Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – Reduce the presence of Aborigines in Australian prisons, protecting the native language to support the development of local Aboriginal communities...these are among the proposals contained in the new report issued by the Council for Human Rights in Australia, a governmental association that conducted a research study on conditions and perspectives of Aboriginal communities in Australia.
The study results were sent to Fides and have been presented to the Australian Parliament, which is committed to pursuing the economic and social development of the Aborigines and their progressive integration into the social fabric of Australia, while retaining their cultural identity.
Currently, the Aborigines in Australian society number about 470,000. The government, with the help of several NGOs and a strong commitment from the Catholic Church, has launched programs for human development, education, and solidarity, to contribute to growth and development of these communities.
The commitment of the Australian government comes in the wake of the recommendations offered by the recent UN report on the situation of indigenous peoples in the world ( "State of the World's Indigenous People"). According to the document, more than 370 million indigenous people around the world live in poverty and suffer from deprivation in healthcare, education, employment, and human rights and it is the duty of the government to intervene to promote their human, economic, and social rights. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 2/2/2010)
