Happy NAIDOC Week! Message from the CEO

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme GET UP! STAND UP! SHOW UP! is particularly significant.  

It celebrates the history of fighting for progress and urges all Australians to commit to bringing about systemic change.  

A new government brings opportunity for new policy change and support, and a broader community understanding of history brings opportunity for healing, support and advocacy. And of course, NAIDOC is the opportunity to elevate deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and community success. 

This NAIDOC Week I’m visiting several top end communities and hanging out with Elders and incredible committed aged care staff, sharing with community partners their triumphs and successes and speaking with our emerging youth leaders about their hopes, dreams and yes, fears, for the future. I’m celebrating NAIDOC and our deadly mob while at the same time being acutely aware of the impacts of year-on-year disadvantage and failed systems. 

I am going to get up. I’m going to stand up. And I’m going to show up. I’m going to do my bit to see change in my lifetime. Walk with me. 

Stephanie Harvey, CEO Community First Development.