Pathways to Better Practice Research for Indigenous Children: The Alcoa Centre for Stronger Communities at Curtin University have embarked on a research project which aims to address the seriously escalating problem of providing child protection services to Indigenous children and their families in rural and remote areas in Western Australia and Queensland. As a priority, the project, titled Pathways to better practice, will look at better ways of recruiting and retaining professional practitioners who provide quality services that build stronger communities and safer environments for the children. The collaborative three year project is funded under the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme, and industry partners include the Department for Child Protection (WA) and the Queensland Department of Child Safety. For more information contact Sally Rowe at Curtin University on (08) 9266 2793 or via email.

The Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration: Invitations are extended to attend the Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration on Saturday 17 November 2007 at the Fremantle Esplanade from 2pm to 9pm. Wardarnji showcases the local Indigenous culture and talent through music, dance, stage performances and stall displays and is enjoyed by more than 5,500 people each year. Wardarnji encourages reconciliation, raises the profile of Indigenous people and highlights the importance of Fremantle in local Noongar heritage. The Department of Indigenous Affairs is a proud sponsor of the festival's finale, the Twilight Corroboree and the State's Reconciliation Awards through its PALS program. Other festival highlights include performances by Kev Carmody, Djiva, Phil Moncrieff, the AbMusic Set along with cultural workshops and stalls featuring bush tucker foods, sports, and art. Wardarnji is a free family event with activities to cater for all ages. For more information contact Public Affairs at DIA here.

NFSA Fellowship Available: The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) is offering an opportunity for Indigenous Australians researchers and creative practitioners to engage with the NFSA's collection and contribute to Australia's historic and contemporary moving image and recorded sound culture. The fellowship includes a supported residency at the NFSA in Canberra with access to the national audiovisual collection and its associated documents and artifacts. The successful applicant will be able to explore and connect with the collections to inspire or inform a new work, publication or live event. Applications for the Indigenous Research Fellowship for 2008 are welcome by 6 December 2007. Further information can be accessed from the NFSA's website here or by contacting Marilyn Higgins on (02) 6248 2032.

Local Government and Discrete Indigenous Communities Conference: Decisions makers of local government, State and Commonwealth agencies and the remote Indigenous communities of WA will be brought together for a conference on Functional Communities: Local Government and Discrete Indigenous Communities from 5-7 December 2007 at the University Club of Western Australia. The conference aims to increase understanding and awareness of the roles and responsibilities of each sector in terms of service delivery to Indigenous communities. The conference will be opened by The Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich MLC, Minister for Local Government and keynote addresses will be presented by General John Sanderson (Special Advisor to the WA Premier for Indigenous Affairs), Mr Tom Calma (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner) and The Hon Fred Chaney AO (Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia). The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of Indigenous Affairs (WA) and the Federal Departments of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. To secure a place at the conference or for more information, visit www.lgmawa.org.au

New renting advice for Indigenous consumers: Booklets aimed to help Indigenous people better understand their rights and responsibilities in the rental housing market were launched on 19 October 2007 by Consumer Protection Minister Sheila McHale. "Renting a Place in WA - Guides for Indigenous People" contains three booklets - Getting a Place in WA, Keeping a Place in WA and Leaving a Place in WA. The booklets have been published to provide practical, easy to understand information and uses plain English and culturally appropriate material and advice on dealing with situations that might arise in public and private rentals. The booklets also provide checklists and useful contact numbers and overall have been designed to help Indigenous people with rental accommodation issues. Ms McHale commented that rental issues were the most significant issues to arise from surveys conducted by the Consumer Protection's Indigenous Education Unit and that this publication will complement other tenancy and housing publications and resources available through Consumer Protection and other agencies. For further information and copies of the booklet call 1300 30 40 54 or email here.

National Drug Research Institute Restriction Report: New research from the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) revealed that alcohol restrictions are effective in reducing alcohol related problems in Indigenous communities but are most effective when properly enforced, supported by the community and complemented by measures that address the underlying causes of alcohol misuse. NDRI researchers spent the past two years examining the evidence on alcohol restrictions, determining how effective different restrictions were and what factors made restrictions more likely to work. The results were presented in a report titled Restrictions on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol: Evidence and Outcomes, and concluded that what worked included restricting trading hours, restricting alcohol sales on particular days of the week, and price-based restrictions such as removing from sale low cost beverages such as cask wine. Electronic copies of the Restrictions report are available at www.ndri.curtin.edu.au

National Indigenous Television Coming to Foxtel: Australian Subscription TV viewers will soon have access to National Indigenous Television's (NITV) signal via retransmission on Foxtel. NITV and Foxtel have signed an agreement to commence satellite retransmission from 1 November 2007, with cable transmission to follow soon afterwards. NITV is Australia's first 24 hour national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Channel and broadcasts programs on arts, music and dance, cultural programming, history, deadly dramas, comedy and children's shows. Through their programs NITV aims to inform, entertain, educate and preserve Indigenous languages and showcase the rich diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures nationwide. NITV is currently available via Imparja TV's second channel to remote communities across Australia but through this partnership with Foxtel, NITV will be available throughout Brisbane, Sydney, the NSW Central Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and all of Western Australia. For more information on NITV and for a full media release, visit the website here.

