To show its commitment to Closing The Gap in indigenous health and wellbeing, a broad coalition of local not for profit associations and community groups is taking to the streets next Thursday, 19th March, to commemorate national Close The Gap Day.
Local organisation Micah Projects has teamed up with global charity Oxfam to put on a special event in the small park at 161 Boundary Street, opposite the Lizard.
Other groups joining Micah Projects and Oxfam include West End Community House, Caxton Legal Centre, ANTaR, Medicare Local, West End Uniting Church and more.
Also in attendance will be indigenous footballers from the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns and Souths Logan Magpies.
The local event will also include healthy food choices, performances by local musicians and guest speakers including Natalie Pakoa from the Greater Metro South Brisbane Medicare Local and community activist Sam Watson.
The day gets underway at 11 am with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Des Sandy.
According to Micah Projects CEO Karyn Walsh, the focus of the event will be on getting signatures on petitions to demonstrate wide community support for the Close The Gap Objectives.
“There will be volunteers from Oxfam walking up and down Boundary Street collecting signatures,” said Ms Walsh.
“After the disappointing results announced in Parliament by the Prime Minister recently in his Close The Gap report, it’s vital that we as a community show our whole-hearted support to the First People of Australia,” said Ms Walsh.
National Close the Gap Day is a way for all Australians to join together and remind our political leaders of their commitments to close the life expectancy gap by 2030.
More than 150,000 people took part in 1298 separate National Close the Gap Day events across the country last year, and this year is expected to be even bigger.
Oxfam is part of the Close the Gap campaign, Australia’s biggest public movement for health equality. It is a coalition of Australia’s leading Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and human rights organisations.
National Close the Gap day launched in 2007. Go to oxfam.org.au/closethegapday for more information other events in your neighbourhood.
For more information, please call Micah Projects on 3029 7000.
