Changing Lives, Changing Communities Cairns · Web view2019-04-04 · Changing Lives, Changing Communities are 13, two-day events across Queensland, creating new ways for people

Changing Lives, Changing Communities: Mount IsaRed Earth Hotel, Mount Isa

13 and 14 November

About Changing Lives, Changing Communities...........................................................3

Check in: What inspired you to be here?..................................................................3-4Welcome to Country.....................................................................................................4

The Mount Isa context: panel....................................................................................4-6Stories of inclusion....................................................................................................6-8

Recipe for inclusion......................................................................................................9World Café..............................................................................................................9-10

Appreciative Inquiry...............................................................................................10-11Open Space – ideas into action............................................................................11-21

Conclusion............................................................................................................21-22

Page 2 / November 2018 Changing Lives, Changing Communities Mount Isa

About Changing Lives, Changing CommunitiesChanging Lives, Changing Communities are 13, two-day events across Queensland, creating new ways for people – citizens, community organisations, private sector and government representatives – to come together, envision and ask, “What will it take to create communities where everyone contributes, matters and belongs?”

Changing Lives, Changing Communities is about bringing together all parts of the community to co-create solutions to ensure everyone is included in their community, and can access what they need; like a place to call home, good health, transport, education, and meaningful employment.

This document brings together the highlights of the two days in 2018 in Mount Isa.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this publication contains images and stories of people who have died.

We pay respect to Uncle Noel Sarmardin – his life, his stories, impact on, and commitment to building an outstanding community in Mount Isa.

Photographs of Uncle Noel Sarmardin have been included with the direct permission of his family.

Check - in: What inspired you to be here? How we can together support the most vulnerable children, youth and families To hear what is important to the people of Mount Isa and what they are

wanting to do individually and collectively. To see Mount Isa be the best place to live in Australia

To be involved in change – social, economic, environmental Grassroots: What to improve in the community See where I could better contribute to make a difference in my community, for

my children, future, grandchildren, etc ‘Be’ the difference Better understanding of community wants/needs Interagency connections: Good opportunity for everyone to be on the same

page when it comes to the issues in Mt Isa For our community, for our young people, for connection, for networking, for

our children to have the best start in life, for understanding The idea of developing/creating a better space/place To listen and learn what our community needs are, and how the community

would like Mt Isa to be. To ensure we invest our money in the right place The opportunity to reconnect to this community


Welcome to Country: Ros Von SendenIndigenous people are intimately linked through myth, lineage and everything in his or her environment, and these links dominate every aspect of life in Kalkadoon country.

The rules that come from fathers; the stories and myths from the hills; the mountain ranges that surround us. The spinifex, the rocks, waterholes, and fresh waterholes; personal and professional links; these living links bind indigenous people together.

The stars above us with the Milky Way… also the force of the wind, rain, and the creatures that provide us food. The dreaming, the myths, the constellations of Orion…

We have our own story here in Kalkatungu.

The Milky Way is the river of the sky from which the sun sets, and the sky people show where to catch food. Aboriginal astronomers used their knowledge to develop calendars and based the growth of food on them.

Even though people rely on technologies like GPS now, Aboriginal people will always have that inner-vision and strong link to the land. This is who we are.

We can’t live in the past, but the past lives within us.

The Mount Isa context: panelUncle Noel Sarmardin

ElderUncle Noel is a fourth-generation descendant in his family, and one of 10 siblings. He painted a rich history of the old Mount Isa in the context of being a part of the Government removals act – the Stolen Generations. Removed at an age so young he cannot remember, his family struggled, from government citizenship restrictions, to exclusion from the township. He says moving Mount Isa forward will take a unified effort from “you, me and community”, though currently social and cultural reform is nowhere to be seen.

“Cultural destitution is knocking on our doors,” he says. “It’s only a matter of time before we drown ourselves in politics.”

Chris Conners

Mount Isa Family Support Service and Neighbourhood Centre IncChris first visited Mount Isa in the 1980s, but moved permanently in 2011 with her husband, a South African man, because she appreciated the cultural focus and feel of the town. “The people brought me here,” she says, but acknowledges some


divisions exist in the community. Ultimately, she wants Mount Isa to achieve equality, empowerment, education, and safety – doing herself out of business in the process.

“The mine is an anchor. Lead is here and it’s poison for children…” she says. “There’s a generation coming up with damaged brains making poor decisions, and they’re more likely to get into trouble.”

