We love our country but how well do we really know it? Closing the knowledge gap about First Nations cultures starts at school. The Know Your Country campaign asks principals, teachers, organisations and individuals to sign the petition to employ First Nations Cultural Educators in every primary school. Click here to learn more and sign the petition

Building new social housing to support people fleeing family violence would more than pay for itself in averted costs and economic spin-off benefits, according to a landmark report launched by Everybody's Home. Click here to learn more about the Nowhere to go: the benefits of providing long term social housing to women that have experienced domestic and family violence report

The JobSeeker Anthem Song Challenge is a community based song contest aimed at giving voice to the devastating impact that the inadequate JobSeeker Payment has on the lives of people who are unemployed. The person who submits the winning entry by midnight on 4 September 2021 will receive $10,000 plus a full day recording session. Even if you’re not a songwriter, you can help now by donating to the “Friends of JobSeekers” Campaign, which is raising funds to cover the prize.

Connecting Up supports 35,000 Australian not-for-profit and charity organisations with access to discounted technology, weekly webinars and workshops tailored to those working in the social sector. Click here for more information.

The Australian Government Productivity Commission has been populating a new dashboard on Closing the Gap. From this Dashboard, you can access available data on the targets agreed as part of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Click here to read more about how to access and interpret the data

The AYAC Young Leaders and Advocates Fellowship is a new program to empower young people to influence national policy. The first group of Fellows will lead the AYAC National Youth Policy Project and make recommendations to the Federal Government on priorities for young people. The Fellowship program supports participants with training in policy development, advocacy, media engagement and facilitation. The Fellows will have the opportunity to become spokespeople for young people and their respective communities at a local and national level. Click here to learn more

You can nominate anyone for the Australian of the Year Awards - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. But applications for the 2022 Australian of the Year close on 31 July 2021.

There are four categories in the Australian of the Year Awards - Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero.

Australians are invited to reflect on their communities and people who inspire them. Respect those people by taking the time to nominate them and celebrate their work and achievements. Because – we’re all part of the story.

Extensive and exclusive digital resources are available online. You can access media releases, social media tools, posters, television commercials and specific resources are available for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

Australian charities are governed by the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. The Government is proposing new regulations which would give the Charities Commissioner sweeping and discretionary powers to de-register charities. 

Any charity which breaks the law is already subject to compliance action – there is no problem to be solved here. Therefore, the primary concern is that the Commissioner could use these broad powers to silence dissent and prevent all charities from holding the government of the day accountable. 

It is hard to see how the Charities Commissioner could regulate all 59,000 charities against the onerous proposed obligations. This campaign is concerned the Commissioner will focus on those charities whose purpose demands they publicly advocate for changes to government policy.  

The Australian Human Rights Commission has launched a plan to develop a National Anti-Racism Framework. The Commission is working with all levels of Government, peak bodies, human rights agencies and community organisations to progress the Framework. A Commission Concept Paper provides an initial overview of  the Framework’s key principles, outcomes and strategies.

The Commission is in the early stages of scoping this proposal and is undertaking a series of targeted consultations and roundtables to identify stakeholders’ priorities and build a strong foundation for the Framework.

If your organisation is interested in participating in this process, please contact the Commission at [email protected]

Good Things Foundation annual digital inclusion campaign Get Online Week is back! Being held 18-24 October, the campaign is raising awareness of the need for everyone to be digitally included. Being safe and confident online helps people to connect to essential services, friends and family, work and education opportunities. If the last two years have taught us anything, it's how vital digital skills are to our wellbeing and safety.

$1,000 event grants are now available for organisations registered in our national network to host digital skills events during the week for their community.

• Workforces are the backbone of any organisation so protecting them as well as your organisation is essential.
  This in-depth, practical session will address a number of key legal employment issues so you can be confident that your organisation is doing the right thing by your workers - 22 July 2021  - Click here for more information and to register
  
  

• Legislation has tremendous potential to advance women’s interests and fight for gender inequality. Gender-responsive laws are a key part of the fight against domestic violence, guaranteeing reproductive rights, and promoting shared responsibilities for care at home. But our laws are failing women again and again. Join this discussion on how the law can be used more effectively to advance gender equality, as we celebrate the launch of Dr Ramona Vijeyarasa's new book, International Women’s Rights Law and Gender Equality: Making the Law Work for Women - 29 July 2021 - Click here to learn more and to register

• For over 140 years, YWCA Australia has marched on the front line, mobilising communities and actively pushing for women leading change. And now, as part of YWCA’s Trek for Women, you too can take steps to help build a future where gender equality is a reality. In March 2022, you’re invited to embark on the adventure-of-a-lifetime across Tasmania’s rugged northeast coast. Over five days, you’ll discover the rich history and natural beauty of the Bay of Fires, trekking scenic landscapes along well-worn, coastal tracks, beside crystal-clear waters, into wetland and woodland, and over rocky headlands - March 2022 - Click here to learn more

• The Department of Health has prepared a suite of assets for vaccine providers. The main purpose of the resources is to support healthcare workers in their work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. The pack of resources includes: a video animation in plain English that could be sent to patients’ emails or used in clinic waiting rooms explaining what to expect on  vaccination day, side effects and the need for two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine; a suite of talking points talking points designed for healthcare workers to assist them with having conversations with patients about COVID-19 vaccines; updated social resources with suggested captions to use across social media networks; a summary of general COVID-19 vaccine communications available on the website that have been developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including social content, posters, fact sheets and videos; general Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources (social, posters and community announcement script), reminding people of the importance of following restrictions, staying home if feeling unwell, and getting tested
  All resources are available for download here via WeTransfer. You can browse other communication assets, such as videos with Indigenous community leaders and testimonials by real people, and many other resources here.

   

Giancarlo de Vera, senior policy manager at People with Disability Australia, said the proposed changes don’t go far enough.

“From our perspective, it is just tinkering around the edges,” he told SBS News.  

“It doesn’t feel like they’re hearing the clear message that we don’t want this. We really need the minister to go back to the drawing board.”   

Priscilla Atkins, Co-Chair at NATSILS, the national peak body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, described Australia's response as "appalling". 

“Five years since the last Universal Periodic Review, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain the most incarcerated people on earth, with a horrifying number of our young people trapped in the quicksand of the so-called justice system," she said. 

"This Universal Periodic Review has been a missed opportunity for the Australian government to reimagine the justice system and commit to ending the over-incarceration of our people, first and foremost by raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14.” 

SNAICC’s CEO Catherine Liddle said the child protection system needed to be culturally safe and sensitive of Aboriginal people’s trauma, in order for them to feel comfortable seeking support.

“This innovative new approach embeds local cultural values relevant to South Australian aboriginal communities, which is important for the workforce to understand,” she said.

It comes after last year’s Family Matters report – a SNAICC initiative – found that South Australia was having “difficulty” reforming its child protection system to meet the cultural needs of Aboriginal families.

#Centrelink #MutualObligation requirements are suspended in SA and Victoria until 3/8 due to #COVID-19 lockdowns. Affects people in #jobactive, Online Employment Services, #DisabilityEmploymentServices, #ParentsNext, & the #CommunityDevelopmentProgram. See https://t.co/03b5zt2cMg pic.twitter.com/N0gBHRmqjM

— Economic Justice Australia (@ej_australia) July 21, 2021