National Museum sends Indigenous Art exhibition to Japan: The National Museum of Australia will present an exhibition of works by the Indigenous Australian artists Emily Kame Kngwarreye: Utopia, the Genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye at the National Museum of Art, Osaka and the National Art Centre, Tokyo in 2008. The exhibition is the largest collection of works by a single Australian artist to tour overseas. Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c1910 - 1996) was a senior Anmatyerre custodian and artists who lived and worked at the centre of Australia, 250kms north of Alice Springs, in relative isolation from the art world that sought her work. Emily Kame Kngwarreye completed more than 3000 paintings on canvas over a period of eight years. Craddock Morton, Director of the National Museum of Australia commented that the exhibition, "not only tells the story of Emily Kame Kngwarreye as one of Australia's greatest contemporary artists but also tell the story of her life as a custodian of the desert country that inspired her work." For more information visit the National Museum of Australia website here.

WA Indigenous Health Conference: A forum focusing on sexual health issues faced by Indigenous people throughout Western Australia will be presented by the Family Planning Association of Western Australia (FPWA) from 20-22 November at the Tradewinds Hotel in Fremantle. The conference will look at successful programs from around the WA state and beyond and will focus on the areas of community-based projects, working with young people, blood-borne virus issues and clinical updates. Attendance numbers are limited to 100 to allow for plenty of interaction and opportunity for informal sharing and networking. For a registration form or more information visit the website here or contact Sue Parker on 9227 6177.

Colours of Our Country Indigenous Art Exhibition: Rio Tinto Iron Ore invites the public to view their "Colours of Our Country" art exhibition which will be displayed at the Central Park Foyer (152 - 158 St George's Terrace) from 22 October to 4 November 2007. This exhibition is Rio Tinto Iron Ore's second year in promoting the exquisite collection of Indigenous artworks created by Indigenous artists from the Pilbara and is one of the largest collections of Pilbara Indigenous art ever shown in Perth. More than 100 pieces - including paintings, woodwork, artefacts and textiles - created by 25 artists will be on display. Free admissions with daily opening hours from 10am to 4pm. For more information visit the website here.

Training and Enterprise program wins national award: The Caversham Training and Enterprise Centre Program (CTEC) is a local area community crime prevention and youth re-engagement in WA that provides young people at risk of not completing compulsory schooling, or at risk of school exclusion, with access to education and training. This program recently won one of the four national awards for the annual Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards 2007. The awards are primarily designed to recognise community led crime prevention activities. The CTEC program runs out of an Aboriginal Lands Trust property, a once-derelict primary school, where young people are taught the necessary construction and trade skills to transform the abandoned facility into an enterprise and training centre for predominantly Aboriginal youth. The program uses positive role models, including the assistance and involvement of the DIA Midland office, to improve the employability of participants and reduce the risk of reoffending.

Silent No More Book: The Wilma Womens' Health Centre in Campbelltown, NSW has launched a book titled 'Silent No More,' that tells the stories of a group of Indigenous women who are adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. The book aims to be a resource for survivors and a companion to the women in their healing journey. The book was a work in progress for two years and involved workshops, art exhibitions and writing, again all part of the healing process for the involved group of women contributing to the publication.  The book contains stories, poems, art, hope, love and compassion and is aimed to help other survivors live with dignity and hope. There are many sections outlining how survivors are coping and healing and suggestions for helping yourself. The book was funded by the Department of Families, Communities and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) and a copy can be ordered by contacting the Wilma Women's Health Centre via email here.

Say no to violence against women on White Ribbon Day: On White Ribbon Day (25 November 2007) thousands of men in Australia and across the globe will be wearing white ribbons to encourage all men to condemn violence against women. Violence in a relationship is something that affects around one in four West Australian women. You can play a key role in White Ribbon Day by wearing a white ribbon, organizing local events or distributing white ribbons to members of your community. For more information and see how you can get involved visit www.whiteribbonday.org.au

Count Us In Awards Submission: The Disability Services Commission and People with Disabilities (WA) Inc. invite nominations for the 2007 Count Us In Awards. The awards showcases access initiatives that are improving the quality of life for people with disabilities throughout Western Australia. The awards have five categories for organizations, including State Government agencies and an award for individuals. For nomination forms or more information please visit the website here or contact Stephen Eadie on 9426 9281. Nominations close on 26 October 2007.

Positions Vacant at DIA: There are a number of vacancies at the Department. To view the position details, please visit the employment section of the DIA website here.