Standing in Solidarity with First Australians
30 Jan 24
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Australia and of the land on which we live and work. We acknowledge the Elders, past and present, and younger generations as the emerging leaders of the future. This land is and will always belong to First Australians people.
We are proud that Australia is home to the oldest continuing living culture in the world and we stand in solidarity with First Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples still face ongoing systemic injustice. With your help, we can walk alongside First Australian communities to strengthen their cultural identity, support intergenerational healing and keep culture alive for future generations.
How are we supporting First Australians?
We support programs in Australia that are designed and led by First Australians. We believe in subsidiarity: that the people best placed to make decisions are those who will be most affected by them. Program priorities include intergenerational healing, strengthening cultural identity and spirituality, livelihoods opportunities and advocacy.
Meet Our First Australians Partners
We support seven programs through six local partners, who are doing incredible work across a range of areas to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Please take some time to visit them and learn about the incredible contributions they are making.
Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation
Baabayn (which means ‘Ancestral Woman’ in Gumbaynggirr language) provides a welcoming environment for First Australian families and individuals to help them heal from the past and nurture their sense of confidence and pride in the future. Their work involves initiatives such as a Homework Club, a Young Mums and Bubs program and a youth group. They also provide advocacy, counselling services and links to government departments.
Djilpin Arts provides employment, training, income, cultural healing and intergenerational connection for First Australians. It maintains and promotes traditional and contemporary visual and performing arts and provides cultural tours and tourist accommodation, whilst helping the younger generation to connect with culture.
The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation supports carbon farming projects to practice traditional knowledge and land management that also help Indigenous communities to generate an income. It aims to build holistic wealth for Traditional Owners and non-Aboriginal carbon farmers, through the ethical trade of carbon credits, by connecting communities which supply carbon credits with organisations seeking to offset their carbon pollution.
Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation
Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) was formed by the survivors of Kinchela Boys Home in Kempsey, New South Wales, who were forcibly removed from their families during childhood, as part of the Stolen Generations. It aims to support these men, their families and communities in developing healing programs to restore and reconstruct their identity, dignity and integrity.
The Grassroots Youth Engagement project (GYE), run by GAP, offers new opportunities to disengaged young Aboriginal people. GYE works collaboratively with local community members, businesses, and government to create positive outcomes in key areas that young people have identified as important to them.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council
National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) is the peak advisory body to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference on issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics. With over 130,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics in Australia, it is the youngest and fastest growing demographic.