manager/spokesperson

To contact the event/media manager for images and interviews
Tel: Colin Cowell 0401 331 251 (available 7 days)
Email: malehealthinfo@caac.org.au

National/International media coverage includes

 1. Radio National (read and/or listen to interviews)
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2294058.htm 

2. Television ABC-TV Lateline (read and/or watch to television online
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2293873.htm

3. Newspapers Melbourne Age
http://www.theage.com.au/national/women-offered-apology-for-pain-20080703-31a1.html

"Over the last 18 months we’ve seen sustained media coverage of child abuse and family violence, but we’ve rarely seen or heard how Indigenous people and communities across Australia are taking positive steps to respond to this violence, abuse and neglect.” Tom Calma Human Rights Commissioner April 2008

For further information select direct or scroll down
1. Welcome-invitation
2. Why an Aboriginal Male health summit
3. Our summit mission, goals and outcomes
4. The 3 day program
5. The 8 workshops/sessions
6. How to get there/Travel and transport
7 .The Ross River camp site what you need to bring
8. Reference/Research Aboriginal male health
9. Background Congress Male health
10. Subscribe /registrations for summit/Contacts

DOWNLOAD INFORMATION IN PDF

From John Liddle Congress Male Health Manager On the behalf of the Congress Male Health team we welcome you to our online summit information site. Aboriginal delegate information is listed below and Non–Aboriginals are invited to volunteer as workshop facilitators or visit the site on July 3 to hear the conference outcomes.

1. CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE
2. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: WHITEFELLA LAW- BLACK FELLA LAW
3. PORNOGRAPHY
4. MALE HEALTH
5. GROG AND OTHER SUBSTANCE ABUSE
6. ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH: HOUSING/COMMUNITIES
7. EDUCATION/ EMPLOYMENT/INCOME/BUSINESS
8. ABORIGINAL CULTURE/LEADERSHIP/THE FUTURE

How this summit will achieve its objectives simply and effectively;

1. All delegates/participants will complete 8 specialist workshops (see above)

2. Participants will be asked to identify the issues and develop solutions.

3. To make life easy the facilitators will move between the eight workshop sites.

4. Outcomes from these workshops will then be consolidated and presented to  visiting  government agencies, parliamentarians, and the media on day 3.

A full report on the summit outcomes will be published in 3-4 weeks of the summit

Your voice and solutions to these problems will be heard at three levels

1. You and your family: There will be positive recommendations that would provide a clearer understanding from individual males as to their needs to support behavioural changes and  to  address long term issues raised by the NT intervention and the NT “Our Children are Sacred report- “Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle”

2. Your community: From this gathering locally based action, local resourcing, local control to make real changes.

3. National: We will support the national new ideas 2020 summit by submitting and contributing our summit ideas to the national agenda

http://www.australia2020.gov.au/topics/indigenous.cfm

2. Why an Aboriginal Male health summit

The idea for this summit came about as a result of the input of clients to Congress male heath workers on the current situation facing Aboriginal males in Central Australia today.

Discussions highlighted the need to bring males together to

1. Better understand  issues being faced by children in communities

2. Address the stereo type casting “labels” (drunk, unemployed, paedophiles just to name a few) that have been placed on all Aboriginal men since the release of The Children Are Sacred report and the subsequent NT intervention.

3. Address the fact that many males have never experienced a stable family life themselves to allow them to learn good parenting skills, healthy nutrition, how to manage lifestyle choices etc. Difficulties are often compounded  without first addressing issues of substance misuse and coming to terms with issues such as relationship breakdown,  childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect, stolen generation issues, and symptoms and associations with violence that include; psychosis, acquired brain injury, depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders. 

