An Indigenous Parliament?

An Indigenous Parliament? PDF

Author: Kathrin Wessendorf

Publisher: IWGIA

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9788791563102

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The indigenous peoples of the Arctic have achieved some of the most comprehensive self-government arrangements in the world. These are reflected upon in this collection of articles, based on discussions between indigenous peoples in Russia and other parts of the Circumpolar North. Decision-making and political participation are of major concern for indigenous peoples in all parts of the Circumpolar North. There are many positive examples of indigenous political institutions, land claims and self-government agreements in the region, and indigenous peoples have recognised that they can learn from each other. Over the past decade, indigenous peoples in Russia have attempted to gain rights and influence over political decisions concerning their lands and lives. In some provinces of the Russian Federation, they have achieved a certain level of influence over - and an advisory role in - political institutions. And yet in others, they remain voiceless. This volume includes a number of articles on the legal situation of indigenous peoples in Russia and on their political participation at federal and provincial level, along with case studies from Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland and Sápmi. This book was first published jointly by RAIPON and IWGIA in Russian in 2003.

Time to Listen

Time to Listen PDF

Author: Melissa Castan

Publisher:

Published: 2023-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781922979124

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In 2023, debate about an Indigenous Voice to Parliament swirls around us as Australia heads towards a referendum on amending the Constitution to make this Voice a reality. The idea of a 'First Nations Voice' was famously raised in 2017, when Indigenous leaders drafted the Statement from the Heart -- also known as the Uluru Statement. It was envisioned as a representative body, enshrined in the Constitution, that would advise federal parliament and the executive government on laws and policies of significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But while Indigenous people may finally get their Voice, will it be heard? In Time to Listen, Melissa Castan and Lynette Russell explore how the need for a Voice has its roots in what anthropologist WEH Stanner in the late 1960s called the 'Great Australian Silence', whereby the history and culture of Indigenous Australians have been largely ignored by the wider society. This 'forgetting' has not been incidental but rather an intentional, initially colonial policy of erasement. So have times now changed? Is the tragedy of that national silence -- a refusal to acknowledge Indigenous agency and cultural achievements -- finally coming to an end? And will the Makarrata Commission, which takes its name from a Yolngu word meaning 'peace after a dispute', become a reality too, overseeing truth-telling and agreement-making between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians? The Voice to Parliament can be a transformational legal and political institutional reform, but only if Indigenous people are clearly heard when they speak.

Australian Public Law

Australian Public Law PDF

Author: Gabrielle Appleby

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780195525656

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Introduces students to key principles, concepts, institutions in Australian Public Law, provides solid foundation for study of constitutional & administrative law. Explained through analysis of mechanisms of power & control, including discussions of functioning of institutions of government & contemporary issues. Authors at Uni of Adelaide.

An Indigenous Voice to Parliament

An Indigenous Voice to Parliament PDF

Author: Frank Brennan

Publisher:

Published: 2023-05

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781922484697

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Australians will soon be asked to vote in a referendum asking 'Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?'Frank Brennan has been an advocate for Indigenous rights for 40 years. Here he shows the difficult path travelled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and their supporters to get to this question.In the past, advocates argued for changes to Commonwealth Parliament's powers to legislate for Indigenous Australians and to the capacity of the High Court to strike down racially discriminatory laws. They also offered changes to the Constitution that would acknowledge Indigenous history, reality and aspirations.All those proposals are now replaced with the Voice. But is it to be a Voice to Parliament or a Voice to Parliament and to Government? Would the focus be only on special laws applying to the First Australians, or on any other relevant matters?This book fairly outlines both the 'Yes' case and the 'No' case, so that voters can make up their own minds before casting their vote in the referendum. This revised edition includes an Epilogue titled The Failed Quest for Bipartisanship on the Voice that addresses the new discussions, plus additional Appendices.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook

The Voice to Parliament Handbook PDF

Author: Thomas Mayo

Publisher: Hardie Grant Publishing

Published: 2023-05-17

Total Pages: 119

ISBN-13: 1761440365

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The Voice to Parliament Handbook is an easy-to-follow guide for the millions of Australians who have expressed support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but want to better understand what a Voice to Parliament actually means. 'We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.' These words from the Uluru Statement from the Heart are a heartfelt invitation from First Nations People to fellow Australians, who will have the opportunity to respond when the Voice referendum is put to a national vote by the Albanese Government. Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and acclaimed journalist Kerry O’Brien have written this handbook to answer the most commonly asked questions about why the Voice should be enshrined in the Constitution, and how it might function to improve policies affecting Indigenous communities, and genuinely close the gap on inequalities at the most basic level of human dignity. A handy tool for people inclined to support a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum, The Voice to Parliament Handbook reflects on this historic opportunity for genuine reconciliation, to right the wrongs and heal the ruptured soul of a nation. This guide offers simple explanations, useful anecdotes, historic analogies and visual representations, so you can share it among friends, family and community networks in the build-up to the referendum. If the ‘yes’ vote is successful this book will also become a keepsake of an important and emotional milestone in Australia's history.

Challenging Politics

Challenging Politics PDF

Author: Kathrin Wessendorf (ed)

Publisher: IWGIA

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 9788790730451

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Indigenous peoples all over the world find themselves part of political systems that are not their own but created and defined by governments with alien rules and led by politicians. Over the last centuries, indigenous peoples have gained experience in dealing with these imposed systems of politics and with hitherto unknown social structures. The experiences are very diverse and the reactions to political systems vary. This book gives an impression of and some ideas and inspiration on the issue of involvement of indigenous peoples in national politics. It may be seen as the beginning of a process that will hopefully lead to further discussion and co-operation within the regions but also at an interregional level. The book is a compilation of articles initially written for a number of workshops on Indigenous Peoples' Experiences with Political Parties and Elections. The workshops took place between 1999-2000 in different regions of the world.

Sharing the Sovereign: Indigenous Peoples, Recognition, Treaties and the State

Sharing the Sovereign: Indigenous Peoples, Recognition, Treaties and the State PDF

Author: Dominic O'Sullivan

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-12-21

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 9813341726

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This book explains how recognition theory contributes to non-colonial and enduring political relationships between Indigenous nations and the state. It refers to Indigenous Australian arguments for a Voice to Parliament and treaties to show what recognition may mean for practical politics and policy-making. It considers critiques of recognition theory by Canadian First Nations’ scholars who make strong arguments for its assimilationist effect, but shows that ultimately, recognition is a theory and practice of transformative potential, requiring fundamentally different ways of thinking about citizenship and sovereignty. This book draws extensively on New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi and measures to support Maori political participation, to show what treaties and a Voice to Parliament could mean in practical terms. It responds to liberal democratic objections to show how institutionalised means of indigenous participation may, in fact, make democracy work better.