Author(s): Jon Altman; Melinda Hinkson (Eds)

Australian Non fiction

"On 21 June 2007 Prime Minister John Howard and Minister for Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough declared a 'national emergency' in relation to child sexual abuse in the Northern Territory. In an unprecedented set of actions, the Commonwealth has taken direct control of communities, overriding the authority of both the NT Government and local community organisations in the name of creating safe and healthy environments for children. In this book, prominent Aboriginal leaders, experienced academics and social commentators provide a devastating critique of the Howard Government's draconian intervention from the perspectives of human rights, alcohol and health policy, welfare and land rights reforms, Indigenous representation and reconciliation, and the recognition of cultural diversity. The authors assess the emergency in the context of disastrous outcomes in Indigenous affairs in the last decade. Providing alternative perspectives on the problems of remote Aboriginal Australia, at the heart of the book lies a consensus that intervention will only succeed if it engages with the concerns and aspirations of Aboriginal people themselves, affording them the dignity and power to be centrally involved in addressing social problems and charting sustainable futures for their communities."--BOOK JACKET.