First Nations people cannot celebrate while Australia is locking up their children | Roxanne Moore

It is our national shame that 65% of imprisoned 10 to 13-year-olds are Indigenous, when our kids are only 6% of Australia’s youth population

Each year, I feel that familiar knot in my stomach as 26 January, Invasion Day, approaches, knowing it will bring racist and divisive comments and heavy scrutiny of First Nations’ peaceful protests.

But we have to remind the broader community why we are exercising our democratic right to protest (with Covid-safe precautions). We can’t celebrate on 26 January while our people face ongoing human rights injustices. Particularly for our young people, who are our future warriors, our hope for self-determination, protection of country, continuing our culture. One clear solution governments can implement right now for the future of our young people is to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

Continue reading...

source https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2021/jan/26/first-nations-people-cannot-celebrate-while-australia-is-locking-up-their-children

No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured post

Ethiopia’s controversial quest for the sea

https://ift.tt/4t29xJd Ethiopia is famously landlocked. That’s why the ambitious Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed has long harbored visi...