Carol Costello

Save the ChildrenCarol describes herself as “a bit universal”, coming from a Samoan and Irish background, with a bit of Chinese and German heritage thrown in for good measure. She moved to Mount Isa from Brisbane 11 years ago, and says the community is a very welcoming one, despite issues around race. She believes the cultural learnings from overseas are not really reflected here, having experienced racism for the first time only while in Australia. “People don’t like (the truth), they want to stick to racism,” she says, explaining she has lost friends over sharing factual stories about indigenous people.

She says modelling respect, listening and inclusiveness to the young and youth are the keys to change.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Ros Von Senden

QCOSSRos has been with QCOSS for a long time, and a Mount Isa local for longer – a born and raised local. She shared fond memories of going out bush with family and fishing, and her father’s stories of the foundations that her ancestors laid in Mount Isa. Entrenched racism is an ongoing battle, she says, and knowing “where to go and where not to” was part of everyday life growing up. Ros says education – not necessarily schooling - but sharing knowledge around laws and rights is needed, as well as more indigenous representation across senior levels of government.

“It’s not always about stats,” she says, adding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders should have more input when it comes to funding of community projects.

“We should have our own mentors.”

Mark Henley

QCOSSMark has been CEO of QCOSS for the past seven years. On the panel, he spoke about how proud he is that QCOSS can be part of the community conversations that enable citizens to create the communities they want.


He says community is about a feeling of belonging and having a safe place to live with friends and family. QCOSS wants systemic change he says, and to move away from the divisive messages that are often thrown around in Mount Isa and wider-Queensland.

“People live here because it’s where they want to be.”

Stories of inclusionAunty Margaret Brown

As the older sister of QCOSS’ Ros Von Senden, Aunty Margie says, everybody in Mount Isa knew each other back in the day and yearns for elements of the past to return. She has lived in the community all her life, raising two kids. She now cares for her husband with a disability, as well as tending to seven, “sometimes eight” grandchildren.

Aunty Margie says the mine used to be a central part of the community and contribute to those within. Now, it contributes very little. “Money changes everything,” she says, and the local feeling she knew as a youth is all gone. Strangers inhabit her town. She fondly recalls a Mount Isa mine that built a road, so the community could get to free movie nights out in the bush.

In the early days, she lived in a double-story gauze-for-walls home at the mine site, with three bedrooms upstairs and a kitchen down - “No need to lockup”. Trust came from knowing who was in and around your community.

Now, safety has declined to a point where she no longer feels safe to leave her house very often. “Got to lock up now, and live up in the hills,” she says, telling stories of gangs of indigenous youth walking the streets, hollering at girls. Aunty Margie wants to see a return to the night patrol of 30 years ago, a police force with people known by the community. Outsiders, she says, are not useful in lowering the very high crime rate.

“Move out of the offices and connect with people.”

Storytellers – Young People Ahead: Peer Youth Mentors

Danielle Pittis“To be a young person in Mount Isa is amazing… but for me, that’s only if you know about the services that are here,” says Danielle. She says services like Headspace have been crucial to her growth as a young person, having experienced a difficult childhood.

William MullinsBorn and raised in Mount Isa, William went to school in the area but says it wasn’t very good because he “wasn’t a very good student”. He works with youth in Mount Isa through his role at Young People Ahead educating about mental health,


substance abuse and suicide prevention. William says trying to help is what he enjoys the most.

Kaleb RakeiKaleb says Young People Ahead changed his life helping him to see more clearly and be more confident after a struggle with drug use. “I didn’t know where I was… I woke up in the hospital…” he says. “When Alvin said he wanted to start a program, that was my way of changing, because I don’t want to be the same person anymore. So, I stepped up.”

Jordan Dank“I was born and bred here… having the freedom to do whatever.” Jordan dreams of an overseas trip to Europe to learn about his own ancestry, leaving behind the family roots in Mount Isa.

Young People Ahead: supporting the youth of Mount IsaYoung People Ahead has been supporting the youth of Mount Isa for more than 35 years, promoting the safety, housing, education, and health of people aged 12 through 25. It’s the longest serving organisation specifically assisting at-risk young people in Mount Isa, and General Manager Alvin Hava says it’s a service increasing in importance as our world becomes more time-poor.

He says the youth in Mount Isa often feel quite detached from the decision-making processes in community, even when it affects them directly, and that the adage of “young people should be seen, not heard” is driving a top-down approach to youth policy.

“They are the future generation, so we need to start having those conversations earlier on,” he says, “and they should be included from the start.”

“I feel young people have lost a sense of identity of where they belong in community and what meaningful roles they have,” he says. Amid a high youth unemployment rate, which in Alvin’s view is well over 50 per cent irrespective of official statistics, the young feel excluded and hopeless.

