The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its latest report, which is a comprehensive assessment of the physical science of climate change. The last report was released 5 years ago. You can access all the materials, including the Summary for Policymakers and regional fact sheets by clicking here.

Every day, thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia wake up behind the bars of Australian prisons. Children live out their childhood in juvenile detention centres, hundreds of kilometres away from their family. Families continue to fight for justice and accountability for the deaths of their once imprisoned relatives, while the calls for solutions which empower Indigenous Australians to drive the change needed become louder. Premiering on free to air TV, 'Incarceration Nation' lays bare the story of the continued systemic injustice and inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on their own land, told by Indigenous Australians, experts and academics. Learn more here.

Latest research from The Smith Family shows very promising evidence that online catch-up tutoring, delivered by specialist teachers in students' homes, helps disadvantaged students to improve key literacy and numeracy skills and also fosters an increased love of learning. Click here to learn more.

The Secret Life of Carers is a podcast featuring the stories of mental health carers, highlighting their experiences and insights on supporting their loved ones living with mental illness and/or psychosocial disabilities, and the additional pressures that COVID has introduced. The podcast is hosted by Jamila Rizvi, a best-selling author, sought after public speaker, podcast presenter, and gender equality advocate. Click here to listen.

On the 7th of August – Aged Care Employee Day (ACED) - we said #ThanksforCaring to honour the heartfelt concern, professionalism and passion that aged care staff demonstrate as they safeguard and support older Australians. Click here to read more.

The Economic Media Centre’s five-week Strategic Communications for Campaigns Fellowship is for leaders running large scale campaigns in the next 12-18 months.
The Fellowship has been designed for a small cohort of senior leaders working on the biggest communications challenges civil society faces right now. Our focus over the five week program will be on developing your capabilities to execute large-scale communications campaigns for social change outcomes. Click here to learn more.

The ASRC Community Advocacy and Power Program (CAPP) is providing participants with lived experience of seeking asylum an opportunity to amplify their voices and become powerful advocates for the refugee community. The course matches participants from across Australia with industry mentors while providing media training, experience in advocacy and campaigning, organising and mobilising and leadership skills to train members in their own communities. Click here to learn more.

Last week saw the launch of Passing the Message Stick, a two-year research project to change the story for First Nations self-determination and justice, building public support to create transformative change. This practical guide shows that when narratives centre on strength and capability, First Nations advocates and changemakers, and their allies, can build majority support for self-determination and justice. Passing The Message Stick has been led by a Steering Committee of pre-eminent First Nations advocates, and supported by GetUp, Original Power and Australian Progress.

“As First Nations people, we’re the first storytellers and we need to share our truth. This guide shows us how to express this fundamental truth, and tell a story that is ours, inspired by the messages shared by past movements and campaigns our communities led and won,” said Passing The Message Stick report co-author and GetUp First Nations Justice Campaign Director Larissa Baldwin.

“This research project is an offering to all First Nations advocates working towards self-determination and justice for our people,” said Passing The Message Stick Steering Committee member Dr Jackie Huggins AM.

The Coalition of Peaks (CoP) has today also announced the public release of their first Implementation Plan under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

“This Implementation Plan sets out the actions the CoP are and will be taking to fulfil our partnership responsibilities under the National Agreement, driving deep change in how governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people so that Closing the Gap outcomes are dramatically improved,” said Ms Pat Turner AM, Lead Convener of the CoP and NACCHO CEO.

“Our plan prioritises building understanding of the National Agreement and promoting the advantages and opportunities it offers to our people, communities, and organisations, provided we participate fully, and governments are held to account for its implementation.”

You can read the media release on the CoP first Implementation Plan here and download the Implementation Plan here.

The Every Child Campaign which is supported and funded by The Benevolent Society is asking all Australians to sign the National Child and Youth Wellbeing Commitment, asking us to commit to ‘It Takes 6’ and for every child to start school ready to learn, and every young person to leave school ready for life and work.

The Commitment highlights: Health, Learning, Housing, Positive Identity, Being Valued and Participating as six basic needs necessary to thrive; and seeks to break the current policy silos with a holistic approach to child and youth wellbeing.

Freya Whitehead, Every Child Campaign Advocate says, “We believe getting these basics met should not be a game of chance or luck. We’re calling on the Australian government to endorse a National Child and Youth Wellbeing Commitment that ensures every child, every young Australian, can get their six needs met.”

