Amnesty International, Australia, July 2, 2017
Rodney Dillon is a Palawa Elder and an Indigenous Rights Advisor for Amnesty.
This week is NAIDOC Week – a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It’s an important week for him and hopefully for all Australians too.
He and many others have been working tirelessly on a campaign because governments across Australia are choosing to send many indigenous children to prison instead of embracing the solutions at their fingertips. But for the Prime Minister to listen, more people are needed to demand change. A national plan of action starts with:
Ending the brutal approach to kids in youth detention in favour of rehabilitation and prevention.
Reducing the numbers of Indigenous kids who are locked up by working with communities on cultural programs that will divert kids away from trouble.
Making government accountable at all levels to achieve the plan.
