Abstract
Indigenous
people are the members of a group of people whose ancestors have lived in the
same land since the time immemorial. While there is no universally recognized
definition of indigenous people, but according to the United Nations Indigenous
people are inheritors and practitioners of unique culture and the ways of relating
to people and environment. They consist
of a non-dominant group of people that share a common pre-colonial history with
a culture, language, and belief system that is separate and distinct from the
dominant social group within the larger society. The UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples demonstrates the general consensus of the
international community of support for the rights of indigenous people.
Following points are mentioned in this article such as characteristics of
indigenous people and, how social workers can move towards more empowering, rights-based
practice that develops individual and community capacity. Social Work curriculums
across the nation all devote a significant amount of time and focus to looking
at skills for working with Indigenous people and communities in the context of
historical, social, economic and cultural considerations, so that the social
workers of tomorrow are well acquainted in issues that impact on their Indigenous
clients.
Key Words: Indigenous People, Human Rights, Social Worker,
Community Development
Indigenous people are member of a group
of people whose ancestors have lived in the same land since dateless. While
there is not a universally recognized definition of indigenous people,
according to the United Nations, they can be identified by seven
characteristics:
Indigenous people and communities are
very often ‘social work clients.’ By shifting our focus to human rights, how
social workers can move towards more empowering, rights-based practice that
develops individual and community capacity.
This will provide an opportunity to
discuss some important areas where social workers can intervene and play a role
like how we can address family violence and abuse in Indigenous communities .
All of these connect with human rights
at a number of levels. Social work is a profession that is built on, according
to the AASW’s Code of Ethics: the pursuit and maintenance of human well-being.
Social work aims to maximize the development of human potential and the
fulfillment of human needs. The Code of
Ethics goes on to state that two of the key values and principles are: human
dignity and worth; and social justice. Human dignity and worth mean that social
workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of every person and respect the
human rights expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. Social justice encompasses the satisfaction of basic needs; fair access
to services and benefits to achieve human potential; and recognition of
individual and community rights.
These values and principles in the Code
of Ethics already establish the foundations for human rights based social work
practice. But what does human rights based social work practice look like in
real life? Human rights are often categorized as first, second and third
generations.
First
generation rights are civil and political rights, like the right to vote,
freedom of speech, and freedom from discrimination, fair trial etc; In terms of social work practice, realizing first generation
rights means advocacy either on behalf of individuals or disadvantaged groups.
Social workers working in advocacy might be involved in the protection of civil
and political rights through advocacy groups, refugee action groups or prisoner
reform. In relation to social work practice with Indigenous people, the
advocacy. Second generation rights are
economic, social and cultural rights, like the right to health, housing, social
security and education; Working to realize second generation rights is the bread-and-butter
work of most social workers. It involves putting services in place to meet
rights like the right to education, health care, housing, income and so on. So,
every time a social worker takes a client to Centre link to assist them to get
income support, or liaises with the Department of Housing to find
accommodation, or refers them to a community health center for physical, social
or emotional support they are engaging in a form of human rights work. A
related point on these second-generation rights is that unless services
actually exist, these rights cannot be met. Third generation rights are
collective rights, such as the right to development and self-determination;
Third generation rights are collective rights which intersect perfectly
with the social work practice of community development. Social workers are
facilitators for this process of change that occurs from the grass roots in a
bottom- up way. The relationship between community development and human rights
is so symbiotic and illustrative that:
Community development needs human rights-based
framework if it is to be successful, and human rights needs a community
development framework if they are to be realized and discern. The marrying
together of community development practices and human rights principles is
being increasingly recognized at the United Nations level. The United Nations
Common Understanding of a Human Rights Based Approach to Development
Cooperation sets out necessary elements of policy development and service
delivery under human rights-based approach as follows:
1.
People are recognized as
key actors in their own development, rather than passive recipients of
commodities and services.
2.
Participation is both a
means and a goal.
3.
Strategies are
empowering, not disempowering.
4.
Both outcomes and
processes should be monitored and evaluated.
