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Message Stick is a committed proponent of the growing move towards the
corporate business sector becoming more aware of, and engaged with, the
communities in which the sector operates directly and indirectly.
The relatively recent phenomenon of demutualisation, privatisation and
globalisation have created an enhanced desire for corporate individuals
and entities to become more aware of the concepts of "purpose" and
"meaning" in the workplace.
We invite you to see how Message Stick's own corporate social
responsibility agenda is aimed at benefiting Aboriginal (and
non-Aboriginal) individuals and communities;
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Youth Rehabilitation
Message Stick is a proud supporter of Linga Longa Aboriginal Philosophy
Farm and its founder Mr Jack Beetson (see Cultural Awareness).
At Linga Longa, street-children and children from dysfunctional families
(both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) are taken in to a non-judgemental
atmosphere and exposed to concepts of trust and belonging from an
Aboriginal perspective.
The aim is to assist the children in their process of restoration to a
more responsible and law-abiding way of life.
This program came into being when "Priority One", a government funded
organisation, which cares for "Kids At Risk" appealed to Jack Beetson to
trial some young people for sessions at Linga Longa. "Priority One"
reported that results were outstanding and far above all expectations -
and in fact have now turned around the lives of many children and
families.
During their time at Linga Longa, young people experience, often for the
first, a feeling of trust and belonging - from the basis of Aboriginal
lore and culture.
Their self-esteem escalates in this environment and a remarkable change
takes place, to the point where they become a real stakeholder by
participating wholeheartedly in the program. Most participants genuinely
wish to start life afresh and step up and improve their former and
generally unfortunate way of life.
For more information on Linga Longa check them out out at
www.philosophyfarm.org.
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Aboriginal Language Preservation
Message Stick is a proud supporter of efforts to halt the process of
extinction of Aboriginal languages.
At the time of European settlement there were an estimated 250 distinct
Indigenous languages in Australia. Within a relative short time period
(200 years) of the 60,000 year history of Australia's native people, over
150 of these are already now extinct as they are no longer used and there
is no retrievable record in a written form.
Many of those languages remaining are known to only a handful of elders
and face obvious extinction without proper steps being taken to record
them.
Throughout Australia, various programs aimed at recording, retaining and
understanding those languages are under way.
Message Stick provides continuing support to the leading program being
undertaken by the NSW Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre (ALRRC
- www.alrrc.nsw.gov.au).
The Centre plays a key role in the preservation and revitalisation of
Indigenous languages.
For Australia's Indigenous people, languages are inextricably linked to
cultural and spiritual identity. Recognition of languages is helping to
retain and restore pride in an ancient culture, and boost determination to
preserve what can be saved for the enrichment of future generations.
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Aboriginal Youth Development through Sport.
Message Stick is a proud supporter of the National Aboriginal Sports
Corporation of Australia.
Founded in 1995 by Rugby League star David Liddiard, NASCA's focus is on
Aboriginal communities which often experience the most difficult of
environments in terms of living conditions, health and education
infrastructure and resources etc.
These people and communities are generally remote from mainstream activity
and opportunity throughout Australia.
NASCA uses sport as a means to connect with these communities and actively
promotes participation by providing opportunity in the form of
traineeships, sports development camps, workshops and other community
activities.
Rather than succumb to the debilitation of substance abuse a which
permeates too much of Australia's youth today, participation in sporting
related programs promotes a sense of purpose and motivation to pursue
education targets and healthier lifestyles.
To date, thousands of young Aboriginal people have been involved in NASCA
initiatives right across Australia's most remote regions.
Two major NASCA programs currently underway are "Hunting for an Australian
Tiger". An initiative to promote golf within Aboriginal communities and
"Casting the Net" an initiative to identify and promote Aboriginal netball
players in communities throughout Australia.
To learn more about NASCA, find them at
www.nasca.com.au.
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Educational Resources for Aboriginal Youth
As part of its commitment to improving standards of living for Aboriginal
people and communities in Australia, Message Stick is at the forefront of
development of culturally sensitive and relevant online educational tools.
These tools are designed specifically for use by Aboriginal youth in
remote communities throughout Australia.
There are 1210 remote Aboriginal communities which are geographically
separate from other population centres, making them relatively isolated
from basic infrastructure and services.
Most of these communities are small in size with 943 communities having a
population of less than 50. There are only 149 with 200 or more persons.
There are also a number of social issues experienced by communities which
impact on their capacity to make use of traditional educational
facilities.
In a Ministerial Statement on 7 March 2002, the Hon. John Ah Kit MLA
stated:
"We cannot pretend that a (Indigenous) community is functional, when half
the kids don't go to school because they have been up most the night
coping with drunken parents - or because they themselves have been up all
night sniffing petrol... when less than one in town can read or write; or
where people are too ill through chronic disease or substance abuse to
hold on to a job - let alone receive training.
...Or where kids are born with illnesses that have largely disappeared
from most of the Third World, and those who survive into adulthood can be
expected to die two decades earlier than their non-Indigenous
counterparts.
... Or where only 14 percent of our kids reach year 12 - compared to 80
per cent of their non-Indigenous brothers and sisters in the cities and
towns." (1)
Analysis of the take-up of Internet and advanced communications services
has consistently shown a strong correlation between high take-up rates and
high levels of education. (2)
It is likely that those communities with low levels of access to
education, training and support will face significantly greater difficulty
accessing such services to their full potential.
School participation rates for people living in remote Indigenous
communities is significantly lower than those for the general population.
Low participation rates are mainly attributed to the lack of local access
to secondary schools. 48 per cent of communities do not have access to a
secondary school within 100km.
The difficulties associated with travelling outside community to attend
school could at least in part be diminished through the provision of
better telecommunications and online education services.
Message Stick will continue to invest in the design and development of
online education tools that will assist communities overcome the barriers
to basic education facing the youth within those communities.
(1). Ministerial Statement, the Hon John Ah Kit, MLA, Minister Assisting the
Chief Minister on Indigenous Affairs, Northern Territory Government 7
March 2002
(2). Hellwig, Otto and Lloyd, Rachel; Socio-demographic Barriers to
Utilisation and Participation in Telecommunications Services and Their
Regional Distribution: A Quantitative Analysis; National Centre for Social
and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra; 21 August 2000.
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