GET A JOB AND A LOT OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS WILL DISAPPEAR

This may be a simplistic few words but let’s think it through – how relevant is this in today’s remote communities?

One indication to the drastic social problems confronting young Indigenous Australians living in remote communities is the fact that there are two references before Parliamentary Committees in Canberra that have a direct bearing on two major social problems. They are:
1. Indigenous youth and the criminal justice system

2. Early intervention programs to prevent youth suicide

The population in jails in the Northern Territory for Aboriginal people is 82% of all inmates and over 50% of them are under the age of 30 years. There are around 900 Aboriginal people in gaol with 95% being males.

In the NT there has been a concerning increase in suicides in recent months. The NT news typifies the situation in the following Editorial on 29^th September 2010:

AT least seven Territory children have killed themselves in the past month.

That bald statistic masks unfathomable pain - the hopelessness that leads young people to give up on life, the never-ending anguish of the loved ones left behind.
As revealed in the NT News yesterday, the problem is not confined to remote Aboriginal communities, although the suicide rate among indigenous youth is far higher than among non-indigenous children.
Most young Territorians are drunk or stoned - or both - when they kill themselves, proving that alcohol and ganja (Marijuana) can turn someone who is depressed suicidal.

The unemployment rate where these young men come from is around 30%, although an exact figure is hard to know due to the various reporting processes and Centrelink definitions that include people on disability pensions as not being employable. A person may be classed as disabled for Centrelink because they are illiterate.

The social scene and degree of cohesion and strength of social capital is weak on all counts and the greatest thing missing for young people is hopes, dreams and ambitions for the future.

When life in a community is a struggle to exist from day to day due to the indicators of poverty there is no time to think about or plan for the future. The future around them is bleak, the facilities are non existent and there is no encouragement for developing personal micro economic enterprises that might create a job.

The manner in which these social problems have been dealt with in other Third World situations revolves around enterprise facilitation and that means self help and initiative.

Why can’t Aboriginal people be encouraged to do this?

There is one simple barrier–money – money from heaven for doing nothing. A tempting gift to resist.

In the meantime employment opportunities must be considered as a solution to social malaise.

A reason to get up in the morning.

A reason to be pleased to come home at the end of the day and eat a good meal satisfied that life is good.

And then a good nights sleep.

Should that be too hard? – well it is – so lets work through the barriers together with the Aboriginal people and stop blaming them, the Government or other external factors.

Get a job – give a job – make a job – it is good for your health and then you live longer.

IE CLOSE THE GAP!