The National Picture

PAMA FUTURES Indigenous designed and led

DELIVER REAL CHANGE

For 6 years now, regional leaders in every state and territory of Australia, except Tasmania have been helping communities organise their voices, understand the priorities that families, individuals and community say are important to them, and bringing Governments into partnership with the indigenous people to deliver real change on the ground.

These regions are called the Empowered Communities, taking responsibility for their own development to close the gap on the social and economic disadvantage of Indigenous Australians, while enabling cultural recognition and determination so they can preserve, maintain, renew and adapt our cultural and linguistic heritage and transmit it onto future generations.

It is nothing less than a fundamental shift away from the traditional social policy framework in which Indigenous affairs has been conducted, to a comprehensive Indigenous Empowerment agenda - a long-term reform that requires a new partnership of Indigenous leaders, governments and corporate leaders in order to succeed, with all partners prepared to play their roles in a different way.

The strength of Empowered Communities is the collaboration; it has its own legacy of empowerment that will live on way beyond any formal process.

Fiona Jose, General Manager, Cape York Partnership

Cape York is part of this – Pama Futures has been rolling out to empower the voices of the region in line with the Empowered Communities vision. As a founding member of this national effort, Pama Futures leads in building community structures and bringing decisions right down to the local level.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are advised that this website may contain images and voices of people who have passed away.

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