Lismore Grandmothers Against Removals - GMAR

01/12/2021

Greeting, Lismore locals.

We are seeking a rental property for a young couple with a child due in a few months. The couple are employed, with steady income and good rental references. They are open to a broad range of locations. The housing market, as you probably know, is extremely unforgiving at the moment.

If any home owners in this group have a property or space for rent, kindly please comment below or message GMAR directly. This is a great opportunity for allies to come through with material support of the most crucial sort.

With much love and thanks in advance for any leads,

Lismore GMAR ❤💛🖤

22/11/2021

Today's Gmar meeting with the mayor Vanessa Elkins

21/11/2021

David Shoebridge of The Greens is soon to be tabling a new Bill in parliament which aims to reduce the currently rampant forced removal of children from First Nations families.

Usually the trigger for child removal is inadequate housing access. Homelessness and low socio-economic status and mobility amongst mob are a pervasive vestige of colonial suppression. The Commonwealth Govt has a responsibility to repair this damage - not use it as an excuse to further dismantle Indigenous power.

The development of this Bill has been spurred by the advocacy of the original Grandmothers Against Removals (GMAR) group from Gunnedah NSW.

Please share and support.

First Nations children are still being stolen from their family, culture and Country — and at an increasing rate. Markela Panegyres reports on a NSW Greens' bill that is seeking to make this colonial practice illegal.

08/10/2021

Ever-watching Father:
We Pray for the suffering children.
We know that your eyes see their tears.
That your heart knows their sorrow.
That your hands reach them now with your Agape Love.
We Rember that Jesus was once a child, that poverty stole his bread, that tyrants sought his life, that his mother tasted fear.
We ask you to send friends for the lonely.
Saviours for the enslaved.
Rescue for the perishing.
Give us the Wisdom to do our part.
Leave our comforts.
Lend them our voice.
Send them our food.
Keep the Safe.
Love them with your Agape Love.

08/10/2021

Aboriginal workers working in DCJs do not have the right or knowledge to make decisions on behalf of families without proppa consulting with the families. They think they can say oh that person isn't suitable because of past trauma it's because of these sorts of I'll informed workers acting on their own biased option that's just not good enough and not proppa that's just hinderance Youse don't walk in our shoes. And there is a lot of nepotism that goes on with workers being related to carers that not appropriate and definitely biased.DCJs need to be more transparent which they are not they still have the Mission Managers mentality with their Aboriginal workers as puppets who tell their mission managers non truths without firstly talking to the families. I have experienced this personally with Docs as it was or the welfare board writing so many lies in their reports you see I went home and spoke with elders who told me exactly what happened and how I was brutally forcibly removed from my Mother.then years later I asked for my files after reading it I was shocked by the lies which didn't line up with the truth of what my elders told me so many lies. Which was perpetrated by certain Aboriginal people living on the mission at the time. Nothing has changed you still have the same situations overall DcJs have breached human rights and the Guidelines and Principles of Gmar and the Bringing them Home report also I haven't seen any of the recommendations from the Family is Culture report by Megan Davies implemented. Nothing has changed. Shame on DCJ and your associates.!!!

08/10/2021

The right to self-determination and Child protection.
For a child protection system to be effective,many Aboriginal people have argued that it must be consistent with Australia's human rights obligations and founded on Indigenous peoples' right to self-determination.
The right to self-determination is the fundamental human right upon which free,prior and informed consent is grounded. It includes internal and external aspects. Historically, the right to self-determination... was devised to ensure subjected nations and people could recover their autonomy, preside over their destinies, make decisions for themselves and control their resources. The right to self-determination was indeed construed as a pillar right, including other rights of people and nations to be free from coercion of any sort,to live in dignity and to enjoy all rights equally, including the right to be responsible for their futures,to be fully informed and to be in a position to freely refuse or accept offers,plans, projects,and proposals that affected them or their resources.

08/10/2021

The language of self-determination is frequently used in respect of Aboriginal child protection, yet the concept is ill-defined in law and policy at both the state(NSW) and Commonwealth levels.
The right to self-determination is the right of Indigenous people's to freely determine their political status and economic, social and cultural destiny.

08/10/2021

What's with carers who are getting paid by DCJs wanting to be part of Gmar. What's their agenda.

08/10/2021

Whats with carers wanting to be part of Gmar when they getting paid by DCJ makes you wonder.?

30/09/2021