Reconciliation, education & training

Garma Festival & City of Melbourne focus on Indigenous training

The 8th Garma Festival – a place to share knowledge and culture and a place to learn and listen to others on important Indigenous issues – will be held from 4-8 August 2006 at Gulkula, North East Arnhem Land NT.

Garma is a celebration of cultural traditions and practices – dance, song, music, and art – and this year it will be host a forum on Indigenous education and training attended by local and international experts.

All attendance fees etc support the cultural and economic programs of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, a not-for-profit Aboriginal organisation with charitable status.

In 2005, Garma – for the second year running – was awarded the NT Brolga Award for the best Major Event. This followed winning the prestigious Skal International Ecotourism Award (Education program – Media category).

While discussions in Garma are getting under way this week, the City of Melbourne is setting out on a Reconciliation Action Plan – the first municipality in Australia to do this.

Melbourne’s popular Lord Mayor, John So says, “We are committed to increasing the number of Indigenous employees in our workforce through traineeships, apprenticeships and work placements, as well as enhancing support for current Indigenous employees to encourage their retention.”

The City of Melbourne’s 2006/07 Reconciliation Action Plan, developed in conjunction with Reconciliation Australia, will:

• promote cultural awareness among Councillors and employees through hosting Reconciliation Week events, implementing an online cross cultural awareness training program and through partnerships with Reconciliation Victoria and the Victorian NAIDOC Committee;
• implement employment, social and economic development initiatives by creating an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment and Training Plan and an Indigenous Social and Economic Development Framework;
• increase support, awareness, understanding, identification and protection of Indigenous culture, heritage and art through various programs including the Indigenous arts program, the Indigenous arts administration mentorship program and the Indigenous Culture and Heritage Framework.

A report on the plan’s performance indicators will be presented annually to Melbourne City Council.