Close the Gap Day: Review

The Close the Gap Day Info Session was held last Thursday in the NSW Action Centre on the 25th of March and received positive feedback from those who attended. The purpose of the day was to participate in Australia's largest national campaign which focused on closing the health crisis and poverty gap which separates Indigenous Australians from the rest of the population. The campaign hoped to inform Australian citizens of the ongoing devastating issues that burden the livelihood of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Amnesty International Australia and over fourty other non-Indigenous and Indigenous organisations joined together to acknowledge the suffering endured by Indigenous Australians and help to pressurise the government to commit to and respect the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Rebecca Reeve our guest speaker for the event presented her research findings which focused on Indigenous poverty in NSW city centres, confirming that the 'gap' really exists. She delivered an eloquent and interesting seminar that significantly highlighted the various indicators that contribute to the health crisis and poverty gap. Her research suggested more development in community programs is needed to combat this widening gap, focusing on programs and services that are already in place and providing more funding to reach out to a larger number of Indigenous people suffering in city centres.