9.30-10.30am Friday 31st October 2014

in Oorala lecture theatre (note venue)

 Janet Hunt

‘Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians?

Lessons from international development’

 The seminar will reflect on recent Aboriginal policy in Australia & assess where, from an international development perspective, it is going wrong. I will consider policy settings which present challenges to Indigenous development when viewed from international development theory and experience. I will argue that change comes when Aboriginal people themselves think and act in a way that is self-determining, even in an environment which has rejected self-determination. However, I will argue that change in how governments work with Indigenous communities is sorely needed. I will conclude by reference to a Maori interpretation of Amartya Sen’s work on the Capabilities Approach, which sees development as the enlargement of people’s choices and the ability to live a life one has reason to value. That is, a development based on ‘Maori lifeways’ –what Maori value for a life well-lived. This is often referred to as ‘Maori succeeding as Maori’, rather than succeeding on terms defined by others (such as COAG).

Janet Hunt is a Fellow at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at the ANU where she managed the Indigenous Community Governance Project with Reconciliation Australia 2004-2008. She has since conducted research on thesocial benefits of Aboriginal involvement in natural resource management inNSW, and on the work of international non-governmental organizations with Indigenous communities in Australia. She has lectured in International and Community Development at RMIT and Deakin Universities. Her previous career was in international development. Janet is a graduate of UNE.

followed by morning tea in Oorala foyer

ALL WELCOME

Enquiries to: Karin von Strokirch – kvonstro@une.edu.au