The From the Heart campaign is renewing the call for all Australians to make a submission to the Federal Government’s Co-Design Process for a Voice to Parliament. From the Heart encourages all Australians to make a submission to reflect the strength of support for meaningful constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Deadline for submissions have now been extended to 30 April. Make your submission here

Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2021 is now open. Now in its 20th year, the Mission Australia Youth Survey is the largest online survey of its kind in Australia and provides an important annual snapshot into the experiences and views of young people aged 15-19. Click here for more information

First Nations households are suffering a yawning "Digital Divide" with the rest of Australia, World Vision finds with their new report showing one in four First Nations households has no internet access, limiting learning opportunities for Indigenous students. Click here to read the Connecting on Country report

A new report by the Center for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare detailing the results of a November 2020 survey finds that the Coronavirus Supplement (the Supplement) and suspension of mutual obligations improved respondents’ engagement in the labour market as well as their physical and mental health. Click here to read the report and learn more

SBS Media is raising awareness of the benefits of greater investment by agencies and brands in Australia’s Indigenous media platforms with the launch of Beyond 3%, an initiative designed to inspire, engage and encourage a long-term shift in the sector. Learn more here

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) released its March 2021 Your Voice newsletter. Click here for more information and to download a copy

Australians at the forefront of tackling domestic violence, supporting people seeking asylum and changing the narrative around alcohol are among those voted as the sector’s most inspiring and influential leaders for 2021. From 400 nominations, to a shortlist of 150, this year’s Pro Bono Impact 25 winners have been picked for their innovation, influence, and collaboration following one of the toughest years of our times. Click here to meet the winners

International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring on 31 March dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.

Australia’s only national First Nations-led justice coalition has today warned that the Gunner Government’s proposed youth justice reforms will see the number of Aboriginal children behind bars skyrocket. The reforms are highly punitive and will disproportionately drive Aboriginal kids into police and prison cells.

Change the Record has highlighted that the proposed law changes fly in the face of the Royal Commission recommendations to invest in supporting children outside of the criminal justice system and move away from the ‘tough on crime’ policies that have been proven to fail.

The 2021 National Reconciliation Week theme, More than a word. Reconciliation takes action, urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action. The Reconciliation movement is at a tipping point. In the past year, with Black Lives Matter protests and huge numbers at Invasion Day rallies across the country, we’re seeing people understanding the truth and speaking up on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

More than a word. Reconciliation takes action asks people to take this awareness and knowledge, and use it as a springboard to more substantive, brave action. For reconciliation to be effective, it must involve truth-telling, and actively address issues of inequality, systemic racism and instances where the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are ignored, denied or reduced. While we see greater support for reconciliation from the Australian people than ever before, we must be more determined than ever if we are to achieve the goals of the movement — a just, equitable, reconciled Australia.

The #NRW2021 theme calls on us to reflect on our own contributions and strive to do more. #MoreThanAWord.

Since 2010, the Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee has developed an annual report on action that needs to be taken to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Leadership and Legacy Through Crises: Keeping our Mob safe report presents solutions and showcases the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, youth and organisations throughout critical health crises in 2020. The report features strengths-based examples in addressing the most complex of challenges. These include climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing need for social and emotional well-being services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as a result of these events, and pre-existing effects of colonisation and inter-generational trauma.

The recording of last week's Close the Gap Report launch can be found here.

• Join Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O'Shea, Guardian Australia Managing Director Dan Stinton, and Centre for Responsible Technology Director Peter Lewis in an interactive discussion on the big issues in technology, politics and society, and what the future should be - 9 April 2021 - Click here for more information at to register

• April 2021 marks 30 years since the Final Report was released following the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. This report outlined fundamental changes necessary to stop the epidemic of deaths in custody. Central principles were the need for Aboriginal self-determination, an end to racist control by the state, and stopping the obscene numbers of Aboriginal people from being taken into custody. These core recommendations have not been implemented. 30 years on and the situation is worse than ever.
  There have been more than 440 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the report was released. In 1991, an average of 2140 Indigenous people were in prison on any given night. In 2020, these numbers had exploded to more than 13,000 people - the highest rate of incarceration of any group of people on the planet. Head to the streets on April 10 to demand justice and self-determination - 10 April 2021 - Click here for more information
  
  

• The other week, Noel Pearson gave a landmark keynote address on how, together, the smallest of voices will fix our greatest challenges. This event brought together Australians from all backgrounds, including young people, members of regional communities, non-Indigenous Australians and respected Indigenous elders – all for true constitutional recognition - Watch the event here

• TransHub is ACON’s digital information and resource platform for all trans and gender diverse (TGD) people. The platform offers information about social, medical and legal affirmation, as well as health and support resources among many other things. For more information and to access the platform click here

• National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) have released factsheets on migration and disability. The factsheets are available in Arabic, Hindi, Simplified Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and English. With those factsheets, NEDA are hoping to: Explain the discrimination people with disability experience when navigating the complex Australian migration system; Break down the different processes a person with disability must go through when applying for a visa in Australia; and Provide information to people with disability on where to find professional migration assistance and support. For more information on the factsheets, please click here

• Access to appropriate and affordable housing is a key driver to enable people with disability to be full and equal participants in society. Yet while the stock of specialist disability housing has grown over the last few years, the sector’s understanding of how these homes facilitate better outcomes once tenants have moved in has remained limited. SVA Consulting has teamed up with the disability sector to develop a common outcomes framework to help better understand the impact of housing and in-home supports on the lives of people with disability. Click here to explore why the sector needs an aligned approach to measurement, how the Disability Housing Outcomes Framework (the Framework) was developed, and how it will be piloted while ensuring that data collected is meaningful, practical, and will guide better decision making

The Council on the Ageing Australia chief executive Ian Yates described ageism as the last "ism".

"It's actually something that is endemic in our society, is dangerous in our society and needs our core institutions to address it," he said.

NATSILS Executive Officer Dr. Hannah McGlade shared thoughts on the devastating recent news of four Aboriginal death in custody in three weeks.

Antoinette Braybrook, the chief executive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island family violence prevention and legal service Djirra, said Aboriginal children were still being taken away from families because “mothers are not supported to escape the violence”.

Waiver of the newly arrived residents waiting period for #Centrelink payments ENDS 31/3. People with a remaining NARWP at 1/4 will have their payment cancelled. If in hardship CLAIM SPECIAL BENEFIT - see https://t.co/3PHxErDKKG and https://t.co/fgTypj6GIE. @ACOSS @ACOSS @iFECCA pic.twitter.com/vlI1DNyvg0

— Economic Justice Australia (@ej_australia) March 23, 2021