How does the work you are doing relate to governance?
I am working with the GroundUp team at the Northern Institute at CDU. We are working in five communities. I am working in Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi and Ramingining in East Arnhemland. Our project, called Indigenous Governance and Leadership Project, includes recommended activities that include phrases like; ‘increasing understanding of principles of governance and leadership’, ‘streamlining and amalgamating existing governance groups’, ‘increase capacity’, ‘effectively engage with government’, ‘active involvement in service delivery’, etc.
What interesting or different insight have you gained about governance in your recent research?
Community leaders have seen our project as a way of strengthening traditional governance practices as well as exploring new ways to go on together using ‘both-ways’ methods. While this is interesting, it is something that I have heard for many years in East Arnhemland. Setting up Corporations is the new buzz. Government are saying if you want to take on opportunities you need a Corporation. The Corporation will be able to engage with us (and everyone else) effectively because it has a structure we (Govt.) can recognise and deal with.
What theoretical or practical problem to do with governance are you engaging with at the moment?
Theoretically, I think the way Foucault analyses the way objects come into being, are created, will be helpful, although I am still coming to grips with ideas like triple displacement. Practically, for leaders in Gapuwiyak to establish a truly representative Corporation they are looking back in time for answers to their impasse, in our discussions every stone of contact history is being turned. The work in trying to set up a Corporation is actually creating an impulse to ‘clean up our own backyard’. The real problem is whether an every changing Government and policy environment (good governance?) will recognise and acknowledge this new way of going on together.
Other relevant materials:
Presentation notes (meeting 2):
