1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: There has been a lot of discussion on this show. 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: I think that all of us will agree about crime. 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: But we've been contacted by quite a few listeners actually 4 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: suggesting that we get in touch with some of the 5 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: people behind the various youth programs across the Northern Territory. 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: And one of those groups that had been raised with 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: me on a few different occasions is Brother to Another. 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: Now it's a First Nations not for profit working to 9 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: address the gaps in the youth justice and out of 10 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: home care systems. And joining me in the studio to 11 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more about it is Jai Cardonah. 12 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Ji, good. 13 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,279 Speaker 3: Morning, Thanks so much for having me on. 14 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you so much for coming in now. Ji, firstly, 15 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: can you tell me a little bit more about this 16 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: program and how it came about. 17 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 3: Yep. 18 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 4: So, firstly, I'm a dah and born territory in So 19 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 4: I'm a can Oragon Barti and Benarragon Man, and I've 20 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 4: been really really fortunate to be a part of this 21 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 4: quite new non for profit. It's an Aboriginal First Nation's 22 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,279 Speaker 4: male led organization with some really special people who are 23 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 4: taking all of their skills, lived and education in the 24 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 4: space in together and really looking at what are the 25 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 4: strengths based approaches that we can have. So we're an 26 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 4: outreach service that focuses on social, emotional and cultural wellbeing. 27 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: Now, the thing that some people might be surprised to 28 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: hear is like this is run this is a philanthropic 29 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: so it's not actually territory government funded. 30 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 2: It's something that you guys. 31 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: Have obviously decided we want to make some change in 32 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: this space, and you've stepped up and you're doing it 33 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: off your own back, which I think is incredible. 34 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think that's a really special thing about Brother 35 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 4: to another is that we're bringing resources and funding into 36 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 4: the territory to run this program and look at what 37 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 4: does work. Another part of what we do is that 38 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 4: we've even brought research bodies in to collect our data sets. 39 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 4: So we're also creating a whole new data set of 40 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 4: strength based data and evidence based to show what actually does. 41 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 3: Work when we work with youth. 42 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 4: In young people, we strategically align ourselves so we look 43 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 4: at who are their peer groups who are influencing them, 44 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 4: and also we work with the families. So quite quickly, 45 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 4: if we take a referral on with one person. We're 46 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 4: taking on the brothers, we're taking on the mother's needs, 47 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 4: the grandparents and as a beauty in that because that's 48 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 4: a cultural way of working for us too, and it 49 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 4: does mean that we may have a slightly smaller case 50 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,119 Speaker 4: load as far as that young person, but we're really 51 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 4: looking at those influencers around the young person. We've also 52 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 4: got a layered mentorship and case management approach where we 53 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 4: want to build the older young people. So we're talking 54 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 4: about sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty one year olds to 55 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 4: be positive mentors for their little brothers in cousins and. 56 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 3: Whatnot. 57 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's a great, a great thing to do 58 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: because I think so often like you sort of get 59 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: to that age when you're a teenager. I think when 60 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: you're really young, you take so much notice of what 61 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: your parents tell you, and you know, you obviously follow them, 62 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 1: but then you kind of get to that age where 63 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: you're a teenager where your peers do become the people 64 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: that you take notice of. And if you've got good 65 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: positive role models to take notice of, that's surely got 66 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 1: to be a good thing. 67 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, And it's an awesome thing. 68 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 4: And I know at times where you know, I really 69 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 4: struggle with my mental health throughout my life, and particularly 70 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 4: as an adolescent and a teenager, and the people that 71 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 4: often kept me going and improving my well being and 72 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 4: getting my life back on track was being involved in 73 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 4: community groups and also positive Aboriginal male mentors who understood, 74 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 4: I guess, the struggles that I have, the annoyances that 75 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 4: I have with the world at times, but also the 76 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 4: beauty of what it is to be Aboriginal, and that's 77 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 4: a really special thing to have that, you know, if 78 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 4: we can, I guess, build up a workforce, and that's 79 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 4: another part of Brother to Another is that we've got 80 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 4: a workforce development side where we're building up local First 81 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 4: Nations workers and workforce so they can utilize lived the 82 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 4: experience but also look after themselves because we don't just 83 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 4: clock off at four twenty one, and we're still part 84 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 4: of the communities. You know, I know the grandmothers of 85 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 4: some of the youth that we work with. We've got 86 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 4: families who know my families from generations. So we've got 87 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,239 Speaker 4: that accountability to community, not just in a broader sense, 88 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 4: but in our community family groups as well. 89 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: Do I talk us through you know, obviously don't give 90 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: us individual names or anything like that, but talk me 91 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: through some of the examples of some of the work 92 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: that you've done, like with youths yep. 93 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 4: So I know one example is with a young fella, 94 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 4: say he's quite young, so under twelve. We and he 95 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 4: had actually gone into Dondale as well, and so when 96 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 4: we engage with him, we began engaging with him and 97 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 4: his grandparents, his mum, and his brother. This is a 98 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 4: young person with many you know, I guess you could 99 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 4: say disabilities or challenges with fas D and AHD and 100 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 4: things like that. And so what we did is we 101 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 4: work a lot on sensory work as well, and one 102 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 4: part was connecting him back to country and something we 103 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 4: can touch on a bit later, but really utilizing the 104 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 4: sense his censory work. And I guess what the strengths 105 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 4: are with him. I think one of the biggest wins 106 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 4: that we had, which we really really I was really 107 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 4: proud of, was him going back to school. And when 108 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 4: we talk about restorative justice and restorative functions, there's a 109 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 4: bit about reintegration to all the groups and part of society, 110 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 4: and we really see our restorative side even with the schools. 