This past week we have been able to see bits and pieces of the entire city, learn about two local organizations, and taste lots of different food! The first agency we visited was VACCA (Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency), and it was an incredible learning experience. None of the people in our group previously knew much about Australia’s Aboriginal history, let alone understand the rich cultural traditions and values of the population.
I (Rachel) was particularly struck by the similarities in how both of our countries glorified colonialism. Australia seems to have done a much better job of recognizing their fault quickly and taking action to preserve the Aboriginal population, but it is still a work in process and both countries have a lot more to do. The stereotypes associated with the Aboriginal population here are similar to the United States view of Native American reservations, assuming that they are all alcoholics and dependent on social welfare…but it’s simply not true. The resilience within this population is truly inspiring. One of my favorite quotes by Helena (one of the speakers from the agency) was, “We need to succeed within these systems that were not designed for us.”
As a social worker, this is such a powerful statement alluding to the oppression that minorities all over the world are facing. The Aboriginals had such a better understanding of the environment…they knew how to work with the land rather than against it. They had a beautiful system of working together and sustainably living off the land without destroying it before the Europeans came, and the country is just now beginning to realize that maybe the native people understood how to live in Australia better than the “civilized” foreigners. I am intrigued by the wisdom and knowledge that the Aboriginals here and the Native Americans back home have to offer, and as a social worker I hope to fight to find those strengths within whatever population I work with.
From the First Peoples exhibit at the Melbourne Museum:
When we went to the Royal Children’s Hospital on Wednesday May 13th, many of my classmates got split up. I (Vy) got put into a group with three others and we headed to Gatehouse, a center for sexual assault.
It was fascinating. Gatehouse focuses on children and young people who have been affected by sexual assault. Gatehouse provides many different services. There are counseling services, crisis care, consultations, advocacy, training, and research being conducted. The one thing that blew my mind was that Australia has a totally different system than the United States and I learned that they too are frustrated with their positions and power, or lack there of. Their police system, child protective services, and social workers are separate entities. I could see their perspective on why it was so frustrating working with the system, when it seems like the system is working against them. In Victoria, social workers are not mandated reporters, which means they do not have to report any disclosure of harm to oneself or harm against another person.
It is fascinating to see that one service has all these resources and plans to help a client, but they do not have the power to directly report the issue. They can only refer and recommend to another agency. Social workers in the U.S. have the duty to report and if not, get in trouble. That is a huge difference in the two systems that I found interesting.
After this experience, I can take the information from Gatehouse that I learned and perhaps create a service in the U.S. that incorporates the amazing services Gatehouse provides. We had smaller meetings with social workers that discussed vulnerable children, trauma, and bereavement. Those were interesting as well. We got a lot of information on their legislation and processes the government has been debating on.
Just within the first week, our worldview has been challenged in big ways by seeing a different social system and experiencing another culture.