5.
Analysis should be including
all stakeholders.
6.
Programmes should be
focus on marginalized, disadvantaged, and excluded groups.
7.
The development process should
be locally owned.
8.
Programmes aim to reduce
disparity.
9.
Both top-down and
bottom-up approaches should be used in synergy.
10. Situation analysis is used to identity
immediate, underlying, and basic causes of development problems.
11. Measurable goals and targets should be
important in programming.
12. Strategic partnerships should be
developed and sustained.
Community
development has a special role in working with Indigenous communities as many
of our communities are struggling with enormous problems and disadvantage. The
problems that we face are so complex and often so entrenched that it can be counterproductive
to just intervene at an individual level. Social worker is not just dealing with the
child or their parents but broader social and community patterns. In this
situation, it is likely that the community has a very few viable employment
options. Housing is no doubt overcrowded and in poor condition (it is not
uncommon for up to 16 people to be living in houses in remote communities);
alcohol is probably a problem in the community; with that comes violence,
restarting that cycle of destruction all over again. On top of that the social
worker also has to contend and grappled with the fact that as part of the ‘welfare’ they probably don’t have a
very good reputation in the community and it may be challenging to build a
cooperative relationship. The role for social workers is enabling them to
access these solutions and strengths, consistent with their human rights. If
community development is about building capacity through participation and
local solutions, they want and how they
think problems should be solved. Interestingly, this might mean that things
like consultation and community participation are too time consuming and get
forgotten about or intentionally disregarded.
Human rights
are universal and indivisible. Obviously, the government has an obligation to
act to protect the rights of women and children from violence and abuse but
this cannot be at the expense of the right to non-discriminatory treatment. It
will always be the most disadvantaged and powerless that will have their rights
violated as they do not have the voice or means to be heard. If there is one
thing that we can learn from good community development practices, it is that
the process is often just as, if not more, important than the outcomes because
it equips the community to then be able to do things for themselves. Without a
sense of control over life, people quickly slip into a state of powerlessness. Intervention
results in further dispossession or an extreme sense of powerlessness, this
will constitute a‘re-dramatization’ of Indigenous people. This will have a
negative effect on a) Mental health including possibly higher rates of
depression, stress and anxiety b) Social and emotional wellbeing through
increasing anxiety and uncertainty and hence this may precipitate family and
community despair and dysfunction, poor or mal-adaptive coping and contribute
to substance use and possible violence as well as loss of trust; and c) Physical
health as there is a strong relationship with chronic stress and poor health
outcomes including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These unintended consequences
will contribute to the problems of community dysfunction rather than create an
environment for meaningful change. The eve of the Apology to the Stolen
Generations is also a good time to think about the consequences of
interventions that breach human rights standards. The experience of the Stolen Generations has
taught us that well intentioned interventions with children and families can
have long term consequences. Social workers have acknowledged with regret the
part we have played in that policy and we are determined that it should not
happen again. Long term solutions can only be found by working closely and
respectfully with Indigenous communities. It shows a real maturity as a
profession as well as compassion and empathy for those that were stolen.
Validation and recognition are part of acknowledging our shared humanity. Our
shared humanity is really the basis of all human rights.
Social work shift to a more critical
focus where students are given the skills to question power and structures at
both a macro and micro level. This can be seen in the way reflective practice
is taught to students. This makes them more aware of their own position as
social workers (and the power that often holds) and challenges them to
continually find better, more inclusive ways of working. Ongoing reflection and
learning keep us from falling into the traps of the past. It is great to see a
growing number of Indigenous people entering the profession. More Indigenous
workers who are accessible to their communities will ultimately improve
community perceptions of the profession.
However, I think it is also important
to reflect on the particular challenges of being an Indigenous social worker.
Social work is a demanding job for anyone and requires personal resources to
help people in great need. Indigenous social workers it is especially hard.
