Rally to support Top End Aboriginal Communities

Dear Supporter of Aboriginal people,

You can help get the voices of Aboriginal people heard as they struggle under the NT Intervention legislation!

On the 30^th September the Northern Territory Emergency Responses Independent Review is to hand its report to the Federal Government. A report that people living in prescribed areas feel will not truly reflect their experience of the Intervention. Partly because they have not been asked or consulted and partly because of the limitation in questions and scope of the Independent review panel. So that those voices can be heard, a Convergence is happening in Alice Springs from the 29th September to the 4^th October, with a speak out in Darwin and Roadtrip Against Racism in the preceeding days.

The plan for the Convergence is as follows:

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* 29^th September: Prescribed Area People Meeting- a chance for all people who, as a result of the Intervention, are now ‘prescribed area people' to get together and talk about the impact that the Intervention has had on their communities, the changes that have or haven't taken place, and what the communities would rather see happen. It's a chance for communities who rarely get the chance to come together and talk amongst themselves.

* 30^th September: Community Review Rally- the Review panel will be handing their report to the government on this day. To mark this, a rally is being held in Alice Springs to demand the end of the racist Intervention, to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act and for self-determination for Aboriginal people. Speakers from the Prescribed Area Peoples Meeting, a forum and a rally through the streets of Alice Springs are planned.

* October 1^st-4^th: Listening Tour of Remote Communities - A chance for those who want to travel to four Prescribed Communities around Central Australia to hear about the impact of the Intervention and listen to what Aboriginal people would like to see happening in their communities.

* Freedom Ride – Roadtrip to End Racism, Darwin to Alice Springs 26^th – 28^th September: In collaboration with town camps and top end community leaders, the Darwin Aboriginal Rights Coalition are organising a public speakout to take place in Darwin and then for buses to transport people from Darwin down to Alice Springs for the Convergence. The public speakout will be happening on Friday 26^th at 10am in Raintree Park in Darwin. The plan is for speakers and a barbecue to take place as a sendoff for those who are going to be travelling down to Alice Springs.

The convoy will be leaving at 2 pm on Friday 26^th from Raintree Park arriving in Katherine that afternoon. On the Saturday 27^th there will be a public speak out in Katherine in the morning before the convoy drives to Tennant Creek where it will stay the night. Sunday, hopefully, will also involve a public speak out in Tennant Creek before travelling down to Alice Springs, arriving on the afternoon of the 28^th.

People from Darwin would then be staying in Alice Springs for both the Prescribed Area Peoples Meeting on the 29^th and the rally on the 30^th. The buses would then be leaving for Darwin on the 1^st of October, staying in Tennant Creek and Katherine on the way, and arriving back in Darwin on the afternoon of Friday 3^rd of October.

The bigger this Convergence is, the greater the strength of Aboriginal voices and the greater likelihood the Government will respond to the criticisms of the NT Intervention.

I have attached Invitations from Traditional Owners in Alice Springs, as well as an invite on behalf of Community Leaders in Darwin.

Request for donations

As you can understand it's going to be a costly exercise getting people down from Darwin to Alice Springs. We estimate that a 14 person bus will cost $1250. With the inclusion of fuel and food for 14 people we are projecting it will cost around $2000 to drive to and from the convergence in Alice Springs. We are aiming to have two to three buses, so all up we need to raise around $6000 dollars to cover costs. To do this we have fundraising events planned, such as a benefit gig in Darwin on Friday 12th September. However, any donations would be very much appreciated and lead directly to Aboriginal people from the Top End getting their voices heard in Alice Springs.

If you or you organisation would like to donate the bank details are as follows.

Bendigo Bank

Account name: Darwin Aboriginal Rights Coalition

BSB: 633 000.

Account number: 134 674 027

Thanks

DARC (Darwin Aboriginal rights Coalition)

For more information contact

Alyssa 0402 680 337

Dave 040709520

darwinarc@riseup.net