win/win situation

The inclusion of Indigenous people in the development of policy and the design and delivery of programs into their communities requires at essence, the inclusion of Indigenous decision-making, conducted according to tradition equitably between women and men, the primary constituents of community, as acknowledged, for instance, by the Federal Court in the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy as well as ethnographic studies, as with Diane Bell's seminal 'Daughters of the Dreaming' (1983) and by Indigenous peoples themselves with the view, for instance, that 'the men never used to boss over the women, the women were their own bosses' (circa 1980s), by agreement between women's and men's councils, judicial forums and corporate activities.

In contrast, Australia's Constitution enshrines by original intent never since amended, decision-making conducted exclusively by men's legislatures, courts and corporate committees to which women are admitted under supervision inclusive of leadership (see 2mf.net for further analysis). That's the law.

Rather than keep pretending the two models may be merged, which overwhelmingly hasn't and doesn't work, or that the trenchant Indigenous regard for tradition may eventually be overcome to the loss of the entire nation, and given the Constitution's approach is outdated and anachronistic, the obvious and only solution to the development of policy and the design and delivery of programs into Indigenous communities is constitutional reform to provide for governance conducted by agreement between women's and men's legislatures, courts and corporate committees, presided over by a council of governors-general comprising equal numbers of women and men, since the incumbent monarchy does not and has never presided over a women's jurisdiction which would ensue from the provision of a women's legislature, that is, by natural consequence and by no means muddling the issues, an equal rights republic.

This approach offers a win/win situation to all Australians.

source: ABC Indigenous

17 February, 2011

2mf.net