Support Group for Indigenous Men

INDIGENOUS Men in Redfern and Waterloo are rediscovering a sense of purpose and community through Babana, a group that is encouraging them to speak out about health and violence in the community as a first step to taking control of their future reports Inga Ting in Central of 4 June 2008.

The group, which has grown rapidly since becoming incorporated 12 months ago, said the participation and input of indigenous men is critical to the success of any strategy to tackle health problems, assault, domestic violence, drugs and crime in the area.

"We have a bit of a philosophy here in Babana that if men are part of the    problem, they-haw to be part of the solution," the organisation's treasurer, Don Clark said.

"But for us to do anything about it, we need to organise." From humble beginnings as an informal discussion group of eight men, Babana - meaning "brother" in the Dharuk language - has expanded its core membership to about 60 men. More than 100 attended its most recent event: a health information day last month at which 15 men registered for their first Medicare card. Mr Clark linked the reluctance of many men in the Aboriginal community to issuers or problems with violence to a history of exclusion and abuse that has destroyed much of their self-confidence.

"There's the trauma of the stolen generations, which many men in Babana were part of," he said. "There's the trauma of their own upbringing and the abuse there.

"There's [also] a lack of education, a lack of employment opportunities, a lack of good, consistent health."

By encouraging men to share their experiences, Babana cuts through the frustration and isolation and demonstrates to members that they are part of a wider community confronting common demons. "What we do is encourage them to get up in front of a group and talk," Mark Spinks, Babana's founder and current chairman said.

"I've [seen] blokes that stand up the front and cry when they tell their story. And you're looking over thinking, 'Jesus, he's never said that to me'.

"But in that environment, it's like they want people to know. When it's out in the open, we can deal with the issues," Mr Spinks said. "When you give them the floor, it's the men themselves who say, 'we need to talk about domestic violence in the community, we need to do something about the state of our health'." To contact the group visit www.treocom.net/babana/

Source: Central 4 June 2008