packaging stories

Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard was a disappointment  when she failed to roll back the Northern Territory intervention or support marriage equality, according to @Ebswearspink, during a Twinterterview.

@Ebswearspink, a Gen Y Aboriginal woman who recently spent 3 months overseas as part of her The Travelling Unicorn project, said: “I really wanted her (Gillard) to take the unsafe position she was in and do revolutionary things like legalise same-sex marriage or roll back the intervention. She had a great chance to make change and she opted against it.”

@Ebswearpink, who created thetravellingunicorn.com to document her travels, said her interaction with other First Peoples proved inspirational and educational.

“The strength, resilience and independence of Indigenous Americans and Canadians was so inspiring.
"I think we’re (Australia) advanced in some ways like reconciliation wouldn’t even be a concept in the US but behind in some, like the political clout that tribes have in the US and Canada.”

@Ebswearspink believes that self-determination is the way to achieve equality for Aborginals. “I do think self-determination is the way forward. I really can’t see a way for the gap to be closed without ownership and buy-in from the community. We also need to develop and grow our future generations so they can continue to empower us.”

And when it comes to social media and telling stories, many Gen Y-ers are comfortable sharing online and platforms such as Twitter are an effective way of connecting with “like-minded” people worldwide, according to @Ebswearspink.

“I think some ppl are uncomfortable abt the way that Gen Y communicate their lives on social media as it exposes them to scrutiny but I don’t necessarily agree with that. I like being able to share my stories online.”

Contacts

@Ebswearspink
thetravellingunicorn.com
ramblinggirle.tumblr.com

Links

Storify >
storify.com/toppmedia/ebswearspink-twinterview

Self-determination >

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-21/bellear-indigenous-sovereignty/5032294

Closing the Gap statistics >

http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/closing-the-gap

http://www.naccho.org.au/aboriginal-health/aboriginal-health-state/

The NT intervention

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2012/06/20/factbox-stronger-futures-legislation

Note: The writer contributed to The Travelling Unicorn Indiegogo project.