NACCHO Healthy Futures Summit

Pamela Nathan and Anne Kantor of CASSE’s Aboriginal Australian Relations Program attended the NACCHO Healthy Futures Summit at the Melbourne Convention Centre on June 24. Their presentation about CASSE’s work was received with interest, and good contacts were established.  CASSE also sponsored the Tuesday Summit lunch and following are some of the words spoken by Pamela at the outset of the lunch:

The aim of the Summit is to demonstrate that “Investing in Aboriginal community controlled health makes economic sense”.

CASSE believes it makes Economic sense because:

• It makes sense physically – Aboriginal controlled health services save lives.
• It makes sense intellectually – Aboriginal health controlled services change minds.
• It makes sense culturally – Aboriginal people live the lore of their land and speak their languages.

Whitefellahs don’t speak the Aboriginal language/s.

Whitefellahs don’t recognise Aboriginal Law.

Whitefellahs don’t recognise Aboriginal people in the Constitution….

Aboriginal controlled health services are a life-giving medicine for Aboriginal people, closing the wounds of the past to live in the present and standing them strong to face the future.

Pamela attended the Summit dinner and enjoyed reconnecting with Alma and Marj Thorpe from VAHS and talking about the early days. The Congress mob were there, too, including the CEO and a couple of Board members. By all accounts it was a  lively dinner. The pride of Aboriginal people for their Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Services and the demonstration of their good work shone through the Summit, the papers and the events.