111 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 3: So we worked quite closely with. 112 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 4: The principal and teacher of this young person, to the 113 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 4: point where we actually went into the schools to support 114 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 4: the young person in the class, to see him, you know, 115 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 4: with a uniform on and his hair combed and winning prizes. 116 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 4: He was winning prizes in classroom for his learning, and 117 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 4: it was such a positive experience. And of course, like 118 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 4: we're talking long term change, so we're going to have 119 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 4: the ups and downs. 120 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 3: It's not just going to be this pretty. 121 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 4: Picture where you have a service come in and we're 122 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 4: not the be all end or like, there's so many 123 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 4: different ways, and we know there's a lot of people 124 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 4: who have different angles and sit on either side of 125 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 4: the fence, and we need it all to come in 126 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 4: and collaborate. But to see this young person succeed, be 127 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 4: part of the school days, be part of excursions was 128 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 4: a really big positive. It's still a long journey we 129 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 4: even really enjoyed having. So we work on the weekends 130 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 4: and after hours as well, so we focus on service 131 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 4: gaps as well. Say it's not a Monday to Friday 132 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 4: nine to five model. We work on weekends. We have 133 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 4: a lot of identity and fitness sessions on weekends, which 134 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 4: are great, but we've even involved this young person's uncles. 135 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 3: We're appropriate into that as well. 136 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: How important do you reckon that is to like to 137 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: have that family support around you. 138 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's so important. 139 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 4: And look, we're a very small team, so we can 140 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 4: only do little parts of that job. We'd love to 141 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 4: get to a stage where we can build our team 142 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 4: or working with other services as well, so that the 143 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 4: families are morph supported as well. Because we're talking in 144 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 4: a generational trauma, layers upon layers, we're talking in poverty 145 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 4: as well, so how does a service support a family 146 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 4: in poverty as well? And that's that, and that's even 147 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 4: talking about brokerage and other organizations that can come in together. 148 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 4: So it really does take a whole community. Now we're 149 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 4: very new, we're under a year old, so we're still 150 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 4: figuring out what our model exactly looks like, what our 151 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 4: collaborations look like. We're most non for profits are mission driven, 152 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 4: but we're principles driven. So we are principles of culture 153 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 4: and well being, strength based family units, and collaboration and accountability, 154 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 4: but also being data driven is a big part of 155 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 4: that too. 156 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: Now I knows it's you know to me, it does 157 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: sound as though the program can make a big difference. 158 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: You see there that connection to culture is a really 159 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: important thing. Just how important is that for some of 160 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: these youths that have become quite disengaged and are very 161 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: much on the wrong path. How important is that connection 162 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: to culture and having mentors around you that can actually 163 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: remind you how important you know, your aboriginality is and 164 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: your culture is. 165 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly, And look, I'm sure many listeners and yourself 166 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 4: would have heard. You know, when we say culture, we 167 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 4: say culture and identity, and it's the same thing. And 168 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 4: so it's basically looking at who you are as a 169 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 4: person and really looking at you know, who you are 170 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 4: as with the strengths of what you are. Unfortunately, in 171 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 4: the system, you start learning a different who you are, 172 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 4: and it's a really deficit based approach. Learning culture can 173 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 4: look like different things to different young people, and we've 174 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 4: got such a variety of young people that we work with. 175 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 4: But even just connecting the country is one of probably 176 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 4: the biggest elements that we utilize. And it's not just 177 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 4: having fun in games, it's actually learning about your surroundings 178 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 4: and respect. There's a lot of principles attached to when 179 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 4: we go on country and a lot of sensory work too, 180 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 4: and learning more about yourself. And this introspective learning can 181 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 4: actually be utilized and transferred to other areas. That the 182 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 4: importance of culture is about being present as well as 183 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 4: about respect, and it's the beauty of knowing who you 184 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 4: are or developing that picture of who you are in 185 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:17,439 Speaker 4: a positive light. 186 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: Joy. We are running out of time, But mate, how 187 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: do you get involved in your program? Is it something 188 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,439 Speaker 1: that you know, like if like if we've got a 189 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: mum listening today who's having serious issues with you know, 190 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,079 Speaker 1: with a young fella for example, and she's thinking, how 191 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: do I you know, like, how do I get in 192 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: contact with you guys? 193 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 2: Or what's the process? 194 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 3: Yeah? So where because we're so tired on resources. 195 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 4: We actually don't even have a website yet because we 196 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 4: can't afford it at this point of time. But we've 197 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 4: got an email which is info at Brother to Another 198 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 4: dot org, dot au and that's generally been how we've 199 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 4: got a referral form we use to have youth justice 200 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 4: and families usually referred directly in but also via peer groups. 201 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 4: A lot of people in the community kind of know 202 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 4: us or of one of the workers, So that's sort 203 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 4: of how we're referring in at the moment. 204 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:07,959 Speaker 2: Ji. I really appreciate you coming in this morning. 205 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: Mate. It's it's been really good for us to find 206 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: out more about this. But I think it's pretty phenomenal that, 207 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: you know, you guys don't have that funding territory or 208 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: federal government funding at this stage. 209 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 2: It is something that. 210 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: You're doing through philanthropic donations and it goes to show 211 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: you that there are some really great people in the 212 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: community like yourself right now. Who are you know who 213 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: are doing stuff to try to make some serious change, 214 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: And I reckon. 215 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 2: That is wonderful for everybody out there listening to hear. 216 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 4: Thank you so much and we're so privileged and excited 217 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 4: to keep this journey gone. 218 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 2: Good on you, Jai, thank you, thanks for coming in.