Grassroots Activism and the Indigenous Social Justice Association - Literature review Example

Grassroots activism and the Indigenous Social Justice Association Introduction Maddison & Scalmer (2006) define grassroots activism as occurring when people who believe in one cause come together to champion for some things they believe in. Grassroots activists for indigenous rights have been active in Australia for some time now and in this case the Indigenous Social Justice Association is an example. These people came together to demand for justice after the death of a young boy in custody (Maddison & Scalmer 2006).The association is closely associated with grassroots activism because of the activities it is engaged in. It fights for the rights of the indigenous people and campaigns for an end to deaths in custody. In this essay the definition and description of grassroots activism will be discussed. The existence and the activities of the Indigenous Social Justice Association will also be examined alongside the effectiveness of promoting indigenous rights. Grassroots activism Grassroots activism takes place when a group of people who are like minded come together for a certain cause that they believe in. The grassroots activists are not under the control of any political party. Their issues are normally in opposition to the policies supported by the main political powers Maddison & Scalmer (2006).Grassroots activism is normally positioned at the lower end of the political pyramid. Grassroots issues and causes are normally the opposite of what the political powers topping the pyramid have. Many influential politicians get involved in issues at the grassroots if they have strong feelings about those issues. The grassroots activist is very much concerned with political freedom. They also demand for freedom to protests and the freedom of speech. The western world may not realize that in many countries around the world people can be sent to jail for protesting. Grassroots activists normally spend a lot of time championing for their cause. They can hold meetings, raise funds and give their money and time for those things they have put their faith into. Grassroots activists are always vehement in what they believe (Sutton, 2004) This type of activism is usually a peaceful way of bringing change in policy that relies on the force created by numbers and the opinion of the public involved. Grassroots activism depends on basic rights such as freedom of expression and speech to bring change in a particular matter. When a grassroots campaign picks momentum it can really be effective in casing change to happen (Pimatisiwin, 2011). A successful activist campaign could begin with one of a few activists that may become hundreds or thousands. If there is significant support for a cause government policies and laws can be changed. An example of such campaigns was the wave hill walk off in the Northern Territory led by an aborigine Vincent Lingiarri. Any person who has a strong feeling about a particular issue can begin a grassroots campaign. Social networking sites supported by the internet have revolutionized the way campaigns are done. It has become easier to recruit activists and organize for campaigns Maddison & Scalmer (2006). Grassroots activism in Australia is credited for the changes in human rights that are being experienced among the indigenous people. However the struggle is still on and there remains a lot of crooked things to be straightened out. The desire to see the indigenous people being granted their rights especially those who are put in prison gave the inspiration for the birth of the indigenous social justice association. The level of indigenous deaths in custody had risen to alarming rates before prompting the rise of activism and other human rights campaigns. Indigenous Social Justice Association In regards to Weatherburn & Holmes (2010), The Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) of Melbourne was started in 2005 January with the purpose of organizing a match and rally on the National Day of Action to commemorate the first anniversary of TJ Hickey a Kamilaroi teenager. It was also meant to demand for fresh inquiries into the cause of his death. The 17 year old was killed as reported while being pursued by police. However the police were cleared from his death and have since claimed that they had nothing to do with his death. The police are believed to have played a significant role in the happenings before the boy crashed with a bicycle. Because of this controversy, human rights activists came together to demand for the truth about the death of Hickey. These activists formed what is known today as the Indigenous Social Justice Association (http://www.isja-msg.com/). The organizers of the NDA had consultations with some members of the Aboriginal community who were interested. Those taking part in the consultations supported the idea of the rally to seek for justice for Hickey. They also suggested that this should be a continuous effort that will be aimed at stopping aboriginal deaths in custody once and for all Weatherburn & Holmes (2010). ISJA-Melbourne is a multiracial grassroots activist group. It has both the indigenous and the non indigenous Australians. It works in collaboration with others in the country who are in the campaign to stop the deaths of indigenous people in custody. ISJA-Melbourne works with people whose loved ones have died in custody and its decisions are made democratically where all participants in a meeting are given equal say (Pimatisiwin, 2011). The primary objective of the association is to bring an end to indigenous deaths in custody and to support the quest of the Aboriginal people for justice. ISJA however knows well that the fight to stop indigenous deaths in custody is inseparable from the overall campaign for the rights