The Sydney Morning Herald Self-esteem grows as Aborigines see a future that works Date: 04/01/00 By ANDREW STEVENSON, Rural Reporter When Mr Lyall Munro went to Woolworths to do his pre-Christmas shopping this year he paid his money, then stood back to watch a scene Moree had never before witnessed. Young Aborigines, resplendent in red coats and ties, had the store on the move, directing not only the Christmas rush but the staff needed to keep the new supermarket functioning. Mr Munro, an Aboriginal activist and leader, was not the only one watching. For many white shoppers it was their first chance to see Aborigines employed in positions of responsibility and a highly visible sign of success for a community-driven employment strategy that has found full-time work for 100 Aborigines in under three years. It wasn't the first step nor the last but a significant advance for a town whose name has long been synonymous with institutional racism and a bitter social divide. Moree Plains Shire general manager Mr Vince Paparo wants to go further. If 100 jobs have been found, he wants to make 1,000 and will not be satisfied until there is an Aboriginal face in every business in the main street. Despite living in the wealthiest agricultural shire in Australia, Moree's Aboriginal community has failed to share in the bounty. Although they number almost one-third of the town's 11,000 residents, their unemployment rate is 65 per cent, more than five times higher than the rest of the community. It is a problem, Mr Paparo says simply, the town must solve if it wants to go anywhere. "If you think you can maintain a situation where 30 per cent of the population is disenfranchised - and that this 30 per cent is growing at a faster rate than the general population - and still maintain an equilibrium for the future, you're in fantasyland," he said. And Mr Paparo, general manager for only one year, wants to take Moree places. His dream is to double the size of the town in the next decade, to build a thriving regional centre serving the booming cotton industry. At the same time he wants a town that is proud of its rich Aboriginal heritage. "What I say to some of our businesspeople is it doesn't have to be a social justice issue to you: it makes sense from self-interest," he said. "It's not going to work if we go up to people and say we've treated Aboriginal people badly for 200 years, it's time to throw yourself on the ground. "We're not doing that. What we're saying is 'This is an important issue for our town, if it is to grow, if it is to reach its true potential'." It took the Aboriginal Employment Strategy, led by the chairman of the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association, Mr Dick Estens, six months to find jobs for six Aborigines. But in three years it reached a century, placing workers in every sector of the town's economy. After watching generations of unemployment, with its concomitant social problems, Mr Munro says finding new jobs has been a tremendous benefit to his community. "It's lifted the self-esteem of these people enormously," he said. "They socialise better, they're more politically aware of their situation as Aborigines in Moree and it also builds better relations between the two communities." This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
