Indigenous children are 29 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-indigenous children and children as young as 10 are being held in adult watch houses, subjected to solitary confinement and even forced into spit hoods practices that amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international law. Australia must act now to end these torturous practices and raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14. (Write your ideas for this campaign below. Please keep in mind Amnesty International Australia's values and behaviours charter when commenting. Offensive posts will be removed.)
I think campaigning on Indigenous Justice should be an absolute given. It is a time when we have seen several examples of backward steps regarding indigenous rights and justice in Australia (National - The Voice, QLD Tough on Crime, Adult Time Adult Crime, NT - Reduced age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 only shortly after it had been increased to 12. Other jurisdictions have put potential positive changes hold.
Find unlikely ally stories and share these. For example, victims of crime advocating for therapeutic solutions and talking about underlying issues rather than what people expect they may say (calling for punishment like other victims groups). unlikely ally stories get people's attention and can be more convincing for people who may sit in the middle of the issue.
Look at building support within exisitng credible social groups or unlikely social groups to build support and influence others as they are seen as credible or unlikely allies (e.g. Doctors for raising the age, Mums for raising, faith groups for raising the age, emergency service workers for raising the age).
Campaigning to secure the well-being of all First Nations people is a priority because ... 1. as a group, First Nations people continue to suffer the effects of racial discrimination of a kind, and extent that is suffered by no other group in this country; 2. this discrimination has held sway since 1788 and has remained unresolved; 3. Australian people, in general now know more about the impacts of this kind of racism on the people who suffer it and therefore we have a moral duty to act to end it; The attitudes that foster this discrimination are an underlying debilitating condition in the body politic. While they exist, the body politic cannot reach its potential as a modern sovereign state.
As an organisation that stands up for human rights we must first support and stand with First Nations. The stats above break my heart. I would like to AIA prioritise this campaign above all else. Because without First Nations justice there is no justice.
Firstly be led by First Nations Elders and community. Secondly amplify and promote the work others are doing in this space. Thirdly make a bold action and call on the other AI's to support us / promote our work and get it on the world stage. Talk and learn from Aotearoa and Canada about their journeys what can we learn from them where applicable.
Our Governments both Federal & State need to bring about changes. The age most definitely needs to be raised. A child’s brain is still developing & by using juvenile detention is only exposing them to more harm physical emotional & psychological. This is not helping as they are exposed to more criminality from their peers in detention who often are a lot older & so damaged so not a good role model. There needs to be more support including access to iPads & the internet so they can receive education in their areas of interest
Education, education education.... the "white" population should be educated about the wonderful things we can learn from indigenous cultures, and the indigneous, who have over a number of lost generations, been deprived of parenting role models, also need education about this (as do many many many non-indigenous). Children are our gift and our future so we need to be responsible for modelling for them the kind of people we want them to become... kindly, courteous, honest and being of service to others, because how we interact with our fellow humans can be a source of joy for the whole community, and academic education without this is of little value.
Work with more grassroots and indigenous-led organisations, get regional elders in touch with politicians to better communicate community issues. Introduce labour and greens members to policies from the Indigenous Party for Australia and encourage funding and donations towards indigenous health and youth organisations. Student and parent campaigns to increase school involvement in events like naidoc week. Most important of all, run protests, educational seminars, and contact media with criminological evidence of the impacts of youth incarceration and recommendations of preventative measures.
Educating specific community groups with powerpoint presentation on the causes and stats on better solutions. Speaking to those most affected such as communities and suburbs most affected by crime Campaigning on and getting funding for DFSV, crowded housing and other 'social determinants' of youth coming into contact with the Care and Youth Justice Systems
Have an Indigenous Justice network with jurisdictional reps and national coordination. Overarching goals and policy positions may be the same but tactics in each jurisdiction likely will need to be specific for each jurisdiction. Also good to share ideas and collaborate across jurisdictions.
We can learn so much from these wise & generous people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are also over-represented in the child protection system. Much more needs to be done to support families in the first place, to support healing from colonisation, intergenerational trauma, and ongoing racism and discrimination. I'd like to see a wide range of support services set up in rural and remote communities that are focused on early intervention and prevention and police forces that are social work trained and highly trauma-informed working alongside communities.
This must change. It is such a violation of human rights and risks hardening these kids rather than dealing with their issues.
It is abhorrent and absolutely unacceptable to lock children up as young as 10. The age of criminal responsibility should be raised to at least 14, preferably 16.
Our differences in race, color, religious belief, and political ideology should bind us together not divide us. Children are the future of our country, that is why, their human capacity must be developed and nurtured for a better tomorrow.
We need a whole village to raise a child. Every one of us has the responsibility to share in rearing a child, beginning from the family in particular and the community the child is mingling with in general. Let us work all together to make our children a responsible citizen of this world.
Community understanding of the causes and that the solution does involve kids learning responsibilty
Try to get to know indigenous elders.
We should humbly approach active, successful First Nations organisations e.g.NACCHO, SNAICC and ask what can AIA do to support First Nations advancement, where should it put its efforts, how deploy its strengths to support existing goals?
A long time ago I was charged and convicted for a crime that I didn't commit, and ten years later I was charged and convicted of another crime that I didn't commit, and in 2012 I was charged and convicted of yet another crime that I didn't commit, and to this day I do not know how this could possibly happen except for a corrupt judicial and court system, and the first conviction was carried out without my presence or my right to challenge those charges, and the second charge and conviction was biased by the first conviction, and the third charge and conviction was rendered or brought about without any proof or evidence or witnesses as was the other two convictions, so I would like to see a real and positive change in the criminal laws and the judicial system and a more detailed view by the court systems as well.
Publish fact sheets that show that youth crime is actually on the decline Australia wide. Relay success stories of diversion initiatives.
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