of indigenous people. In connection to this the association advances campaigns aimed at recognizing the sovereignty of the many indigenous Australian nations. They also seek to see genuine treaties being created with these indigenous nations and for this they oppose the intervention of the Federal Government into Aboriginal communities (http://www.isja-msg.com/). ISJA-Melbourne campaigns for a huge reduction in the imprisonment of indigenous Australians which is high compared to the non Indigenous people. They also want the implementation to the full of the recommendations made by the Royal commission into the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC). They also want arrest as well as imprisonment to be used as sanctions when other means have failed according to the recommendations Sutton (2004). Since about 50% of the deaths in custody that the RCIADIC investigated belonged to stolen generations, the ‘Bringing them home report’ recommendations should then be fully implemented. The association is for the position that the powers of the police should not be increased further or giving them arms like tasers. ISJA demands that elected community based review boards be established with enough legislative and legal powers to be able to carry out investigations, discipline and charge the police officers, custodial health and prison officers that are believed to carry the blame for a death in custody Weatherburn & Holmes (2010).The same should happen if the officers are found to neglect or fail to take care of those they are supposed to. Included here are all the areas of juvenile justice. ISJA Melbourne also demands that Federal and State governments provide sufficient funds to families that lose their people in custody to meet at the state or territory level before a national meeting so that their demands may be formulated among them enough and suitable compensation Edwards (2004).Whenever possible the association extents its solidarity to other oppressed countries around the world as well as the rest of the indigenous people. They support the campaign that seeks to have political prisoners freed since they recognize that capital law has racism embedded in it in Australia and elsewhere. Such political prisoners include Mumia Abu-Jamal, Lex Wotton and Leonard Peltier. The association is involved in organizing rallies, community education, speak outs, meetings, benefits, petitions and other types of campaigns at the grassroots that can highlight injustice and create a world in which there will be no more deaths in custody. In Australia the trend has been that the indigenous Australians are imprisoned in bigger numbers than the rest of the citizens. Since they are denied justice the prisoners have had to go through hard times which have led to the death of some of them while in custody. The grassroots activism seen through ISJA has the stopping of indigenous deaths in custody as one of its objectives (Weatherburn & Holmes 2010).A campaign that was inspired by the death of Thomas Hickey, the Indigenous Social Justice Association has managed to inspire many other voices to speak for those indigenous people who are dying in custody. Campaigns by grassroots activists and those who promote indigenous rights are surprisingly successful at times. The effectiveness of indigenous rights promotion is not in doubt. Many campaigns have been seen to be successful since they have often made those in political power to bow to the demands of the activists. Promotion of indigenous rights helps to bring the inhuman acts done to indigenous people into the light so that the right actions can be taken about them. Indigenous Australians are today enjoying some rights which were not there before because of the campaigns of grassroots activists. Such rights include education and healthcare although not all the people have been reached (Horton 1994).  Conclusion In conclusion this essay has examined the description and definition of grassroots activism and the indigenous social justice association in relationship to deaths of indigenous people in custody. The death of a boy Thomas Hickey and its relationship with the Indigenous Social Justice Association have also been discussed. The activities of the ISJA and its relation with grassroots activism have been explored as well as the effectiveness of promoting indigenous rights. The activities of ISJA can be well described as grassroots activist since their campaigns are opposite the policies that political powers stand for. They are involved in the campaigns against human rights violation such as deaths in custody and holding of political prisoners by the authorities. The tribulations of the indigenous people are many and something must be done. That is why the struggle for their rights by activists and the ISJA must be upheld. References Edwards, W H (2004). An introduction to Aboriginal societies (2nd ed.). Social Science Press. p. 2. Horton, D. (1994) The Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History, Society, and Culture, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra Indigenous Social Justice Association, 2006, Publications relating to Indigenous Social Justice Association, Indigenous Social Justice Association Maddison, S and Scalmer, S, 2006 Activist wisdom: practical knowledge and creative tension in social movements, UNSW Press, Sydney, chap. 10, 'Hope and despair', pp 224-248. Sutton P. 2004, Aboriginal Economy and Society: Australia at the Threshold of Colonisation. Journal of Australian Aboriginal Studies, Vol. 3 No.2 Pimatisiwin, a journal of aboriginal and indigenous community health, volume 9 No. 1 summer 2011. Weatherburn, D and Holmes, J. 2010, 'Rethinking Indigenous Over-representation in Prison' [online] The Australian Journal of Social Issues Vol. 45, No. 4, summer 2010, p. 559- 576. Read More