DjirraVIC

Have you completed our Big Supporter Survey yet? In case you missed it... our Big Supporter Survey is still open and we want to hear from you! As a valued Djirra supporter, your feedback will help shape what, when, and how we share Djirra campaigns, news and events with you. It only takes 5 minutes so please jump in and give us your two cents! https://lnkd.in/gD6zxwJq **Closes Sunday 8 September **

Join Djirra for four months as a Community Engagement Support Officer! In this role, you’ll assist with organising community engagement workshops - primarily Sisters Day Out and Young Luv - and act as a support during our Koori Women's Place workshops. The position will start in September 2024 and finish up in December 2024, on a fulltime or part time basis. The key responsibilities are: • Support with the planning, delivery and evaluation of our early intervention and prevention programs as well as KWP. • Provide respectful, open and helpful service to all women who participate in Community Engagement activities. • Contribute to the work of program data collection, monitoring, and evaluation. • Collate workshop materials and resources, deliver to sites for set-up, then take-down, clean-up and return to storage. • Attend community events and promote the services of Djirra to Aboriginal community groups, agencies, and families across Victoria. • Act as a cultural support and resource for the Koori Women’s Place program as required. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply. To learn more, or to apply, visit https://bit.ly/3VPJtC2

Djirra CEO and Change the Record Co-Chair Antoinette Braybrook AM has shared a powerful opinion piece in The Guardian today, following release of the Missing and murdered First Nations women and children inquiry report. 🖤💛❤️ “Much of what we said to this inquiry – to every inquiry and committee – is not new,” writes Antoinette. “For many, many years we have been highlighting the same issues, the same systemic racism and targeting of our people on one hand, and on the other repeating the same proven self-determined solutions that will bring change.” “But are those in power listening to us?” “Now more than ever we are looking to all political leaders – regardless of party – for urgent action and change that puts our women’s and children’s safety first.” Change the Record #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter #MissingAndMurdered 🔗 https://bit.ly/3WSlVvn

Djirra is proud to partner with Optus and the KARI Foundation to provide Aboriginal women escaping violence with free sim cards for calls, texts and data. We have seen more and more of our women and children seeking emergency relief as they flee violence and are experiencing homelessness or spending time in temporary crisis accommodation. Through this partnership, Aboriginal women and children can remain connected with their family and usual support services - wherever they are. If you are an Optus customer, you can also donate unused data to the scheme! Find out more at https://bit.ly/3An0DyJ

Yesterday we finally received the full report of the national Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children Inquiry. It was an important first step to shine a light on the devastating reality of the epidemic of violence faced by our women and children. But it was only a FIRST step. If the recommendations had been bolder and delivered the urgent, practical actions our women and children need to be safe - it could have been an even BIGGER step. We MUST see urgent and increased investment in our critical work on the frontline of Aboriginal women and children’s safety. Pouring more money into police WILL NOT keep us safe. We must see independent oversight mechanisms – led by Aboriginal women – to hold police accountable. We have told our truth and now we demand urgent action. We are looking to our national, state and territory leaders to invest in bipartisan solutions and real change that finally puts our women’s and children’s safety first. You cannot un-hear us now. Read more at https://bit.ly/3X6iWkq #MissingAndMurdered #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter Antoinette Braybrook AM

The landmark report into Missing and murdered First Nations women and children will be made public this afternoon. “Finally we have been given a national platform to tell our truths about the devastating loss of our women and children who are being murdered and brutally disappeared,” says Djirra CEO and Change the Record Co-Chair Antoinette Braybrook AM “Our experiences and stories vary but the underlying message will always be the same. Our women and children are NOT safe and their lives must be VALUED.” Djirra provided a submission to this Inquiry and strong Djirra women Antoinette Gentile, Kirby Bentley and Courtney Ugle also shared their stories and amplified the voices of Aboriginal women we work with. The Guardian interviewed Kirby and Courtney about their stories here: https://bit.ly/3M8Nsnm “Today our truths are on the public record. Often TRUTH is uncomfortable and painful but it must be TOLD and it must be HEARD. You cannot un-hear us now.” Djirra and our CEO Antoinette Braybrook AM will have more to say when we read the full report later today. Stay tuned! #MissingAndMurdered #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter

