Posts
IT MAKES sense the richest Australians do their best for the poorest. But that doesn't mean it happens automatically in any society.
On the contrary, history is littered with the "let them eat cake" approach towards the hoi polloi, far less our chronically underprivileged.
On Friday night in Sydney, a number of the men who vie for the title of Australia's richest came together to improve the lot of Australia's poorest.
Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, the Fortescue mining entrepreneur, gaming and media giant James Packer and self-made media and industrial leviathan Kerry Stokes launched their plan "Generation One" to take up the fight against the entrenched poverty of indigenous Australians.
Supported by people such as Lindsay Fox, Frank Lowie and Westfield and media groups News Ltd, Channel 9, Channel 7 and the Prime Media group among many - and further backed by people such as Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Jack Thompson and a host of entertainment celebrities and indigenous artists including Ernie Dingo, Christine Anu and Tanya Major - it was a coming together of the next movement towards a brotherhood between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia.
Until now, the fight has been for recognition for indigenous Australians.
With the snail-like movement that has seen citizenship, the vote and even a "sorry" coming their way, now is the time for this generation to try to build a bridge to those indigenous people who have been left far behind.
The aim of Generation One is to employ and provide skills to Aboriginal Australia.
Like all good ideas with blokes such as Forrest, Stokes, Packer and Fox, there is something in it for them.
We need more skilled workers. We have a dormant talent pool whose survival, literally, depends on them being trained and employed.
As they say, it's a win-win scenario.
The indigenous unemployment rate is about three times higher than the rest of the community. Eight out of 10 indigenous unemployed are unable to work because of illiteracy, alcohol and other psychological problems.
In some rural areas, up to 70 per cent of indigenous students don't go to school.
Forty-eight per cent of indigenous adults receive welfare as their main source of income compared with 17 per cent in the rest of the community.
Governments can do so much. The fact there are handouts shows that welfare has its place in the survival of indigenous people, but not much to do with the prosperity.
In many ways the AFL's role in indigenous Australia and the work of Clontarf College in Western Australia act as a template. Rather than punishing children, Clontarf inspires Aboriginal boys to attend school through their love of AFL.
Whereas for almost 100 years there were fewer Aboriginal players than Brownlow medallists, indigenous players now make up 11 per cent of the AFL population.
Why? The racial vilification policies and a growing (and still in its infancy) awareness and acceptance of Aboriginal culture have helped.
An appreciation of what these athletes bring to the game is another.
Treating them as equals is another significant reason.
The result is not only a big boost in numbers, but also a genuine understanding and coming together of cultures.
That doesn't mean there are still not huge issues, nor that those who play AFL are immune from the perils facing all indigenous people and society in general, but it does show that given the chance, the encouragement and a half-level playing field, people regarded as "useless" not even 20 years ago in football are now celebrated and admired. So too in the business world because of the work of the big-name operators.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was there on Friday night to lend his imprimatur.
What I love about this setup is these "big boys" don't tolerate failure. They have put their names on the line.
They will drive their ambitions through government and other private businesses.
It doesn't mean it will be successful, but it will have the best chance. Even better is we are looking at an endemic problem as a business and cultural opportunity, one that has a big return if we get it right. How much? How about $8.3 billion? That's the amount Reconciliation Australia places on the economic cost to the country of indigenous disadvantaged.
Poverty, unemployment and low levels of education lead to high crime rates and imprisonment.
Studies show a 10 per cent increase in literacy rates leads to a 10 per cent decrease in infant mortality rates, with further exponential improvement with each extra year spent at school.
Finish school and work and the health figures match in direct proportion. As Sam Kekovich would say "you know it makes sense".
Australia and the Australian media have become too preoccupied and reliant on the government and "authorities" to solve all problems.
Hopefully this initiative from the top of the business ladder will trickle down to businesses and workers and they'll realise that sometimes, as Ron Barassi says, "if it is to be, it's up to me".
If indigenous Australia is up for it and corporate Australia makes it happen and the Government supports both parties, there is no reason why our great national shame can't be transformed into a glorious future.
ED"S NOTE
I have put this article in to show the circus this is becoming.
trickle down effect is shown to be a hoax, snail movement by who??, worst of all we are now the great national shame. We are the performers of this circus and still in the cages.
I talked about polite racism previously and at no time dose this article acknowledge Indigenous input to our progress, but the opposite as we are still in the shadows of White man knows best.
