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Why was Congress established?
Congress was established in 1973 just 6 years
after the national referendum that provided the Commonwealth government
with the responsibility to make laws for Aboriginal people and for
us to be counted in the official census.
Congress represents part of the new movement for Aboriginal self-determination
that grew out of the equal rights movement after the referendum.
The founding meeting (9th June) brought together Aboriginal people
from all over Central Australia, both bush and town people who were
expressing their concern over what was happening in their lives
Creating change/addressing injustices
Congress from the outset was designed to be a
vehicle for creating change in Aboriginal people’s lives, it
was to be a Congress of people, it had a political mandate to address
the injustices and to make life different.
Congress took up the issues of housing, land rights, welfare and
health. As other organisations became established specialising in
areas like housing and land rights, some of them directly out of
Congress programs, we have concentrated our particular expertise
on primary health care
A strong voice for the health of Aboriginal
people in our community
As we enter this new century it is important
that Congress continues to be a leader in primary health care and
a strong voice for the health of Aboriginal people in our community.
We can ensure this by maintaining the balance between our key roles
as political advocates and as a provider of services, through facilitating
maximum community involvement in the organisation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Download our current
Business Plan
Download our current Annual Report
Congress services
and programs to meet community needs.
There is a continual demand to expand the range
as well as the size of these services this is testament to the ongoing
value the community places upon its own health service.
At the same time the community continues to seek social changes
in order to address the continuing disadvantage, discrimination
and exclusion we experience because of the ongoing colonial relationships
being enacted.
What is the status of
Aboriginal Health?
Our life expectancy is 20 years less than
the non-Aboriginal population, we suffer a greater burden of disease,
lower average wages, no access to extensive employment opportunities,
have in general lower levels of educational outcomes.
These are not indicators of the failure of the policy of self-determination.
Rather they reflect that overall, Aboriginal programmes are still
not being delivered in ways that will create meaningful change.
Mainstream programmes still do not listen to Aboriginal people about
what and how they want services delivered. And where there are Aboriginal
community -controlled organisations they continue to be under resourced
and over monitored for the extensive range of services their communities
want them to deliver.
Community-control of services and organisations is not only essential
in order to ensure appropriate services, but are an essential ingredient
in community development and empowerment; and our right to express
self-determination as Aboriginal peoples.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Download our Policy Papers
How Congress advocates
for change.
Congress continues to play an important role in
advocating for change.
Here are some examples
Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT
As a member of the Aboriginal Medical Services
Alliance NT (AMSANT), helped mould a new agenda for Indigenous health
planning both in the NT and nationally.
Through our involvement in AMSANT which is a core signatory to the
Framework Agreement in Aboriginal Health, along with the Commonwealth
and N.T. Governments and the previous ATSIC.
Aboriginal Health Forum (NTAHF)
The Aboriginal Health Forum an interagency forum,
established under the Framework Agreements in Aboriginal Health, along
with its Regional Planning Structures and Committees aims to ensure
a co-ordinated approach to health service development in the N.T.
This includes reform at all levels of the system to ensure a more
responsive health system for Aboriginal people in both the community-controlled
and government sectors.
It is oversighting the inject ion of new funds into the region for
Aboriginal Primary Health Care under Aboriginal Community-Control.
Co-operative Research Centre for Aboriginal
Health
As a founding partner of the Co-operative Research
Centre for Aboriginal Health which is defining the current research
agenda in Aboriginal Health.
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health
Organisation (NACCHO)
As a member of the National Aboriginal Community
Controlled Health Organisation and a range of other mechanisms to
impact on the social change and public health agendas through advocacy
and policy development.
Central Australian Remote Health Development
Service (CARHDS)
In order to ensure that we have the capacity to
continually up grade the skills of our workforce we are a prime mover
in this organisation.
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In summary, we use the experience developed
and built upon over the last thirty years or so, to not only
do the work of providing an efficient and responsive primary
health care service, but we also bring that knowledge to the
table to share with others.
Stephanie Bell.
Director,
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Inc. |
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