Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Great post Eggs. I have to say that Australia is one of the most culturally diverse places that I have ever visited. A lot of us uptight Brits think that the Aussies are openly racist and I did come across a couple of examples of what our PC society would construe as racist whilst over there, but in the Australian context they are not.

My mates husband works with a Pakistani lad who he openly calls ****. When my mate said to her husband "You can't call him that!!!" her husband replied "he calls me Pom, I call him ****." These guys are the best of friends, maybe the more relaxed attitude over in Oz enables these guys to be relaxed enough in each others company and the company of others to be able to call each other these names as a term of endearment rather than a derogatory term.:)

We could look at Australia's Aboriginal Alcohol problem from another direction. How many of us have moaned on Accyweb about our alcoholics being given extra benefits? How some people have no intention of working but are given handouts at every turn? That these people let their kids run wild? I'll be the first to admit that I have. What is the answer to these problems????

There are no easy answers, cutting benefits so that people don't have as much money to spend on alcohol, drugs, fags or whatever their poison is, may or may not help. I do think that looking at children's school attendance could be tied into the benefit system along with taking children for health assessments, vaccinations, development checks (as in France). If this system works to promote the health and welfare of the children in order to improve future society then who among us can reasonably object?

If it works, the government may even try it here...;):D

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Thanks for that detailed discussion Karen (eggstoocool). Nice to have insight from someone who lives right there with the situation! Come on Accywebbers, give that girl some karma!

Brian

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Any country which has an aboriginal population has to come to terms with the history of its colonization. First Nations in Canada have problems with substance abuse, unemployment, high infant mortality rates, and even higher suicide rates. But they have rights guaranteed by treaties, dating back to the Royal Proclamation of 1763. Now, all Canadian governments are negotiating with the First Nations on how best to resolve their claims. And according to opinion polls, most Canadians of all origins do, in general, support the claims of aboriginal peoples. I don't think I could support the actions of the Australian govt. But it's not my country.

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

Me To..........

Re: Aborigines (The Minority)
 

And I apologize for not adding my compliments to the post ... definitely a good one. And I know that coming to terms with problems faced by aboriginal peoples is complex ... by definition they were there first, and some of the things done in the early days of colonization would not be tolerated today. In my area of Canada, for example, Lord Geoffrey Amherst attempted to solve the indian problem by handing them free blankets infected with smallpox ... today, that would be "crimes against humanity," then, it was merely a quick way of clearing out the natives so that the whites could settle peacefully. But I do agree that one should not allow guilt to be the main driving force behind doing something positive for First Nations. My partner of several years is a member of the Tyendenaga Mohawk First Nation; she thinks of herself as a moderate in terms of First Nations issues, but she does agree with the extremists that now is the time that many outstanding issues have to be addressed, hopefully by discussion between the governments (federal, provincial, and territorial) and the Council of Grand Chiefs who speak for many natives, and the reps of the Metis.