Black Rainbow set to become first peak Indigenous LGBQTI suicide prevention body and calls for greater inclusion of informed Indigenous people in executive and leadership positions across all functions of suicide prevention.
Australia’s newly formed peak Indigenous LGBQTI suicide prevention body is set to launch in the new financial year. After three years of relentless campaigning, conversations and valuable feedback, founder Dameyon Bonson says, ‘the time is right’.
“The announcement from the major parties in the lead up to this year’s election on their commitment to mental health and suicide prevention is encouraging and to be applauded,” he said.
“Black Rainbow also calls on party leaders to ensure that in the future directions of mental health and suicide prevention that leadership is demonstrated in the recruitment of informed Indigenous people as part of its execution and delivery. That the formation of a National Office for Suicide Prevention must include informed Indigenous Australians as part of its executive and leadership group. It is only through this inclusion, which is noticeably absent from the landscape, that rates of suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will be reduced.
Mr. Bonson echoes the call from Lowitja Institute CEO Romalie Mokak, that “Indigenous people should not just be brought to the table, but be made co- designers in the solutions”.
Black Rainbow supports the notion of a National Suicide Prevention Act, however, informed Indigenous Australians must be at the table co-designing from day one. For such an Act to be effective and sustainable, the process at all times must be one of equity otherwise we continue in discrimination.
To arrange to speak with Black Rainbow please contact via email, love@blackrainbow.org.au
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