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Discourse on Two-Way Education at the Desert Peoples Centre



On Thursday, July 22nd at the Desert Peoples Centre, students from Batchelor Institute of Indigenous and Tertiary Education (BIITE) presented speeches as part of their course on Public Communications. Twelve students completed the course, which is part of a three-year B.A degree that some of them are studying at BIITE.  "I have learned the importance of how to stay focused to complete a course and how this course has built my confidence and self-esteem" said Abraham Saylor, a Torres Strait Indigenous man and graduate of the course. The learners were from across Aboriginal communities found in New South Wales, Queensland, Central Australia and Top-End. The learners varied in age, from young adults to retired grand-mothers.

    One of the group speeches was on the theme of "promoting two-way education." The students proposed that Indigenous education should be integrated into more schools across Australia. This should include elements of Indigenous language, stories and dance which could be woven into the school curriculum. The benefit of this would be two-fold: firstly, Non-Indigenous children would learn more about Indigenous culture and knowledge. Secondly, more Indigenous children would actually attend school and develop more self-esteem if they are able to learn more about their own Indigenous culture and knowledge in a school classroom.

Another graduate, Ruth Brown shared how "this course has given me back what I learnt in high-school." The group speech concluded with their own slogan "Lets be proud, lets be strong, lets be educated."





Progress on National Broadband Network



The Australian Government and Telstra announced recently (20/6/10) that they had reached agreement on the price that Telstra would be paid for granting access to its exchanges, ducts and pits for the new National Broadband Network.  Amongst other things, this is expected to avoid unnecessary duplication of buildings, and will result in much less disruptive excavation and construction activity in built-up areas as the super-fast fibre optic services are installed.  Pilot services will commence mid-2010 in Tasmania, and the remainder of the network will roll out progressively over the next 8 years.

For the 3% of the population living in remote areas whom the new optic fibre network will not reach, the Government is planning to launch two next generation geostationary satellites, to be in service by 2014.  These satellites will provide Internet connection with peak download speeds up to 12 Megabits per second, which is an order of magnitude faster than most currently available satellite services.

The Opposition will announce its alternative Internet strategy closer to the coming election.

The Australian Broadband Guarantee subsidy scheme, which subsidises Internet access for people in the bush who cannot get access to land-based Internet services such as ADSL, is being revamped.  The Australian Government, which administers the scheme, announced recently that from July 2010 the basic plan for satellite Internet services under the scheme will double to 1 Megabit per second, and the monthly quota will also double to 6 Gigabytes.  Details and conditions are being announced progressively on the Department of Broadband website:

http://www.dbcde.gov.au/broadband/australian_broadband_guarantee





May 28 2010: Desert Peoples Centre officially opened by the now Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard and NT Minister Karl Hampton. 

"Deputy PM opens DPC" Media release for the DPC Opening ceremony available here.

Central Desert Shire Council and Desert People's Centre
sign New Partnership Agreement for CDEP

21 April, Alice Springs: The official signing of partnership between Central Desert Shire and the Desert People's Centre was signed today at the Central Desert Shire Council headquarters in Alice Springs. The agreement involves implementing the first CDEP Livelihood Pathways Program in the Central Desert Shire region.

Central Desert Shire Council and the Desert People's Centre have been working closely together since late last year to design a program that would provide the much needed support for CDEP participants to gain employment opportunities in light of recent changes made to the CDEP program. The CDEP Livelihood Pathways Program is the outcome of this collaboration.

The Livelihood Pathways is one part of a broader range of initiatives that the Central Desert Shire is undertaking in the delivery of its CDEP program.  The Livelihood Pathways Program provides mentoring and case-management for Aboriginal people currently enrolled in the CDEP program. Emphasis will be on working with the CDEP participants and the broader community to help develop their skills, which in turn will benefit community development and produce better employability skills.

Another feature of the program is an on-going monitoring and evaluation program that is designed to link CDEP participants to future work opportunities.

Harold Furber, Chairman of the Board of the Desert Peoples Centre elaborates further in saying, "I am excited to be collaborating with Central Desert Shire Council on this project. This CDEP Livelihood Pathways Program will create the opportunity to work with communities to link training with clear community outcomes".

The program builds on the learnings from the TrainingPlus initiative of the Desert People's Centre and is structured to develop a process of building confidence and capacities for people to make positive choices in their lives.

LEFT TO RIGHT: HAROLD FURBER, CHAIRMAN of
the Board, Desert Peoples Centre, Norbert Patrick
(President, Central Desert Shire Council)
- Harold and Norbert signing the CDEP Livelihoods
Pathways Program Agreement between Desert Peoples
Centre and Central Desert Shire Council

LEFT TO RIGHT: HAROLD FURBER, CHAIRMAN of
the Board, Desert Peoples Centre, Norbert Patrick
(President, Central Desert Shire Council), James
Glenn (Councillor, CDS), Peppi (Councillor, CDS),
Bruce Finter (Essential Services Officer, Harts Range,
CDS) , Julie Kitson (Councillor, CDS) - Harold and
Robert shaking hands after signing the agreement.
Aboriginal councillors and stake-holders looking on
as witnesses to this important occasion.