Improving Participation of Indigenous Australians

Running head: IMPROVING PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
Improving Participation of Indigenous Australians
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1IMPROVING PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
The Indigenous people in Australia comprise of the people from the Torres Strait Islands
that is situated between Queensland and the New Guinea who have their own particular culture.
The indigenous Australians are subjected to racial discrimination and they are discriminated in
the different sectors of health, education along with employment. The Australian government has
made policies that takes away the rights of the Indigenous Australians. They are segregated from
the mainstream and they are not allowed to participate that causes them great amount of mental
trauma. It has been found out with the help of report that only 58 % of the indigenous
Australians are provided with the opportunity of voting that takes away the right of participation
of the Indigenous Australians (Jones 2018). According to the principles of Catholic Social
thought (CST), the human dignity can be said to be sacred and dignity of human person acts as
the foundation in relation to the principles of social teaching. The value of the human life is
threatened when the indigenous Australians are discriminated against in the Australian society.
CST believes in the fact that individual lives are precious and due care should be taken to protect
the dignity of every human being. The CST harps on the fact that a human being is a social
animal and hence he should be provided with all the opportunities to participate in the broader
society (Biddle, Taylor and Yap 2018). The indigenous people in Australia are not provided with
the opportunity of participation that goes against the broader principles of CST. The indigenous
Australians are deprived of the right to a proper education that goes against the common good
principle as enshrined in the CST. They are deprived of getting privileges in Australia that acts
like a barrier and prevents them from leading a healthy life.
The indigenous Australians do not have control over the system of education along with
healthcare and they are also deprived of the land rights. The land rights of the indigenous
Australians should be duly recognized at the local and the national level that can help him in

2IMPROVING PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
leading a good life. The indigenous Australians should be included in discussions pertaining to
land use that can help in consolidating their position within the Australian society. The
indigenous people should be consulted at the local level pertaining to the use of the land and
included in the process of development that can help in safeguarding the rights of these people
(Altman 2018). The national government in Australia should apply law and they should be
implemented in the proper manner across the country that can help in safeguarding the right of
the indigenous Australians. The indigenous Australians have to live in dire circumstances that
strips them of the element of human dignity that is an essential principle in relation to Catholic
Social Teaching. Public education along with building awareness can act as a measure that can
help in the implementation of the indigenous rights of the Australians. Every human being has
the right to have an adequate standard of the living. The indigenous Australians should be
provided with the civil, political and the cultural rights that can ensure them a good life.
Coalitions should be built with the NGO’s that can help in looking after the needs of the
indigenous Australians (Sanders 2018). According to CST, one can built a healthy environment
in the event of protection of the human rights. Every individual in the society has the right to
enjoy those things that can help them in leading a decent life. The NGO’s can play a crucial role
at the local level in Australia in safeguarding the rights of the indigenous Australians that can
help in improving their standard of living.
Community engagement can act as a useful measure that can help in improving the
condition of the indigenous Australians. The aboriginal community in Australia should be
involved in the process of decision making by taking recourse to capacity building. The
significance of the Aboriginal knowledge along with their cultural traditions should be
recognized that can help in reducing discrimination against that of the indigenous Australians