A message for our sisters & supporters 💖 Tomorrow, the Senate Inquiry into Murdered and missing First Nations women and children will release a major new report. You might see media coverage or comments in your feeds. You might also see posts and photos telling the stories of much-loved women and children who have been killed or who have been brutally disappeared. This topic – and coverage of this report – will be difficult and distressing for our people, and especially families of those who have opened their hearts and shared their stories of pain and loss. Please take care and if that means taking a break from social media and the news cycle, please do that. As always, if you are an Aboriginal woman in need of support you can call Djirra on 1800 DJIRRA (1800 105 303) 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. 13 YARN (13 92 76) is available 24/7. We are here for you. 🖤💛❤️💚💙 Djirra is calling for urgent action on this important report and will be sharing a lot through social media and our CEO Antoinette Braybrook AM will be providing comments to media get the report the attention it deserves. Governments MUST invest in our self-determined solutions that put Aboriginal women’s and children’s lives first. Governments MUST listen to the brave women and men who have told their personal stories of loss and heartbreak. Djirra DEMANDS that Governments pay careful attention to the systemic racism and targeting of our people -especially by police and other investigative bodies that this report will surely reveal. We want ACTION and demand URGENT CHANGE.

We are SHOCKED and dismayed at the Allan Government’s decision to break its PROMISE to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years old by 2027. “The youth crime wave narrative we are all reading about and seeing in the media is NOT reality,” says Djirra CEO and Change the Record Co-Chair Antoinette Braybrook AM. “The Allan Government is confusing information from a biased, politically motivated scare campaign clearly run by Victoria Police as a substitute for evidence and fact.” ABS data shows that Victoria's youth crime incidents remain at historic lows. “Now is the time for the Allan Government to show REAL leadership and follow through on its commitments to Aboriginal people and our self-determination," says Antoinette. "We no longer accept a betrayal of our trust. Our kids deserve better.” Read more: https://bit.ly/3SNqMwS #RaiseTheAge

We want to hear from you! Our Big Supporter Survey has landed and as a supporter of Djirra, we would love to learn more about your interest in Djirra. Your responses will help shape the ways we communicate with you, types of information we share and how we can do more for the people who stand with us and invest in our self-determined solutions. The survey is quick and easy! In fact, you’ll be done in under 5 minutes, making it the perfect activity to fill the time waiting for your next coffee, train or appointment. Jump in here: https://lnkd.in/gD6zxwJq On behalf of Djirra, we thank you for your feedback, ideas and ongoing support – it’s truly appreciated. 🖤💛❤️

Today is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. We share a message from Djirra CEO Antoinette Braybrook AM, who is currently on a Churchill Fellowship tour meeting First Nations women and organisations across the US, Canada, and New Zealand. “Every year for more than 30 years we – as First Nations people around the world – have seen this Day as another day where we can shine our light. Shine our light on the ongoing impacts of colonisation and shameful, systemic racism and targeting of our people. But also, to shine an even BRIGHTER light on our unwavering courage and resilience to THRIVE as the First Peoples. As we do every year, Djirra calls on you to stand beside us and elevate our voices. But this year is a little different. Before this year we did not know we had 6.2 million people across this country standing with us. Djirra remains with you, in the YES. For me personally, and I know for many of the Aboriginal women whose lives have been touched by Djirra and for all who have travelled with us for over 22 years, this was a DEFINING moment and one that we KNOW will bring change. Djirra is and will always be loud and unapologetic in our advocacy and unwavering commitment to the lives and safety of EVERY Aboriginal woman and child. So this year we ask every one of you to make your YES mean even more. Get behind us in our calls. For urgent investment in our specialist, self-determined solutions that work to keep our women and children safe. For an end to the over-policing, criminalisation, and incarceration of our women. For immediate reform of punitive and unfair systems that are taking more of our children than ever away from their mums, families and communities.” To stand with us and be part of our story, donate today at https://lnkd.in/gmARCDZ #IndigenousPeoplesDay