Economic freedom and the old school tie

The majority, if not all of the class of ’77 would be able to secure a tick against each of the social capital components; bonding, bridging and linking, as they perform the networking activity each day without consciously knowing they are doing so.

I am aware of networks of Indigenous people, connected through their common causes; land, legal, academic, public service and so on, that have assisted in advancing their member’s plight and that of other Indigenous people seeking a fair go. The degree to the success from such Indigenous networking activities is not fully known - or at least not by me.

Later next month I will get a chance to speak and hear of the successes of Indigenous leaders at the 2nd Annual Indigenous Leadership Forum in Brisbane. The theme for the conference is “Empowering the next generation of leaders to bring about social change, economic development and community independence”. Speakers at this conference (PDF 202KB) include Waverly Stanley, Founding Director Yalari; Professor Mary Ann Bin-Sallik, Charles Darwin University and member of the NIC; Peter King and Allan Murray, Unity Foundation; and Jacqui Katona, former CEO Lumbu, to mention a few.

A week later I’ll also get to meet another group of leaders and speak at a conference at the Queensland University of Technology. The title of the conference is Indigenous Economies Symposium with a theme that looks at “… ways Indigenous people are engaged or disengaged in the various economies that have emerged since colonisation”. Keynote speakers at the conference include Dr Maggi Walters, Dennis Jose, Professor Aileen Morton Robinson, Steve Larkin and possibly a book launch of Professor Martin Nakata’s latest publication.

I believe Indigenous people need to learn from and duplicate non-Indigenous peoples social and economic practices - that have brought them prosperity in today’s demanding times - while maintaining the richness of their traditional culture inherited from their ancestors.

I also believe a sound economic footing allows for peace of mind and a high degree of freedom from stress and anxiety.

It is through my literal interpretation of economic freedom in this article that I believe we can work towards addressing the concerns raised by Malcolm X in the ’60s: “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”