He says the ‘disproportionate’ employment rate of those aged 16 to 25 is fuelled by a highly competitive market with no pathways and it’s not just specific to mining. The community’s population is transient because of fly-in-fly-out workers, which affects all sectors. A focus on quick results with little to no investment, he says, and no patience for training or mentoring means locals lose out.

“From my point of view, it’s definitely getting worse because of the disparity – being on welfare, being dependent on that… no meaningful job opportunities for a lot of people, so what do you do?”


Alvin says this hopelessness is a driver for the alcohol and drug abuse seen by his team, and the criminal or violent incidences that result from it.

Young People Ahead have a decidedly old-school approach to meeting with youth in the community – pounding the pavement. Walking the streets to talk with them and hear about what they need. Any programs developed are run by the youth giving them a sense of responsibility and importantly, something worthwhile to do.

“We’ve got to allow trust to happen with our future generation for them to carry through that vision,” he says.

It’s that on-the-ground community approach Alvin says is missing from most government or organisational responses to community issues in Mount Isa. He says questions around service suitability or funding should be answered by the community they affect, harnessing that local wealth of knowledge.

“We need a mechanism where we can identify leaders to advocate those knowledges, different experiences and skills – but again there’s not enough time for that.”

Alvin says the pressures of modern-day living in Australia are increasing, and inter-family relationships are suffering as time-poor parents struggle to connect with their children, another factor increasing that feeling of isolation.

“More forums like this where people can come together and just voice their opinions (are important) - it’s like a release valve for us.”

“These conversations have happened since Uncle Noel was a young’un. How long does it take for change to happen when you’ve been talking about the same issue’s decade after decade?” he asks, explaining that a lack of movement has disheartened some elders from participating.

“From today or tomorrow, we as a community need to come to a consensus and go ‘these are our priorities for our community’,” he says. Asking the questions around what they want to achieve, in what timeframe, who the project drivers are, and who’s going to fund it then getting out there to do it.

A grassroots movement is building.

“It’s an aspiration of us to go away and go ‘yep, that was said’ – when are we going to be able to immerse this in our daily lives?”


Recipe for inclusionWhile storytellers were sharing their experiences, we asked participants to listen to the ingredients for inclusion. These are the keywords participants heard:

1. Community2. Youth3. Respect4. Collaboration5. Patience6. Listening7. Education8. Safety9. Confidence10. Mentoring

World CaféWhat will it take to create a community where everyone contributes, matters and belongs? (key words written from participants to answer this question)

Collaboration Connection Youth Family Listening Respect Country Inclusive Safety Dedication Integrity Family Values Mentors

What are the elements already happening here? (key words written from participants to answer this question)

Culture Youth Collaboration Events Access


Services History Community Existing Communicate NDIS Unemployed

What action am I willing to take to progress the vision? (key words written from participants to answer this question)

Advocacy Listen Participate Talking Role-model Listen Continue Share Building Engagement

Appreciative InquiryMaking social change requires courage. We asked participants to share when they had to be courageous to create change. We asked what was inspiring/important and what helped it to happen. Here are some of the participants responses:

What was inspiring/important? Be prepared to tackle a difficult issue Able to negotiate when the other person disagrees Deal with disappointment Quite okay about the result Gave an alternative solution

What helped it to happen? Reflection on what needed to happen Direct response to client regardless of their view

What was inspiring/important? Career change Country change Long-time raising family, now being courageous to go back to work and study Left financial and family support behind Kids inspire mum to work hard and make the sacrifices

Page 10 / November 2018

Changing Lives, Changing Communities Mount Isa

What helped it to happen? Support from husband and kids throughout Similar values around higher education Had to follow dreams and overcome challenges of parenting three young

children

What was inspiring/important? Coming from a challenging background to working with a great support

network to achieve great outcomes Giving a boy a full life Building a family back to a strong family network Going from non-verbal to small words to express his emotions

What helped it to happen? Connections Knowledge around the situational understanding Right people in the right jobs

What was inspiring/important? The fact that a simple conversation at the beginning could lead to so much

success Family support grew Confidence of the young man grew in leaps and bounds

What helped it to happen? Someone taking the time to sit down and involve individuals, and families Family support Support from services

Open Space – ideas into actionProject one

Host idea – Night patrol/Youth and community transportWhat could this idea become?

Community voice Community lead and driven (Logan Together)

What do we know works? Night patrols ASPA in schools Transport to schools Safe hub/place



What are the risks/challenges? Consent Liability Suitability of workers Funding restrictions

Project two

Host idea – Creation of a Mount Isa Indigenous and Mentoring Group/ForumWhat could this idea become?

