permaculture

[Pacific Edge Permaculture + Media <pacedge@magna.com.au>]

> From: <permed@nor.com.au>

> Hey Bill - did you realise that over 80% of this (so-called Aboriginal)
> money goes into white wages, lurks and perks - most of the whites
> fleecing the 'aboriginal aid industry' are racists, hate Aboriginals or
> have condescending patriarchial attitudes and have no interest whatsoever
> in solving any problems - to the contrary they have a vested interest in
> perpetuating the problems to keep their cushy jobs.

Robyn's statement is might be true in general - I have no information on
which to agree or disagree - and I note that she says 'most' of the
whites... yet the only two people I know who have worked in the 'Aboriginal
aid industry'  have  been earnest in their motivation to improve the lot of
Aboriginal people.

One is a friend who worked for an appropriate technology training centre in
Alice Springs and who currently works for the Central Land Council. The
other is my ex-partner from many  years ago who, as a criminal lawyer,
worked for the Aboriginal Legal service in Tennant Creek and has had a
long-standing commitment to justice.

Robyn's statement about people in the industry having no interest in solving
problems reminds me of something I was told just last night by a local
government worker. She said that she found it interesting now, in the years
since the environment became the centre of an industry, environmental
trainers and managers treat it like any other job - after doing their day's
work, they continue to throw away packaging, continue to buy their coffee in
throw-away cups an so on.

Drawing an analogy with Robyn's allegation, is it the training these people
undergo in tertiary institutions or is it just that once something is
mainstreamed and becomes an industry it it just another way to make a living
that accounts for this behaviour?

...Russ Grayson


> Assumptions are dangerous things and lead to ill-informed opinions and
> unfair judgements.
> I could give a massive rave on this issue but don't have time right now -
> just please don't fall into the trap of the mindless racism of our 'one
> nation' of fools and bigotted idiots that have absolutely no idea of
> what's really going on in their own backyard when it comes to Aboriginal
> Australia
> Robyn
> 
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to permaculture as: pacedge@magna.com.au
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu
> Get the list FAQ at:
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/permaculture.faq
>