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" Unfairness occurs when one
group is dealt with in terms of
another group culture."
Unknown
Virtual
Sisters aims to provide opportunities
to meet and engage with Aboriginal
women on-line for cross-cultural
exchange, for better mutual understanding
and for appropriate resource support.
VIRTUAL
SISTERS OF MUDGIN-GAL IS A RESOURCE
BANK PROVIDING:
Advocacy
& Lobbying
Funding
Submissions & Grant Applications
Mentoring
& Training Partnerships
Skills
Sharing
Broader
Understanding: Cross Cultural
Awareness
Home
Maintenance, Drives & Collections
Donations
& Fundraising Events
Critical Support
Your
Ideas & Suggestions
Advocacy
& Lobbying advocacy@virtualsisters.org.au
"
Indigenous women must be integrated
into their countries' decision-making
so they can reclaim their right
to make informed choices about
their lives ..." UN Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues, March
2004
As
Mudgin-Gal is an on-the-ground
community organisation, it is
best placed to provide information
on the issues affecting indigenous
women in its constituency. There
is no better source than direct
consultation with the workers,
volunteers and women of Mudgin-Gal.
Connections
with other interested organisations,
professional associations and
political leaders would ensure
that original, primary data is
available for advocacy, educational
and funding purposes thereby enabling
the community to take an active
role in the process of creating
policy.
Virtual
Sisters who have this access available
to them can become forceful and
influential advocates for an otherwise
disempowered community.
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Funding Submissions &
Grant Applications grants@virtualsisters.org.au
Every
year there are large buckets of
funding in corporate and departmental
budgets which are inaccesssible
to organisations like Mudgin-Gal
- funding which seeks to address
issues of domestic violence, child
abuse, family support, substance
abuse, poverty and after prison
support.
Mudgin-Gal
staff do not have the time and,
in some instances, the expertise
necessary to source and compete
for additional funding, which
is vital for the survival and
independence of the organisation.
It cannot successfully compete
for funding against the more powerful,
highly trained and staffed Non
Government Organisation (NGO's)
which often have the backing of
a church or charitable organisation.
Mudgin-Gal
is the only organisation which
confronts all these issues on
a daily basis in an Aboriginal
way. It receives very little financial
support, sufficient only to employ
1.5 full-time workers. To maintain
its independence and power to
determine its own direction and
programming, Mudgin-Gal is not
aligned with any parent, peak
or outside organisation.
Virtual
Sisters who have the experience
in this area can help to remedy
this inequity by helping to:
•
write a funding submission or
grant application
• develop programme proposals
from Mudgin-Gal policy
• locate advertised funding
opportunities in the corporate
and public domain.
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Mentoring & Training
Partnerships mentoring@virtualsisters.org.au
Virtual
Sisters can create opportunities
for mentoring and/or training
partnerships in their company
or business by:
•
recommending the development of
an Aboriginal women's employment
strategy
• initiating in-house cultural
awareness seminars conducted by
Mudgin-Gal women to ensure a respectful
and knowledgeable working environment
• creating positions for
trainees and finding appropriate
individual mentors
• sourcing and facilitating
further training and education
for Aboriginal trainees and employees.
•
personal and family financial
management
• professional advice for
incubator businesses
• assistance with developing
procedures and policy manuals
• assessing data to produce
outcome reports, trends and future
needs
• managing computer literacy
programmes in partnership with
the Redfern Computer Centre
• IT & website expansion
and support
• conducting health &
well-being groups: yoga, nutrition,
relaxation & stress management.
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Broader Understanding:
Cross Cultural Awareness crossculture@virtualsisters.org.au
Become
better informed about Aboriginal
culture, priorities and what it
means to be black in today's society.
Organise a friends group, workplace,
school, floor, office or practice
to participate in a workshop
which can be developed and conducted
by Mudgin-Gal women.
Home Maintenace, Drives
and Collections maintenance@virtualsisters.org.au
Mudgin-Gal
operates discreet, short-term
housing for women and children
in crisis. The houses are in need
of repair. You might be able to
organise working
bees or suggest trades-people
you might know who would donate
some time to ensure that the buildings
are safe and as homely as they
can be.
Send
an email to put yours or other
volunteer's names on the list.
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Donations & Fundraising
Events fundraising@virtualsisters.org.au
Whilst
the primary contribution of Virtual
Sisters will not be financial,
some may have lateral fundraising
ideas unique to their group, workplace
or community. These would be most
welcome.
Making
donations, or soliciting them
from others, may be the form of
support provided by Virtual Sisters
who do not have the time to commit
in other areas.
For
tax deductibility, sending cheques
and receiving receipts, please
see the Join Up
webpage or email info@virtualsisters.org.au
for more information.
All
proceeds will be used solely for
Mudgin-Gal projects and staff
wages. Fundraising in the name
of Virtual Sisters, must be authorized
and certain procedures adhered
to.
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Critical Support
support@virtualsisters.org.au
The
staff and volunteers of Mudgin-Gal
need hands-on assistance with
many of their core activities
including grief & loss support,
court support, anti-violence mediation
and anger management.
Whilst
the face-to-face work is handled
by Aboriginal women, assistance
from volunteer Virtual Sisters
on a case-by-case basis would
be a great help.
To
apply to be on the list of names
for emergency assistance, please
contact the above
email
Your
Ideas & Suggestions info@virtualsisters.org.au
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