As a result, our membership has ballooned to nearly 120,000.  It’s a great result and it’s just the start.  But we also understand the importance of staying in touch, so we asked Auspoll to run an online survey to find out how you, our supporters, think GenerationOne is travelling.  Thanks to everyone – more than 2100 people- who took the time to participate.  It’s a good way to make sure out compass continues to point in the right direction.

A positive approach

Being part of GenerationOne means that 68 per cent of you know more about the issues facing Indigenous Australians, particularly the harmful impact of disadvantage and the importance of education and employment.  We earned a big tick for taking a positive approach, for working towards better opportunities for Indigenous Australians and for being proactive and action-orientated.  Most supporters (59 per cent) say there is nothing to dislike about GenerationOne.  There were some criticisms – 5 per cent wanted more opportunities to help make a difference and 3 per cent would like more events in their areas.

There is a strong desire for success stories that can be shared and for information about ways of improving Indigenous education, training and employment.  You want to know how to become involved but, in an intriguing contrast, the number of people willing to become highly involved with GenerationOne has levelled off since last year.

Understanding the issues 

The survey shows a high level of understanding about the barriers to work for Indigenous people, such as the lack of job-specific training (named by 65 per cent of supporters), lack of support or mentoring (63 per cent) and the fact that many Indigenous people live in areas where there are no jobs (65 per cent).

There is also a gulf between GenerationOne supporters and the wider community when it comes to understanding the reasons for high levels of Indigenous unemployment.  General community research conducted this year for GenerationOne shows that most Australians believe the responsibility for high unemployment lies with Indigenous people – for example, 56 per cent of the community believe that Indigenous people do not want to work, compared to just 11 per cent of GenerationOne supporters; and only 36 per cent of Australians think prejudice and racism is a major impediment (51 per cent of supporters).  Two-thirds of you agree that finding a job is more difficult for an Indigenous person.

The great majority of you (80 per cent) believe that non- Indigenous Australians should contribute towards improving Indigenous participation in employment, in stark contrast to 28 per cent of people in the wider community.  And 86 per cent of you expect business leaders to play a pert compared to just 32 per cent of the general community.

These significant differences underscore the importance of the work we are doing together to raise awareness about the reasons for Indigenous disparity and to generate real jobs bakced by targeted training and mentoring.

Looking to the future 

When asked what GenerationOne should do next, you said “keep on doing what you are doing”, build a greater media presence and lobby more politicians.  There was overwhelming support (98 per cent) for formal recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Constitution, more that 80 per cent of you want GenerationOne to campaign on the issue, and 61 per cent would join the campaign.  But there was bad news for our politicians.  Very few of you – just 14 per cent – believe the Federal Government is doing a good job in providing education, training and employment for Indigenous Australians.

Indigenous supporters said the best thing GenerationOne could do was to prioritise education, training, job creation and raising awareness – which tells us we are right on track.

We also asked Indigenous supporters about the importance of practising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and more than 80 per cent of Indigenous people in the wider community, indicating that those who feel strongly about their heritage are more likely to join groups like GenerationOne.

When asked about the role of Indigenous community controlled Organisations (ICCOs) in ending the disparity, more than half you you said the ICCOs help advance self determination and allow Indigenous people to control community services.  However, one-third of you were unsure what an ICCO does.

Keeping the channels open 

Surveys help us feel the pulse of our membership.  Since GenerationOne was launched in March last year, 77 per cent of you have learned more about Indigenous culture and 70 per cent have shared that with family, friends and workmates – a great way to raise awareness of Indigenous issues.  More that half of you have invited a friend or colleague to join GenerationOne and many more of you are shopping at Indigenous businesses.

The GenerationOne website is the most popular point of contact but you also hear about us on TV, radio and in the newspapers.  And many more of you have met the GenerationOne team at public events this year.

So, thanks again.  Your feedback will help inform our planning for the months ahead.  Your commitment to achieving equality for Indigenous Australians and your involvement in our campaigns – even if you only have time to read our emails – means that, together, we can help build a better life for all Australians in just one generation.