Good Things Foundation Australia released a new report examining the state of Australia’s digital divide. The Digital Nation Australia 2021 report is the only of its kind to collate national research from government, not-for-profits and academia on digital inclusion.

The report highlights overall use of digital technology has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not everyone has benefited equally. Research presented in the report shows that despite fewer people being completely offline in 2020, less than 40% of people are confident in their ability to keep up with the rapid pace of changes in technology. To add to this, in the era of fake news and growing conspiracy theories, the majority of Australian adults (61%) lack confidence in identifying misinformation online.

This Anti-Poverty Week (17-23 October) governments are being reminded that there are 2 key things they can do to unlock poverty for individuals, families, and children: raise income support above the poverty line and invest in social housing. Poverty affects far too many children and families, diminishing their lives now and in the future. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it’s just not right that 1 in 6 children grow up in poverty. In 2021 Anti-Poverty Week is again supporting the Raise the Rate for Good and Everybody’s Home campaigns. Some immediate actions you can take: sign the Petition which calls on the PM to support more social housing for women and children fleeing violence and host your own activity in APW. Contact Toni Wren at [email protected]

• Join Groundswell Giving to learn from leading Australian climate scientist Professor Lesley Hughes – a former IPCC author – for a special briefing on the latest IPCC AR6 Report and how we can all be part of the solution for a safe climate future - 19 August 2021 - Click here to learn more and to register

• ACCAN’s flagship annual conference, ACCANect, is going virtual in 2021! ACCANect 2021: #DigitalDownload will feature a range of presentations about key topics including cyber security advice for small businesses, how changing communications habits are driving change in the telecommunications sector, and what the digital platforms are doing to tackle misinformation - 8 September 2021 - Click here for more information and to register
  
  

• Third Sector LIVE, at The Grace Hotel in Sydney, will provide attendees with practical tools and strategies to rebuild and future-proof Australia’s Not-for-Profit sector - 3-5 November 2021 - Register now using exclusive discount code: ACOSS20

• The 2021 NACCHO Members Conference, Youth Conference, EGM and AGM is scheduled to be held at the National Convention Centre, Canberra - 22 - 25 November 2021 - Click here for more information and to register

• The Healing Foundation and Emerging Minds have developed a series of new resources to improve social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The resources will help families and children reconnect to cultures, while weaving back in the knowledge and protective factors that have kept First Nations peoples healthy and strong for more than 60,000 years. An e-learning module, factsheets, and an animation are part of the package. The e-learning training package can be viewed here. The factsheets can be viewed on the Healing Foundation website here.

• HealthInfoNet‘s WellMob announced the first edition of their newsletter, which will highlight some useful online resources on the WellMob website, along with some tips for the health and wellbeing workforce on how to use these resources with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Click here to see the first edition.

  
  

Jeremy Poxon, a spokesperson for the Australian Unemployed Workers Union, said the system was confusing.

“Judging by the amount of panicked calls we got about it, we – and the department – know jobkeeper was a confusing mess of a system to access,” he said.

Poxon said it was “disgusting, yet sadly unsurprising” that “billionaires like Gerry Harvey have been let completely off the hook” while welfare recipients, who had “engaged with this program in good faith” were targeted by the government.

Charities say they're seeing record demand for emergency food relief as Australians in locked-down cities struggle to put food on the table.

They say their services were shielded by increased welfare payments last year, but with those reduced they're now supporting families who haven't needed aid in the past.

Brianna Casey, Chief Executive Officer of Foodbank Australia discusses.

Dwayne Cranfield - CEO of the National Ethnic Disability Alliance, which worked on a draft of the NDIA's CALD strategy - said the 2018 plan was “rubbish” and key elements around its implementation were overlooked.

He said he was not surprised by the data in the new quarterly report. 

“There is a real lack of ability at the NDIA to engage with culturally diverse people. It's an aspect that they don't really understand,” he told SBS News.

FECCA urges @ScottMorrisonMP and @AlexHawkeMP to increase their support to the Afghan community in Australia.

Australia can make a big difference:
1) Permanent protection to all Afghan refugees on temporary visas
2) Increase humanitarian intake
3) Family reunion#auspol pic.twitter.com/zmZAoVm5hs

— FECCA (@iFECCA) August 17, 2021