ReconciliACTIONnsw encourage young people to get informed, then take action in your community to address the injustices faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples. This section provides tools to help you get active!

• Event Management and Case Studies
• Reconciliation Specific Resources
• General Resources - Topical and Youth Based
• Resources Available in Hard Copy

Event Management and Case Studies
Event Management Introduction
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Brief introduction to event management developed by ReconciliACTIONnsw. The Purpose of this pack is to assist you with your first efforts at organising small events such as project launches or small gigs. It is not meant as a training package or “How To” method, simply an introduction to the techniques we find effective. At the end of the pack you will find resources that can assist you further in developing your skills.

Case Studies

This section gives examples of projects run by young people, to show what is possible. If you have a project you want others to know about, tell us at recon@reconciliaction.org.au

Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)

The AIME program partners Indigenous and non-Indigenous university students with Indigenous High School students in a one-on-one mentoring relationship.

AIME was started in 2004 by Jack Manning Bancroft, currently CEO, and with the assistance and dedication of the AIME team and volunteers the program has grown to include a number of universities around NSW.

Further background is available on the AIME website (below), but what you really need to know is that AIME works.

The program has produced a more than 30% increase in attendance in the Sydney City program over the last four years. In 2008 the program expanded to include AIME Wollongong and AIME Western Sydney. Ever ambitious, AIME now has the infrastructure and desire to expand and help meet the needs of kids across the country.

http://www.aimementoring.com 

Reconciliation Specific Resources

How to start a Local Reconciliation Group
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/car/1998/1/StartLRG.html A Local Reconciliation Group (LRG) is a number of people who have formed into a group to support the reconciliation process and advance it within their area.  The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), produced a number of resources for people who want to start an LRG, or just get informed about reconciliation. These are available through http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car/.

Local Reconciliation Group Toolkit
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/car/2000/17/ This Toolkit contains information to help individuals and groups at various stages of involvement with reconciliation. It will help groups to plan what they want to do, manage themselves, fundraise, make the most of their strengths, build links with other groups, work with the media, have fun and make a difference.

The Local Symbols of Reconciliation http://beta.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/car/resources/Local%20Symbols.pdf Another great CAR publication is the Local Symbols toolkit. Examples in the kit include oral history projects, a memorial to Aboriginal people killed at Myall Creek and information panels and artistic symbols explaining the use of the natural environment by Aboriginal people.

General Resources - Topical and Youth Based

Creating Change in Your Community: A Handbook for Young People
http://www.yacvic.org.au/includes/pdfs_wordfiles/TYPSbook3.pdf This is an action resource produced by the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (2004). It includes an action focus section with tips on running a meeting, putting together a budget, working together, accessing existing resources etc. It isn’t the most youth friendly to read, but there’s some useful stuff in there.

YAPA - fact sheets & guides: youth activism, leadership & campaigns
YAPA provides website resources designed to encourage young people to get active in the local community. Information is provided on activism and leadership, organising events, organising entertainment, media skills (including how to generate media attention), as well as peoples success stories. See http://www.yapa.org.au/youth/activism/facts/index.php

ActNow
http://www.actnow.com.au is driven by young people and is an initiative of the Inspire Foundation. The main issues on the website are Multiculturalism, Human Rights, Education & Work, Culture, Environment, Health and the Toolkit, but they change all the time as new volunteers (young people) research and add extra information, and users have online discussions about issues that are important to them.

Racism: No Way! A guide for Australian schools
http://www.racismnoway.com.au This is a website developed by the Commonwealth Government in 2000. The strategies section is useful, and provides a framework for countering racism and outlines the educational responsibilities of schools to promote anti-racist agendas and implement good systems.

Indent Resources- Organising a gig
http://www.indent.net.au/resources/Indent is a project of MusicNSW, which aims to support young people to organise all ages gigs. The ‘Resources’ section of its website includes templates for things like budget and help sheets on how to put together an event, research on the music industry and risk management. Very useful for a young person putting on a gig or applying for funding to do a gig.

Protecting Human Rights in Australia - A community Education Kit: Indigenous Rights
http://www.piac.asn.au/publications/pubs/Indigenous.pdf The Public Interest Advocacy Centre fact sheet on Indigenous Rights covers Right to Family, Sovereignty and self-determination, Social and economic situation, Native Title and more. It points out failings and Australia’s responsibilities and suggests ways of improving Indigenous Rights in Australia.

‘Event Starter Guide: A Resource for Organising Events in NSW’ NSW Government, Premiers Department
http://www.events.nsw.gov.au/
Provides a checklist of things to ask yourself before you go ahead with an event. This will help to determine whether holding an event is the best way to achieve your goals. It includes information on logistics (contacts relevant to different aspects of the event and who to contact for legal advice) as well as tips for communication before and during the event as well as evaluation after the event.

Greens Action Kit
http://www.kerrynettle.org.au/files/campaigns/extras/Tips%20on%20getting%20active.pdf - includes good information on lobbying, starting at the local level, and some other information on the various forms grass-roots community action can take.

Community Builders – funding sources overview
http://www2.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/funding/ Lists different funding sources for community projects (Government and non-government, NSW and elsewhere), tips for writing submissions for grant applications and ideas for fundraising

‘Youth Participation Shop’
http://www.mcs.bc.ca/yps/hiring.htm A Canadian site that has some useful information on hiring and training staff, evaluation and loads of other stuff about youth participation (although much is Canadian specific). Worth checking out just for the unique ‘supermarket’ theme and innovative website design.

Resources Available in Hard Copy

Say No to Racism, YCW (2005)
This is a Kit for young people taking on racism in Australian society and schools. It explains what racism is, gives some examples of racism including personal stories from diverse young people including those from Indigenous, refugee, migrant, and/ or Australian-born backgrounds. Is includes a section of what you can do to combat racism, including forming a Say No to Racism Group or woking with the media. Great, to the point info, especially recent of events that either encouraged racism or built harmony in Australia, in the last 15 years. Hard copies may be available on request from www.yvw.org.au.