The sun breaks through the clouds shedding its light over the land. A cross complete with the lance, Balgo cemetery, East Kimberley. Photo: CAS

'Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen.’ Luke 24:5-6

“When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance and immediately there came out blood and water.” John 19:33-34

2008 Issue 1 (March)

Highlights:

Editorial

Easter Message

Centacare News

Obituary - Sr Scholastica

KCP Magazine

Editorial

Much has already been and will continue to be written and spoken about the national apology to Indigenous Australians made by the Prime Minister in February.  It was indeed a great step forward in the achievement of a reconciled nation, where the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are respected and we can strive as one people to build a united Australia.

The further matter of compensation has also been raised and it seems to be the intention of the current Government to address this partially at least through some form of reparation that involves attempting to right the wrongs of the past by lessening their impact upon the current and future generations of Indigenous people. One such area that continues to be a problem is that of housing.

There are a number of social issues that arise in our communities that can be traced back to the lack of adequate and sufficient housing for our people, especially for Aboriginal people. Overcrowding and lack of basic shelter to keep out the elements, and poor sanitary living conditions can be the cause of a number of other problems. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have agreed to tackle this major area of disadvantage as a first step. Most importantly, they have agreed to do this in collaboration and consultation with Aboriginal people themselves.

What might seem like self-evident pre-requisites for successful intervention in this area as in many others – consultation and collaboration – have not always preceded action in the past when it comes to working with Indigenous affairs. The recent intervention in the northern Territory is a striking example. Hopefully we have learned from the mistakes of the past.

We need to all move forward ‘with hope in our hearts’ that the apology has been a wonderful first step and that the commitment to take Aboriginal affairs out of the arena of political point scoring and blaming will lead us into the dawn of a ‘bran nue dae’; into a time when not only the housing but also the health, education and employment opportunities are the same for all Australians. Previous approaches have had limited if any success. Let us at least give this new approach a fair go.