Yolŋu youth in East Arnhem will have ongoing engaging activities for the next five years led by their community leaders to grow up strong in two worlds.
After a successful pilot of this innovative community led youth development and strengthening model, the East Arnhem Land Youth Model (EALYM), or Guŋga’yunga Djamarrkuliny, is being extended with the support of the Territory Labor Government, the Australian Labor Government and Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA) through a $7.75 million co-funding package until June 2027.
The Territory Labor Government together with the Australian Government and the ALPA have signed a Partnership Agreement, committing to support the community controlled East Arnhem Land Youth Model for the years to come, and to ensure the model is evaluated and learnings gathered.
The youth model will include activities that reinforce connection to country, culture, language and family.
First established and piloted in 2020, the youth model was led by leaders across Gapuwiyak, Galiwin’ku, Ramingining and Millingimbi who wanted a better way to support their young people with over $3 million of investment by the Territory Labor Government, the Australian Government and ALPA.
In 2022-23, the youth model grew with over 20 clan and community based activities to positively engage young people, support cultural learning and reinforce positive youth behaviours.
Each community has its own local leadership group, created in consultation with local clan and community leaders, which makes decisions about a flexible community fund to engage young people in activities that will support them in ways that work for the families and communities.
The EALYM supports community leadership taking control and care of youth through principles of Yolŋu governance and decision making embedded in the model, along with data and evidence from agencies and the community to measure success and capture learnings to build on the approach over time.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Decision Making Selena Uibo:
“The Youth Model Partnership Commitment and joint funding are a practical and powerful demonstration of the Territory Labor Government commitment to Local Decision Making.
“We are walking together, and our role is to help the success of locally developed and community led approaches. We are proud of our ongoing partnership with ALPA, the Australian Labor Government and the leaders of all four communities.
“Yolŋu leaders are at the centre of programming, making decisions about the approaches that work best for their communities and their young people to support growing up strong in two worlds.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Youth Ngaree Ah Kit:
“It is so important for young Territorians to be guided by strong leaders so they can become the leaders of tomorrow.
“I acknowledge the important work of Yolŋu leaders who have guided the development of this Local Decision Making agreement with support from both the Federal Government and Territory Government, as well as ALPA.”
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy:
“I’m so pleased to attend the signing of the Guŋga’yunga Djamarrkuliny East Arnhem Land Youth Model Agreement, empowering local decision making.
“Formal partnerships like these, between community and government are key to Closing the Gap.
“The Albanese Labor Government is deeply committed to self-determination and the investment in this agreement demonstrates that commitment.”
Quotes attributable to Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation CEO Alastair King:
“The Guŋga’yunga Djamarrkuliny program is such an important youth program because it is driven by Yolngu in their community.
“Young people, their parents and traditional leadership determine how they will engage through activities that work for them in their community, ALPA’s role is to help facilitate their ideas.
“The program is jointly funded by ALPA and Federal & Northern Territory Governments and should the program be successful could see the model used elsewhere in the country.”
