National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day (NAICD) is held on 4 August each year to honour and celebrate the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children within family and community.
First held in 1988, the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) has also used the day to increase awareness in the wider community of important issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
In 2013, NAICD is all about stepping up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s rights.
This year’s theme is Right Here, Right Now. Our Rights Matter.
It seeks to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by increasing public awareness about:
- major human rights concerns that impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across the country — including the right to be safe and access to good housing, education and health services, and
- the unique rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as First Peoples of this country — including the right to enjoy and be proud of their culture and identity.
The theme also aims to support local events to celebrate children, assist better understanding about what their rights mean and how communities can work better to ensure that all children have the opportunity to live these rights every day.
SNAICC wants to work with communities and organisations — Indigenous and non-Indigenous — to make sure this year’s children’s day is the biggest and most successful yet.
SNAICC hopes the day will provide the opportunity for Australians to come together to discuss critical issues impacting our children and work together to improve mutual understanding and to see change happen.
As in previous years, SNAICC will hold a national launch — in Melbourne on Sunday, 4 August — and provide resources to assist organisations across Australia to hold local events celebrating the day.
SNAICC’s national launch in will form part of a children’s day event organised by the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) at the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd (496 High St, Northcote) from 10:30am. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend and take part in the cultural activities, fun and games. For more information visit www.vacca.org
SNAICC has once again developed a range of resources for children and adults to help with local celebrations across the country. These include:
- a glossy National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day poster (see attached PDF)
- a series of seven beautifully-illustrated posters on child rights and a children’s activity book to accompany the poster
- an educator’s guide on facilitating child rights workshops with children, and
- children’s day goodies bag (including stickers, arm bands, pencils and more).
These resources are available for purchase at low cost, with one set also provided free to SNAICC members.
To purchase materials and for more information on NAICD, please go to the SNAICC website: www.snaicc.org.au or contact Nick Butera, SNAICC Resource Officer, on (03) 9489 8099.
In 2013, SNAICC has also produced a deadly television ad for children’s day! The 30-second animation has started screening on Foxtel and will soon appear on NITV, Channel 7, Channel 9, the Rural Health Channel and Melbourne community tv Channel 31. You can also check it out on YouTube.
Media inquiries: Emma Sydenham, SNAICC Deputy CEO, (0415) 188990
Giuseppe Stramandinoli, SNAICC Media Officer,
(0419) 508 125
Nick Butera, SNAICC Resource Officer, (0432) 220 533