Holding decision makers accountable A forum/space to build community capacity/engagement “A new story” Informing decision makers An Indigenous Futures Forum (Global/National/State) Strength-based Develop a regional

What do we know works? Ownership Men’s Space Sharing Knowledge? Research modelling and capacity building Not re-inventing the wheel Strong communities work

What are the risks and challenges? Lack of critical thinking Lack of community interest Three tiers of government recalcitrance Transient Lack of authority from T. O’s Re-inventing the wheel No interest from researchers

What do we need to learn by doing? Planning Community development Appropriate communication Skill development Project management Capacity building Communication



How do we make sure everyone is included? Communication Talk it up Engage community services Marketing strategy Appropriate meeting space

What are our next wise steps? Identify a community/government service to facilitate discussion to establish if

there is interest in this notion

Project three

Host Idea – Paid community youth reference groupWhat could this idea become?

Voice of the future Future sustainability for community empowerment Continuity

What do we know works? Community agencies support youth Mentoring

Who do we need to partner with? Mount Isa City Council Community can nominate youth representation from diverse backgrounds and

abilities Schools on board to promote communities’ services sector

What are the risks and challenges? Lack of council support Funds

What do we need to learn by doing? Trial and error Listen Voice – be heard

How do we make sure everyone is included? Advocate Encourage Strengthen



What are our next wise steps? Collaboration Get it established Investigate grants Timeframes

Project four

Host Ideas – Walk the talkWhat could this idea become?

Connecting communities Mount Isa – the whole community Create a group? Facilitate and set the agenda? Date for a follow-up? Youth controlled night patrol Critical friends and support to others’ groups

What do we know works? Community Unity Communication Consultation Informed discussions What are the values of Mount Isa? Collaboration Imagination

Who do we need to partner with? Whole community Active participants

What are the risks and challenges? People not present Everyone having their own patch and that’s all they look after Funding guidelines Taking off your stakeholder hats

What do we need to learn by doing? Transitions: What are the values of Mount Isa?

How do we make sure everyone is included? Communication Information exchange Bridging people/bringing people in



Advocate Smaller groups

What are our next wise steps? What is effective? Driving force, helping hands, critical friends, steering

committee group, questions to the broader group Advocate group – drive/what is the purpose of the group Is QCOSS coming back to follow up?

Project five

Host Idea – Need more homeless shelters/more appropriate culturally rehabs in the local community/need female prison, male prison, youth detention centreWhat could this idea become?

Approach local councils, police, justice department, hospital, health, etc Stop: contacts, economic problems, keeping family close to visit prisons.

Community will benefit local services to help deal or refer people to connect

What do we know works? Community links Connect through meetings Word by mouth, media, sitting down with (grassroots) issues Mentoring

Who do we need to partner with? Connect with community and other services Police services The mayor Council Department housing

What are the risks and challenges? Family breakdowns Violence in homes Kids runaway Nepotism Needing safe place

What do we need to learn by doing? Sitting down in confidence and feeling comfortable about the issues Listening Honesty Time Patience A voice to be heard



How do we make sure everyone is included? Networking Regular meetings Gatherings Advocate

What are our next wise steps? Bringing the network services together and connecting community and people Talk to connect the nepotism in network services

Project six

Host Idea – Safe environment: Respect the landWhat could this idea become?

Respect the land/culture/elders Happy environment People talking in their different cultures Telling their stories in the community Not littering Clean environment

What do we know works? Recycling: aluminium cans/bottles NAIDOC week Material for housing Men’s group Clean-up day Women’s group Dance and culture are taught Welcome to country/multicultural festival

Who do we need to partner with? Council Culture leaders’ group Mine support Traditional elders/owners

What are the risks and challenges? Air pollution Trying to bring people together Council not supporting Young people not support the elders Lead in the land



What do we need to learn by doing? Talking to council mayor Talking to local elders Talking to mine about funding

How do we make sure everyone is included? Let people know about things by newspapers/radio Local tv ads Social media Yarn talk

What are our next wise steps? Talk to Ros Local culture and community meeting Local council MP

Project seven

Host Idea – Establishment of a centre of excellence in youth development What could this idea become? Life skills centre Adventure base learning Substance misuse therapeutic respite facility Juvenile justice community centre Social enterprises - primary industries, tourism, agriculture Re-integration centre Cultural healing University placements

Who do we know works? Partnerships Combine funding - Local/state/federal/philanthropic Community driving initiatives Shared vision/values/strategy K.I.S.S.

