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Please help stop child abuse in NSW Aboriginal communities - ANTaR

As you may be aware, the New South Wales Government and Opposition have so far refused to fund a major new program to tackle child abuse in Aboriginal communities.

The program was developed in response to Breaking the Silence, a 300 page report commissioned by the Attorney General and written by a task force headed by Aboriginal leader, Marcia Ella-Duncan.

The report found that child abuse in Aboriginal communities had reached “epidemic proportions,” with child sexual assault up to four times the rate of the general population.

Although the Government approach to Breaking the Silence makes a lot of sense, without any new funds it’s doomed to fail.

It seems both the NSW Government and Opposition have refused to provide the much needed funds because these are Aboriginal children at risk and they think that not enough voters will care.

With your help, ANTaR is hoping to show them they’re wrong.  We’re urging people to contact their local MP’s and candidates to tell them that Aboriginal children are important and how we vote will be influenced by which candidates are prepared to fight for the much needed resources to ensure the response to Breaking the Silence succeeds.

If you follow the link below you can obtain further information, draft letters, hints on meeting with politicians and briefing notes to help you make contact with your local candidates:

http://www.antar.org.au/action/stop_NSW_child_abuse

If you don’t live in NSW we’re asking you to write to Premier Morris Iemma about this issue.

Please help us with this action and pass this email on to anyone you think might be interested.

Thanks

Gary Highland
National Director
Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR)
PH - 02 9555 6138