There are numerous cries for assistance in dealing with issues raised, but few services around that can provide appropriate help and for males to take the next positive steps

(see goals below)

Current male heath indicators released April 30 2008
The health status of Indigenous Australians has shown little improvement in recent years, and  remains considerably below that of non-Indigenous Australians:

• Indigenous adults are twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to report their health as fair or poor.
• Hospitalisation rates are higher for Indigenous Australians, particularly for conditions that are potentially preventable such as diabetes and kidney disease.
• The mortality rates of Indigenous people in 2001-2005 were almost three times the rate for non-Indigenous people in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, the only jurisdictions for which coverage of Indigenous deaths was deemed sufficient to report.

Other findings from the report include:

• Indigenous people were half as likely to complete Year 12 as non-Indigenous people.
• Indigenous adults were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to smoke regularly.
• More than half of Indigenous people were overweight or obese.
• Indigenous people face barriers in accessing health services, in particular primary health care.

Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders Health Report
By  Professor Ian Anderson, director of Melbourne University's Centre for Health and Society, April 2008

Mission The 2008 Aboriginal Male Health Summit will focus on males understanding their roles as fathers, uncles, brothers and sons in caring for children in a safe family environment that leads to a happier, healthier, longer life that reflects opportunities experienced by the wider community

Goals of summit
1. Acknowledge the hurt caused by a proportion of the male community against family and  community members through violence acts, which are not historical  cultural practises, which is shaming many Indigenous males who are not violent;

2. Acknowledge males who already contribute to provide a safe healthy environment for their family, while reinforcing that; pornography, child abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and violence are not acceptable;

3. Provide knowledge to enhance the individual’s capacity to make behavioural changes in their community or family environment, to provide adequately for their children.

4. Reinforce the goals of the NT Intervention and the changes that are being  implemented to assist them in making their family or community environment safe for their children;

5. Provide recommendations to government and organisations on changes and support males believe are required to allow them to reach their true potential and take their place along side the wider community.

Proposed summit outcomes
1. 200-300 Indigenous males attend a summit that increases their knowledge of the responsibilities required of a parent or community member in providing for their children;

2. Delegates have increased knowledge of services and resources available to make responsible behavioural changes to better provide a supportive environment for children;

3. Delegates have an enhanced understanding of changes required under the NT Intervention to support children and their families;

4. Recommendations that provide a better understanding of the support males believe would assist them in their taking on the responsibilities to become good fathers, uncles, brothers and sons.

4. The 3 day program

This is a broad outline, more specific information in download kit

Update can be downloaded

5. The 8 workshops/sessions

1. CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE
2. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: WHITEFELLA LAW- BLACK FELLA LAW
3. PORNOGRAPHY
4. MALE HEALTH
5. GROG AND OTHER SUBSTANCE ABUSE
6. ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH: HOUSING/COMMUNITIES
7. EDUCATION/ EMPLOYMENT/INCOME/BUSINESS
8. ABORIGINAL CULTURE/LEADERSHIP/THE FUTURE

DOWNLOAD INFORMATION IN PDF

The SUMMIT will be situated 80 kilometres east of Alice Springs at a permanent camp established next to the Ross River Homestead. The site has a fully grassed powered camping spot and there is a large toilet block with lots of showers and toilets. Throughout the site, there is lots of shade….so you can stay cool in the day. And at night lots of fire buckets so you can stay warm.

Need help getting to the summit
Support for community groups to travel to the summit is available.
Please fill out the attached application form so that we can approve support for  your travel.

Need help call :
Colin : 08 89 500 114 or 0401 331 251

Email: malehealthinfo@caac.org.au

7 .The Ross River camp site what you need to bring

Accommodation – swags or tents ?
You will need to bring your own swag and/or tent .Any problems talk to us.

Meals – all meals provided free
From Monday evening through to Thursday lunch time, the  Arrernte Workforce solutions  Catering will be providing beautiful healthy nutritious meals, including Breakfast, Morning and Afternoon teas, Lunches and dinners. All the other times we will have operating a café, where you can grab a coffee, tea or cool drink or snack. The nearest shop is 80 kms. away, so we suggest you bring what you need.

Communications at the camp
We are making arrangements with Telstra to have an emergency phone at the site for incoming and outgoing summit calls.

