Education Centre Against Violence Commitment to Aboriginal Workers & Communities
In recognition of the impact of trauma on health, the Education Centre Against Violence NSW Health (ECAV) has since 1985, provided training and resources to health workers and their interagency partners on sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. The calendar year 2008 is a time of celebration for ECAV as it is the twentieth anniversary of delivering programs on these issues to Aboriginal workers and communities.
2008 is also significant in that it is the tenth anniversary of National Sorry Day, which was established in 1998 following the release of the Bringing Them Home Report (1997), which chronicled the impact of the welfare policies that separated children from their families. The report recommended that a National Sorry Day be held each year on the 26th May “to commemorate the history of forcible removals and its effects.”
National Sorry Day acknowledges the trauma experienced by Aboriginal people, who live daily with the painful legacies of family separations and institutionalised care. For those who have experienced trauma, the public acknowledgement and validation of harm is a critical step in supporting a journey to healing.
In recognition of this tenth anniversary, and to focus more specifically on the Aboriginal programming area, ECAV has developed an Aboriginal commemorative calendar of training. Importantly, the calendar offers a greater range and number of courses to Aboriginal workers and community members and to non-Aboriginal workers supporting Aboriginal clients.
Decisions regarding programming and resource development in ECAV are strengthened through advice provided by the Aboriginal Communities Matter Advisory Group (ACMAG). This is a reference group of Aboriginal women and men with extensive experience in addressing trauma issues in Aboriginal communities across the state. These programs focus on the identification, response and ongoing support required to address the trauma of interpersonal violence. Additional programs have also been provided to non-Aboriginal workers, that address the range of culturally informed ways of working with Aboriginal clients and families.
Training designed specifically for the Aboriginal sector is primarily, free of charge. This is to provide access for Aboriginal workers and community members to high quality training programs, building the strength and capacity of communities to develop informed and effective family and community solutions to family violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
This commemorative calendar also highlights important events in the Aboriginal calendar year. Some of these events are specific to Aboriginal communities such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day and NAIDOC Week, while others mark events of interest to Aboriginal communities like International Women’s Day and World Suicide Prevention Day.
We hope that you enjoy the new calendar format and join with us in acknowledging and celebrating the diversity found within Aboriginal society and the commitment of Aboriginal people to develop safe, self determining, and resilient communities.
Lorna McNamara
Director