Australia: Tracking the Intervention (Enhanced DVD)

In 2007 the Australian government declared a national emergency and instated military rule in 73 indigenous Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory of Australia. The cause? Multiple cases of extreme child sexual abuse in the areas seized. This program examines this move by the Australian government and its effectiveness in curing and preventing the problem by investigating the progress in two different communities. 

The community of Maningrida wasn't told before the federal government moved in to intervene. Peter Dunanja, a local community leader, speaks out and calls for the government to work with local leaders to improve the lives of children in the area. The government moved in with a task force, surveying for basic needs in the community and assessing children's health. They assessed every child for signs of abuse. Government programs, instituted to improve children's health in the area and protect children from further sexual abuse, still come under fire due to their disregard of the voices of the indigenous people groups living there. A very similar story is told about another community, Aputula. With all the improvements made in both communities, the Australian government is still falling short in many ways. Programs designed to improve the overall socioeconomic health of the communities are falling short of their goals. The indigenous people groups of the region are angry because their voices aren't being heard. The most important shortfall is the fact that the people responsible for the travesties committed on the communities' weakest and most innocent members, the children.  (44 minutes)

Length: 45 minutes

Item#: BVL51938

Producer: Journeyman Pictures

Copyright date: ©2008