What is the self determination policy?
Self-determination is an ‘ongoing process of choice’ to ensure that Indigenous communities are able to meet their social, cultural and economic needs. It is not about creating a separate Indigenous ‘state’.
When was the self determination policy introduced in Australia?
1972
Self-determination becomes the official approach to Indigenous affairs. When the Whitlam government came to power in 1972, self-determination replaced assimilation as the official approach to Indigenous affairs.
Does Australia have self determination?
Australia is a party to seven core international human rights treaties. The right to self-determination is contained in article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
What are the 3 key features of self determination?
Principles of self-determination
- Freedom. They can exercise of the same rights as all citizens.
- Support. They can autonomously determine how to organise their resources.
- Knowledge. Knowledge of what has and hasn’t worked elsewhere helps avoid mistakes or going the wrong way.
- Financial responsibility.
- Stable policies.
What was the protection policy in Australia?
In the name of ‘protection’, Indigenous Australians were made wards of the state and subjected to policies that gave government the power to determine where Indigenous people could live, who they could marry, and where they could work.
When did segregation end in Australia?
Legislation including the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Commonwealth Racial Hatred Act (1995) and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act (1986) outlaw racial discrimination in the public sphere in Australia.
Does the UN support self determination?
International law makes clear that all peoples have the right of self-determination. 2 This is affirmed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (“ UN Declaration”).
What are the five principles of self-determination?
The principles of Self-Determination are; Freedom, Authority, Support, Responsibility, & Confirmation.
What was the purpose of the Aborigines Protection Act?
This Act gave powers to the Board for the Protection of Aborigines which subsequently developed into an extraordinary level of control of people’s lives including regulation of residence, employment, marriage, social life and other aspects of daily life.
What was the purpose of the protection policy?
The 1915 amendments to the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 gave the New South Wales (NSW) Aborigines Protection Board the power to remove any Indigenous child at any time and for any reason.
What is the definition of self-determination in Australia?
While there is no commonly agreed definition of self-determination in Australia, and its meaning is contested, there does appear to be general agreement that central to self-determination is the right of indigenous Australians to make decisions on issues relating to them, and to manage their own affairs.
When did the policy of self-determination for Indigenous Australians start?
The federal Labor Government led by Gough Whitlam adopted the policy of ‘self-determination’ for Indigenous communities in 1972. This policy was described as ‘Aboriginal communities deciding the pace and nature of their future development as significant components within a diverse Australia’,
What does international law say about self determination?
International law defines self-determination as the right of all peoples to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. The intended outworking of self-determination policy approaches was Indigenous participation in policy and decision-making, and in individual and community leadership.
What is the right of self-determination for all people?
All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.