Mary MacKillop Foundation
Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander who would like to go to University? You may be eligible for a scholarship with the Mary MacKillop Foundation. Click here for more details.
Marist Fathers' Aboriginal Education Fund
The Marist Fathers Aboriginal Education fund aims to financially assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students who are studying at one of the Diocese of Lismore's secondary schools. Click here for details on eligibility and how to apply.
Latest News
Changes in the Australian Constitution
Thu, Feb 2nd, 2012
Constitution of Australia
Important changes are being proposed to the Constitution of our country. These changes will for the first time acknowledge Aboriginal people their dignity, culture and rights in the Constitution.
For great school and community resources see Pat Dodson on Constitutional Reform.
NATSICC is the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council. This body comes under the Bishops of Australia: it has 2 bishops and an aboriginal/islander person for all states & territories on the council.
It is the top Aboriginal/Islander Catholic Body in Australia and it is a working committee within the Australian Catholic Bishop commission. They take the opportunity to meet in Sydney when all the Bishops meet there twice a year. Read NATSICC's response to the changes in the Constitution
Pope's Speech: 25 years on
Thu, Feb 2nd, 2012
The Pope's Speech: 25 years on Celebrating the beautiful and timeless words from Pope John Paul in Alice Springs (Pope's speech).
Heroes and Villians of Budgets Past
Wed, Oct 5th, 2011
Some of the Prime Ministers considered to be the great friends of Aboriginal people, have turned out to be their betrayers. Of all the Prime Ministers since the 1967 referendum, the only one to have never delivered a cut in funding to black spending in percentage terms has been William McMahon (although as treasurer he delivered a cut in 1969).
Debunking the cultural theory myth
Fri, Oct 14th, 2011
Contrary to what many would want you to believe, new research finds that culture is not the cause of problems in Aboriginal Australia. The Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn, and Senior Research Officer, Lucy Snowball, looked to test the proposition that Aboriginal culture could explain the high levels of violence among Indigenous Australians. After sophisticated statistical testing, their findings indicate there is little support for the hypothesis that Indigenous violence is linked to Indigenous cultural life. Indeed they suggest those with low cultural attachments have a higher risk of experiencing violence. They found strong support that violence is strongly linked to marginalisation. They suggest that deep poverty and social exclusion result in a heavy drinking lifestyle and associated higher rates of violent victimisation.
Aboriginal People and the Justice System Fact Sheet
Mon, Oct 31st, 2011
This year’s Social Justice Statement is titled: Building Bridges, not Walls: Prisons and the justice system. The Statement asks Catholics to think about conditions in our prisons, who is sentenced to prison and why. Rates of imprisonment in Australia have
risen sharply although levels of crime have remained steady. Read more...
