Lowitja Institute

Happy National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day for this weekend! This year’s theme, 'Strong in Culture, Stronger Together', celebrates the strength our children gain from their deep connections to culture and community. Lowitja Institute is proud to currently support the Brisbane-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) through a Major Research Grant to reshape kinship care, ensuring our children thrive in culturally safe and supportive environments. Using community insights to build better, more responsive kinship care models, ATSICHS's work helps children stay connected to their roots, fostering resilience and pride in their identity. You can read about the work @atsichsbris is doing here: https://hubs.li/Q02HLvwc0 Together, let's uplift our children to be proud to come from the oldest living culture in the world. #StronginCulture #StrongerTogether SNAICC - National Voice for our Children

Today also marks the second anniversary of the Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation, established on her 90th birthday in 2022. ‘Through the Foundation, we are honoured to carry forward her vision to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through self-determined pathways that provide equality, empowerment, voice and action.' – Deb Edwards – Dr O’Donoghue’s niece and senior project officer for the Foundation. To gift a donation in honour of Dr O’Donoghue, please visit: https://hubs.li/Q02JHx2Q0

Today we honour and remember our namesake and co-patron, the late Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG, on what would have been her 92nd birthday. Dr O’Donoghue, a proud Yankunytjatjara woman, passed away on 4 February 2024 on Kaurna Country in South Australia. ‘Our Auntie and Nana, Lowitja, meant so much to so many people and she can never be replaced nor forgotten. We have been held by the nation who loved her, and we are very grateful.' – Deb Edwards – Dr O’Donoghue’s niece and senior project officer for the Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation. To read our media release: https://hubs.li/Q02JHvhD0

The Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) program was established in 2010, using a population health approach to deliver culturally-safe knowledge around smoking. The smoking rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has since dropped to around 37% since TIS was established. This article published in The Lowitja Journal provides a brief overview of the TIS program and its successes to date. You can read the full article and the rest of the journal here: https://hubs.li/Q02G8r1p0 Ninti One Ltd #Journal #Research #FirstNationsJournal

Applications close this Friday for our Major Research Grant Round 2024. If you have started an application, now is the time to submit it. You can find out more and apply via our website or email any questions you may have to [email protected] https://hubs.ly/Q02HLvnD0 #Funding #MajorGrants #Research #AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderHealth

Lowitja Institute is currently hiring a Senior Policy Officer. The Senior Policy Officer is responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of Lowitja Institute’s public policy and advocacy activity. What you'll love about working with us: - A supportive, inclusive, and empowering work environment. - Collaborate with a dedicated and talented team of passionate people. - Competitive salary and benefits package. Read the full job description and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gXn_M_fa

Thank you Linda Burney MP for your tremendous contribution to furthering the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Minister Burney has been a great supporter of Lowitja Institute and was a close friend of our co-patron, the late Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG, who she called a 'role model'. Lowitja Institute wishes Minister Burney all the best in her future endeavours.

We are so grateful to Associate Professor Kalinda Griffiths, Director Poche SA+NT at Flinders University, for working with us last week to present the Lowitja Institute Indigenous Data Sovereignty Framework Workshop. Molly leadership and management team members all gathered in Meeanjin to consider Indigenous Data Sovereignty, how we practice it in our work, and where we can continue to grow and strengthen our practices. Associate Professor Griffiths guided us through the Lowitja Institute Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Readiness Assessment and Evaluation Toolkit allowing the group to yarn and consider the principles together. The Toolkit is a valuable resource for organisations to evaluate and improve systems. The day incorporated time for us to reflect together on our strongest practices, look at how we embed them within our operational policies and systems for consistency, and always prioritise the flexibility of shaping our work around what we hear directly from communities. The Molly Team all highly recommend the workshop and the Lowitja Institute Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Readiness Assessment and Evaluation Toolkit, check out an intro video here: https://lnkd.in/g9G47u74

Pipeline Talent is on the lookout for a Deputy CEO to join the prestigious Lowitja Institute! If you are a visionary leader with a passion for making a difference in the health and wellbeing sector, this could be the perfect role for you. As the Deputy CEO, you will play a pivotal role in driving the strategic direction of the Lowitja Institute, collaborating with a talented team, and contributing to positive change in the community. This is a unique opportunity to be part of an organisation dedicated to improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To learn more about this incredible opportunity, reach out to us at 0280016603 or drop us an email at [email protected]. Let's start a conversation about how you can bring your expertise and passion to the Lowitja Institute and make a real difference. #DeputyCEO #LowitjaInstitute #PipelineTalent #LeadershipOpportunity #Healthcare #CareerOpportunity #HiringNow Lowitja Institute Pipeline Talent

Our submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs’ Inquiry into economic self-determination and opportunities for First Nations Australians has now been published online. This inquiry is looking at how to scale up enablers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ engagement in training, employment and business development, and how to remove barriers to community-led economic growth. In our submission, we wrote about the importance of the economic determinants of health, and about our critical work in growing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and research workforces – getting more of our Mob into careers that have longevity, offer progression pathways, and help keep our communities healthy and thriving. And we recommended the Joint Standing Committee should consider: - Policy mechanisms to accelerate the development and growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led businesses - The value of our community-controlled organisations in achieving economic self-determination - Ways to encourage governments to make urgent progress on Closing the Gap Priority Reform Three – ‘transforming mainstream government organisations to improve accountability and respond to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’. Read the submission: https://hubs.li/Q02GHqB10