Last year, the small remote communities of Bulman and Weemol in the Northern Territory came together to hold their first ever cultural festival. The festival committee had a single overarching aim: “to teach their kids their culture so that it doesn’t go away”.
The festival was a huge success for this Roper Gulf community and has inspired them to make it an annual event – a celebration of their culture, history and people.
For their efforts the Festival Committee received the 2012 Australia Day Local Government Award for “Bulman Community Event of the Year”. And Festival Committee Chairperson, Kenneth Murray, was named “Bulman Citizen of the Year”.
ICV volunteer, Rose Too, helped plan, coordinate and evaluate the festival and continues to support the community with preparations for the 2012 festival later this month.
The Walamun Cultural Festival will be held from 22-24 June 2012.
Bob is 65 and lives with his wife in Culcairn, NSW. He is involved with Rotary, listens to infants reading twice a week, visits an aged hostel and plays lawn bowls. And in his spare time he shares his plumbing knowledge and skills with Indigenous communities through ICV projects.
When asked if he has any words of encouragement for others thinking of volunteering with ICV, Bob says, “Yes, have a go! It may be the best thing you ever did!”
Eating well on the aged pension isn’t easy. Too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seniors also suffer diabetes. A project in Woodridge south of Brisbane has tried to address both concerns. It supported a community of seniors to grow their own fresh produce and learn from each other about healthy eating and cooking.
Exciting things are happening in Cherbourg, northwest of Brisbane - a community ICV is working with.
The Ration Shed offers tours and educational programs for schools, institutions and other visitors while also providing a space for the Cherbourg community to remember its history and celebrate achievements.
“A poster boy” is how one ICV volunteer describes young Indigenous chef Daniel Walton, the NT Government Career Young Achiever for 2011.
Twenty seven year old Daniel, whose mother Georgie is a Traditional Owner of Kakadu, is running the Santa Fe Restaurant and kitchen attached to a tavern in suburban Darwin.
Developing and maintaining the heart of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) is the aim of an Arrernte woman and a former NSW north coast resident now living in Alice Springs.
Tucked away in a room at CAAMA, Sylvia Purrurle-Neale and ICV volunteer Jody are working hard to systematise a veritable gold mine of visual and audio material of Indigenous culture from throughout Australia.
Providing employment for Mer Island residents and attracting community members to return are the principal aims of an ICV project with the Island’s Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC).
PBC Chair Douglas Falen Passi approached ICV to assist with a funding application aimed at creating for a more efficient office
Improvements such as Internet access will allow the organisation to become more involved in industries such as fishing and eco-tourism.
Jasmine Crea grew up in a major city and was confronted by how Indigenous people in remote places lacked access to services. That realisation took her to remote Warruwi on Goulburn Island in the NT where she ran a screen printing workshop.
ICV’s project was backed by the West Arnhem Shire Council and the Dutch Embassy.
Does your community have a vision or community plan? ICV works in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations by linking skilled and trained volunteers to help in a practical way.
