International voices for change at QCOSS conference

Monday August 8 2011

Leading international experts will this morning (Monday August 8) map out a future for Queensland to create positive change in society through early intervention programs which keep children and families out of crisis intervention.

Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and Christine Davies, the Executive Officer of the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People’s Services (C4EO) in the UK are world experts when it comes to intervention that makes a difference.

Cindy will explain how society as a whole needs to come together to address the disadvantage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland.

“The situation for First Nations people in Canada is very similar to that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. And we don’t have to wait for government to do something about it,” she says. “Fairness is a basic tenet in both our societies and people want fairness. They just need to be prepared to act – and that’s what is turning things around in Canada.

“In Canada, children and big business alike are coming together to demand change.

The result has been broad-based engagement of Canadians in a child-lead reconciliation movement,” says Cindy.

Christine Davies, in a video presentation from the UK, will outline how research and a better understanding of developmental pathways in childhood have shown we can identify problems earlier, predict risk factors and enable earlier, more effective intervention to keep children out of crisis.

QCOSS President Karyn Walsh says the focus of these two speakers is a fitting way to start a conference that is looking at how to build resilience and create a fairer, more equitable society in Queensland.

“Over the two days experts will discuss a range of issues affecting the future of the community services sector,” says Karyn. “They will speak on everything from disaster recovery to the potential financial impacts of climate change measures on disadvantaged people and how we help those on low incomes cope with the cost of living spiral.

“We even have Queensland’s Treasurer and Shadow Treasurer going head to head this afternoon on how fairness fits into their budget agenda,” she says. 

Mark Henley 0448 075 087, Karyn Walsh 0413 619 785

Mark Jeffery 0419 732 583, Ian Wynne 0414 643 122

Jenny Whitworth 0417 779 819