Ntaria
Community Specific Insights
The outcomes of REC-IER at Ntaria reflected those emerging from the IGLD Project, also conducted by Tangenteyre under the auspices of CDU. The main concern expressed was around who the research was for, and who would benefit from it. This reflects the fact that the community receives a lot of attention from ‘outsiders’, and so means that engagement and coordination are critical for projects to succeed
Following the right process
- Any externally generated initiative be introduced to the community first through Wurla Nyinta and the Local Authority
- The IEO can assist people to then connect to the right senior people in the community for the particular initiative
- Negotiating with the right people can take time and effort, but needs to be done, however the right people may not want to be involved meaning that alternative strategies must be developed
Community benefit
- People bringing externally generated initiatives must be prepared to work with people to ensure that their project delivers benefit to the people of the community- it must be more than just words
- Local people should be engaged and properly paid for this work
- Engagement and coordination should lead to things happening in the community that the community want to see happen
- Too many times (in the past and still) outside initiatives do not deliver benefit to the community. This should stop
Information provision
- People must be given information about projects in a way that is accessible to them
- There is a lack of information about projects, even though there are a great number going on
Recognising community complexity
- Hermannsburg is home to people from the 5 Land Trusts, as well as from other places. Understanding something of the complex history of Hermannsburg (which takes in both the origins of the community as well as the recent past) helps outside people to understand how to work respectfully
Jobs
- It is a good job for a local person/ people to assist with engagement work so that people can know and participate in what is going on in the community
- There needs to be a range of jobs available, including those that are challenging and help the community to address its concerns
