Australian Human Rights Commission
Everyone, everywhere, everyday
Launch of the Social Justice
and Native Title Reports 2011
On behalf of Metropolitan
Local Aboriginal Land Council
I welcome you to this land.
We ask that you respect the land,
respect each other,
continue the good work
because I know
you have great hearts.
The key theme
of this year's Social Justice
and Native Title Reports,
lateral violence.
For those of you wondering
what I mean by lateral violence,
let me explain.
Lateral violence
comes from the behaviours
that might include bullying,
gossiping, jealousy,
shaming, social exclusion,
family feuding
and organisational conflict
which can, and often does,
escalate into physical violence.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
identity then
was shaped to suit the purposes
of the colonizers.
When we are consistently
oppressed,
we live with great fear
and great anger,
and we often turn on those
who are closest to us.
Let me be clear.
Lateral violence is controversial
and not an easy topic
to talk about.
It is one to which I've given
long and considered thought
about raising
in this official capacity.
Certainly I thought
when I first would do it
I was prepared to be accused 
of airing out dirty laundry
in public.
Confronting lateral violence
will take courage,
foresight and leadership.
It is time now to shed
those negative labels,
those of the colonizer
and those used by communities
against each other.
After all, we've been told
a negative stereotype for so long,
we're all starting
to believe this hype.
It's time for us
to take back control
of our rich, resilient and varied
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander identity.
Some people,
they wouldn't have heard
about lateral violence before.
Can you please give us
some examples
of what you think
and from your experience
lateral violence looks like
in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities,
particularly those that you had 
a chance to work with?
Lateral violence impacts
on our children.
Aboriginal children
every day
are exposed to bullying
and racism.
Often the schoolyard becomes
a battleground for our children.
Lateral violence is not just
an aboriginal issue.
What has been learned by us
must be unlearned.
We fight each other so much
that government has an excuse
not to work with us,
not to engage with us
and to walk away from us.
We basically got together
and said,
the only thing that's holding
this claim up
is the fact
that we're all fighting.
Everyone knew
we had to stop fighting
but then left the meeting
and kept on fighting.
So we find that people
can give a commitment
at one level but what 
we have to actually do
is what Muriel talked about,
was unlearning behaviours
that colonialism
has left with us.
And I think it's unlearning
those behaviours
that we have to take
the process
of native title through
on the community.
From your point of view,
what role does government have
in addressing lateral violence?
There are many parts
of lateral violence
and some of them
are of a criminal nature.
And government,
in whatever state,
has a responsibility
for community safety.
 Muriel, both of these reports
see cultural safety
and cultural competence
as an important tool
to help deal with
lateral violence.
From your perspective,
can you explain for us
the concepts of cultural safety
and cultural competence?
To me the concept
of cultural safety
is about a place
where you feel safe to identify,
to be yourself,
to say you're Aboriginal.
It's about seeing the positives
in aboriginal people.
It's about hearing the positives
about your people
rather than being portrayed
constantly as negative.
But it needs to be
non-Aboriginal people
creating that safe place,
but also a haven
for Aboriginal people to meet
and not be afraid to talk about
what is happening
in their community,
and do it without being judged.
I know that our PCYC
does a fine job
with our young ones
and families.
The work needs to be supported
by continuous funding,
not just this little bit
and then it drops.
Are we all then
going to be condemned
because we disagree
in our communities
and sometimes rightfully so?
So the task of implementing
the challenges
presented by our panellists
and in Mick's Social Justice Report
and Native Title Report
don't just rest to government,
they rest with us first.