Special needs
Please advise the organisers  if you have any other special needs - Medical, meals, handicap access, language

The MALE SUMMIT WELCOME/FAREWELL  DINNER
There will be a special welcome dinner on Monday and a farewell dinner on Thursday with excellent entertainment.

8. Reference/Research Aboriginal male health summit

Download Little Children are sacred report
http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/inquirysaac/pdf/bipacsa_final_report.pdf

Download Human Rights Commission reports
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2008/33_08.html

Download NT Intervention information
http://www.facsia.gov.au/nter/

	AMSANT - Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance - Northern Territory
	CRCATH - Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal & Tropical Health
	Danila Dilba Medical Service Danila Dilba is an Aboriginal health organisation providing free medical service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the Darwin, Palmerston and Rural areas.
	NACCHO - National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
	Katherine West Health Board
	Health Info Net Edith Cowen University

	Australian Institute for Health & Welfare
	WHO - World Health Organisation
	Menzies School of Health Research

9. Background Congress Male health

Congress Male Health is the only service that exists for Indigenous males in Central Australia who want to, or need to, change their often violent behaviour.

Central Australia and Alice Springs in particular, has distressingly high rates of inter-personal  violence, between partners, within families, between families as groups and between individuals. 

Males from remote communities, town camps and town houses are self presenting to the two Male Health Psychologists in increasingly higher numbers for help in dealing with issues from their childhood that lead them to repeat behaviours they have learnt as  children.. 

Group discussions involving the police, government departments, community organisations and individuals, on child abuse, sexual abuse, child neglect and other forms of violence have resulted in requests for ongoing educational sessions at the centre to better understand acceptable behaviour.

It is difficult for a person to secure and retain employment and provide a safe family environment, without first addressing issues of substance misuse and coming to terms with issues such as relationship breakdown, childhood physical and sexual abuse and  neglect, stolen generation issues, and symptoms and associations with violence that  include psychosis, acquired brain injury, depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders.

Congress has provided Sex Offender rehabilitation in the Alice Springs Correctional Centre in an attempt to reduce recidivism and heal families on their release.  A workshops facilitated by Male Health for community workforces such as the Police, Community Corrections, Legal Aid Commission, and Community Organisations provided increased awareness of dealing with sex offenders.

 A further workshop resulted from that initial workshop in an attempted to raise awareness and provide additional skills for dealing with  adolescent sex offenders, which is increasingly common in CA. As a result, Police and Community Corrections have sought help from Congress in addressing this issue as there is no alternative support service in the community.  Centre Care has identified adolescent offenders in a further three communities and NPY Women’s Council have recently sort help.

 As we are aware “The Little Children Are  Sacred Report’ highlighted physical and sexual abuse of children as being endemic in all communities consulted.  Many of these offenders have been victims themselves. There is no help available.  We must break the cycle.

Many males have never experienced a stable family life to learn good parenting skills, healthy nutrition, or how to manage lifestyle choices etc.  The Health Education provided to Male Health clients builds on regular counselling sessions provided to males to  provide the knowledge and support to learn those parenting skills, form strong father / son and father / daughter relationships and provide a safe family environment. 

There have been a number of requests to provide outreach services to remote communities to allow male residents to also benefit.  Congress does not have the capacity to provide services, but help is required if issues effecting children’s futures are to be addressed. 

This summit can raise government and community awareness as to what is needed to provide that support.

10. Subscribe to newsletter/ registrations for summit/Contacts

Male Summit leadership group:
John Liddle - Congress Male Heath Coordinator
Bruce Loomes - Congress Male Heath
Sponsor/project funded by - Department of Health and Aging

Male Summit event registrations, management and marketing:
Arrernte Workforce Solutions; Alice Springs
Colin Cowell - Summit project manager 

SUMMIT ENQUIRIES: 
TEL: 08 89 500 114          MOB:0401 331 251

Email: malehealthinfo@caac.org.au                FAX: (08) 89 500 150

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION INFORMATION IN PDF