Seminars

September and Yakka and Older Aboriginal People

The Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing (MACA) held a special screening of September and discussion of yakka and older Aboriginal people at the Randwick Ritz Cinema on Thursday 10 April as part of Seniors Week 2008. Approximately 80 people attended the event.

September is an acclaimed Australian film from Director Peter Carstairs. Set in the wheat belt of WA in 1968, September tells the story of the friendship between two 16 year-old boys, one white and one Aboriginal. The film explores the impact of the introduction of equal pay for Aboriginal farm workers and the challenge of friendship in the context of economic and social injustice.

Forty years later, those who lived through the introduction of equal pay are now facing new challenges in maintaining economic and social engagement as older Aboriginal people.

After the screening, MACA member Aunty Neita Scott and guest speaker Mr Colin Davis addressed the audience about their experiences of yakka.

Aunty Neita Scott, an Aboriginal Elder from Narromine, spoke about her personal experiences as an Aboriginal older person. Her story highlighted the positive contribution of older Aboriginal people in community leadership, management and development and how many Aboriginal Elders volunteer much of their time and knowledge without remuneration or recognition.

MACA Deputy Chair Rev Tom Slockee spoke about the committee’s aim to identify the current barriers to employment for older Aboriginal people and ways to assist older Aboriginal people find suitable work. The discriminatory attitudes shown in the film remain prevalent today, he said.

Rev Slockee said that older Aboriginal people are often caught in a space where they are not eligible for the aged pension and they are struggling to find paid work. They may also be providing care for children or grandchildren.

Rev Slockee said that the recent abolition of the Commonwealth’s Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) is likely to have had a significant impact on older Aboriginal people, as many were employed by community organisations through this scheme.

Members of the audience then contributed suggestions and comments. Ideas included accredited training for older Aboriginal people to become storytellers and partnerships between Aboriginal training organisations and business employers.

Director Peter Carstairs also addressed the forum. He said he aimed to make a film about friendship which told the story of an important period in recent Australian history.

This MACA event was held as part of the Young at Heart Film Festival.

Grandparenting Forum NSW

COTA (NSW) in conjunction with the NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing (MACA) held a two-day Grandparenting Forum during Seniors Week 2008.

The Forum brought together grandparents with researchers, policy makers, funding bodies and service providers to discuss policy issues related to grandparenting. Approximately 200 people attended the forum including many grandparents. Thirty grandparents received free registration courtesy of sponsorship provided by the Departments of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and the Department of Community Services.

The Forum examined the issues and needs of:

• grandparents raising grandchildren or providing child care to their grandchildren
• grandparents who are denied the right to see their grandchildren.
  

There was very strong interest in legal and access issues at the Forum. The workshop on legal and access issues, facilitated by MACA Member Ms Sue Field, Public Trustee Fellow in Elder Law at the University Western Sydney, was attended by approximately 100 people. This workshop discussed the challenges facing grandparents who have been denied the right to spend time with their grandchildren and how to pursue their rights as grandparents.

The Forum highlighted the stories and experiences of grandparent carers. There was discussion of the particular challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grandparents and presentations by researchers, advocates and lawyers working in the area of grandparenting issues.

COTA NSW is preparing a policy paper to highlight issues and information presented at the Forum.

For further information go to www.cotansw.com.au

Living Alone, Staying in Touch (March 2007)

The NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing held two seminars for older people during Seniors Week 2007 in Bankstown and Sydney City on the theme of 'Living Alone, Staying in Touch'.

The seminars were hosted by broadcaster and journalist Julie McCrossin and featured:

• Practical tips for staying happy and healthy
• Special guest speakers sharing their life stories
• Discussion of the joys and challenges of living alone.

The Committee is preparing a report on the seminars which will summarise key issues and strategies older people may use to maintain social connections, health and wellbeing when living alone.

The seminars were organised with the support of the Office for Ageing, NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care.