Who do we need to partner with? Traditional owners Council Water board Glencore State/federal departments NGO's Business



What are the risks and challenges? Council doesn't come to the party Funding is not available Gaps to partnerships No vision, dream, aspiration No strategic intent Protect becoming a political battleground Self-determination to sustainability

What do we need to learn by doing? Formulation of a strong business plan Listening to a shared, vision Identifying local champions to drive results Source potential seed funding/initiatives Incorporate similar plans already done (Don't reinvent the wheel)

How do we make sure everyone is included? Strategic consultations at all level Questionnaires/feedback opportunities Competitions to submit plan, ideas, designs Have community "open air" conversations Social media/radio/newspaper

What are our next wise steps? Identify a strong partnership Have a meeting with the city council Complete community-led funding submission to incorporate all components to

support young people and their families

Project eight

Host Idea – How do we get broader community members involved?What could this idea become?

Stronger community connection and awareness Develop community ambassadors (of all ages)

What do we know works? Knowing your community People connecting People were spread out Diversity within suburbs Everybody knew everyone Information sharing Community events Cultural festivals



Connecting through our children Sharing/celebrating culture

Who do we need to partner with? Council/business community Sporting clubs State/federal MP Cultural organisations

What are the risks and challenges? Nobody communicates with each other Jump on the bandwagon and promote the problem story People don't know what they can be involved in

What do we need to learn by doing? Trying different approaches Develop community people and support them Learn to have different conversations with different people Think outside our own areas of responsibility

How do we make sure everyone is included? Being open minded and accepting Let them know what's going on Celebrate what's good in the community Dare to do different Incorporate/encourage people’s ideas Change the ripple

What are our next wise steps? Asking broader community for ideas and suggestions on how we can make a

difference in our community?

Project nine

Host Idea – How do we get more support systems, more communication and trust, more education to let young people speakWhat could this idea become?

More services like the Youth Peer Mentors to communicate and to let young people speak and be heard

More support services being seen and known to young people. More collaboration.

More youth forums, community forums, more sports at school, elders in high school - all year round, Kalkadoon language as subject.

Parent participating in education



Parent involvement with support services, more education around culture/identity acceptance in and out of schools

Body language

What do we know works? Collaboration Giving people a voice Sharing stories Informal yarning Sports/youth groups/shops/somewhat commitment Truth/trust Communication Knowledge Informal education Some support systems Less family violence People letting kids have a voice

Who do we need to partner with? Community/families/elders/schools/young people/government and non-

government orgs Community services/local council/churches/surrounding communities Other Australian organisations

What are the risks and challenges? People not listening/fighting People don't want to change One size does not fit all Family involvement/environment Accountability Cyberbullying Child/youth involvement Stand up and be brave motivate Stand-up and be brave Motivation Gang fights Substance misuse Police being abusive

What do we need to learn by doing? Giving something a go Learn from mistakes/what works Flexible and open minded Every day is a new day Opportunity for everyone to have a voice The right people at the table No wrong answer



More respect towards people around the area Not lying towards young people or adults about helping them learn from

another person’s perspective Having courage to be able to stand up and be brave Make kids have a voice and let Indigenous people have advantage to be able

to make community service or anything work Ask elders if it's alright to have events or build in this town

How do we make sure everyone is included? Show trustworthy commitment Give them a reason to have a good life Share your ideas between each other/make them feel like they're family Open door policy Culturally appropriate Communicate at all levels - e.g., social media, TV, newspaper, email, forums Appropriate language, easy to understand Aware of cultural differences Comfortable/safe place - empower all to speak Accessible – disabilities Make them feel confident and have good connections between them Food + drink, letting their dreams and wishes come true Making it a safe and happy environment or work place

What are our next wise steps? Allocate meeting/driver Organise a meeting open to all – agenda Not a talk fest Input actions: talk the talk Indigenous business network Hold people accountable: timeframes Make them say what they have to say Connect with Chris Mitchell/community

ConclusionThanks to everyone who came along to Changing Lives, Changing Communities Mount Isa. We know you have made a difference. On competition of the two days, we asked participants: what has stayed in my heart and mind? These are your responses:

Heart Healthy degree of scepticism Long process time Connected Knowledge Share Team



Determination Passion Shared goals Positive Commitment Love Open minded Vision Hope Understanding Voice Community led Unity Faith Place based Connection Wisdom Ready Respect Thankful Inspired

Changing Lives, Changing Communities Mount Isa is a proud partnership between: Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS), and Anti Discrimination Commission Queensland. (End of document)



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Changing Lives, Changing Communities Cairns · Web view2019-04-04 · Changing Lives, Changing Communities are 13, two-day events across Queensland, creating new ways for people