28 July 2008 Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra and Richard Trudgen visited Adelaide to raise funds for the work of the Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Inc. (ARDS), once a part of the Northern Regional Council of Congress - Northern Synod but now an independent organisation. On Sunday afternoon, 27 July, at the Congress Church in Salisbury the duo presented some of the current work of ARDS to the group gathered, mostly folk from the Congress. Issues of concern that were presented included the understanding of germ theory for Aboriginal people and the role of good food vs the bad whitefella fast foods.

 The relationship between sugar intake and diabetes and the fact that much processed food is laden with sugars and other harmful ingredients. This was coupled with the role of exercise and reflection on the traditional life style that coupled fresh food intake with the exercise involved in gathering it. Finally Richard showed the group an interactive computer program that could be used for language instruction. Richard suggested that language is the key coupled with the proper and explicit presentation of basic concepts underlying health, economics, etc.

 Djiniyini's and Richard's challenge was for young and not so young Christian people willing to learn an Aboriginal language and then go and work with traditional Aboriginal people to help explain the concepts of western culture to them. They suggested this bridging the gap where the bridge is built from both sides is the only way to successfully address the issues confronting Aboriginal people in health, education and economics, currently where governments are failing. To illustrate this problem further Djiniyini asked the Aboriginal people present where money comes from.

For more excitement explore   http://www.ards.com.au/

More News