Because we often work in our own communities, with our own families, it is a 24-hour
job where you are always unofficially on call. This can be exhausting and also
creates its own challenges when a ‘tough call’ needs to be made because it can
be hard to separate the personal from the professional. Not all Indigenous
people who work in community service, health or welfare services have had the
chance to gain formal qualifications like Social Work. Because of this and the
hierarchies that exist in some work settings, they can feel like their
experience and knowledge is not always valued. While these workers may not have
a piece of paper stating their qualifications, about social work and human
rights in their communities than all of us put together. Social workers need to
continue to work in partnership with Indigenous people and communities.
About the violence and abuse in
Indigenous communities. Some of these are community development programs; some
are client focused casework and counseling services. All of them reinforce the
same key messages - namely that there are things that are working often against
incredible odds. And those things that are working are either generated
directly by the community or the funding agency has taken real steps to engage
with the community at every step of the way. Some of the stories are inspirational
and there are some lessons also. In some ways, none of this is news for social
workers who work in alliance with individuals, families and communities to deal
with the consequences of family violence and child abuse every day.
Human rights are not just lofty
principles that get talked about at the United Nations. They are our everyday
experiences of getting our needs met and an expression of our shared humanity.
They give social workers a framework for their advocacy, direct service and
community development work, especially when social workers can often be the
ones caught in the middle of the political mine field which is policy
implementation. Human rights are above politics and ideology so they are a
useful tool in arguing for change. Human rights-based approach to social work
is about making clear targets, ensuring targets are met and outcomes are
evaluated. We are entitled to expect that public policy will be:
·
evidence-based and informed by best practice models;
·
consistent with human rights laws and principles;
·
designed to meet targets and deliver measurable benefits
over time;
·
subject to rigorous and transparent monitoring, evaluation
and review, and
·
Those governments will employ a learning framework so that
past mistakes will not be revisited.
Rights do not come without
responsibilities. As governments have an obligation to protect rights, they
also have a responsibility to ensure these rights can and are met. Social
workers have long been involved in advocacy and campaigning for social justice
that you continue to ask important questions that provoke accountability.
Social workers, with their strengths in reflective practice and learning from
practice, are ideally placed to be arguing for better evaluation and evidence
led policy to ensure rights and responsibilities are met. Ideally placed to disseminate information
about best practice models and approaches – to draw governments’ attention to
what is working in Indigenous communities both here and overseas – and to
advocate for changes that will deliver the best possible outcomes and
opportunities for our children and our communities. Human rights based social
work is important in all the work we do, but perhaps even more so for
Indigenous people and communities. But Indigenous people also have special
rights as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples which was only passed by the UN in September last year. The
Declaration reaffirms that indigenous individuals are entitled to all human
rights recognized in international law without discrimination. But it also
acknowledges that without recognizing the collective rights of Indigenous
peoples and ensuring protection of our cultures, indigenous people can never
truly be free and equal. This is where social work community development can
support Indigenous communities in ways which are empowering, based on partnership
and recognizing culture to move forward. expertise, commitment to the fundamental
principles of social work and hard work on the ground is critical to assist
Indigenous people meet to their human rights.
In the international system, states are
considered sovereign entities, which mean they generally have the right to
manage their internal affairs without outside interference. Indigenous people
live within the internationally recognized boundaries of sovereign states. This
geopolitical reality makes cooperation by states imperative for the success of
any indigenous people's movement. This may require political advocacy not only
by the indigenous people but also by the international community. One of the
most important advances in the Indigenous People's Movement is the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted by
the United Nations General Assembly in 2007.The Declaration recognizes that
indigenous people are entitled to the same rights afforded under the Charter of
the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
international human rights law. The Declaration also holds that indigenous
people are entitled to be free from discrimination based on their identity and
have the right to self -determination. As part of their right to self-determination,
they have the right to 'freely determine their political status and freely
pursue their economic, social and cultural development.' They also have 'the
right of autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and
local affairs….' It's important to note that the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is not legally binding upon states. In other
words, it does not have the force of international law. Nevertheless, it is a
clear message from the international community, and states that violate its
principles may be pressured to comply and adhered to.
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