http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/dick-estens/ Dick Estens, AO, is a cotton farmer from Moree, in the north-west of NSW. In 1997, Estens set up the Aboriginal Employment Strategy with the goal of helping Aboriginal people around Moree find jobs. Now, 14 years later, the AES has offices around Australia and has found jobs for more than 5000 Indigenous men and women and built career paths for Indigenous kids. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-indigenous-society-has-to-teach-about-raising-kids/ The health and welfare of our young people has been at the centre of many policy announcements made so far this election. Childcare centres and chubby babies provide popular photo opportunities for campaigning politicians, and both parties are arguing over who’s paid parental leave scheme is best. Focusing on our young people is important: they are the future of our nation, the next pillars of our community; but is it the role of government to tell us how to raise our children? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Dick Estens) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-indigenous-society-has-to-teach-about-raising-kids/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-indigenous-society-has-to-teach-about-raising-kids/#item3693 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:44:59 +0000 Dick Estens | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/indigenous-people-frozen-out-of-deciding-their-futures/ Good Government is about empowering people, creating a sense of community, facilitating change and giving people real choices. Fifty years ago the people managed our communities, looked after employment, hospitals, policing and schools. Problems that occurred in the community were sorted out by the community. However successive policies by both parties have moved Australia away from a community empowerment model towards a centralized control system with bureaucrats managing down on communities. The people with the power to help sort out problems with hospitals, policing and towns have been progressively removed from our communities, taking their power with them. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Dick Estens) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/indigenous-people-frozen-out-of-deciding-their-futures/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/indigenous-people-frozen-out-of-deciding-their-futures/#item3173 Wed, 26 May 2010 19:40:20 +0000 Dick Estens | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/chicka-dixon-knew-education-was-the-key-to-closing-the-gap/ When Charles “Chicka” Dixon passed away last month, Australia lost a vigorous advocate for Aboriginal rights. Chicka was an agitator and a unionist but he was also a realist who understood that to get ahead Indigenous people needed skills and training and opportunity. But this training had to be real and translate to actual work. Aboriginal people are among the most trained people in this country, yet they represent the highest unemployed. Chicka Dixon and I would have disagreed on many things, but on that point he could not have been more right. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Dick Estens) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/chicka-dixon-knew-education-was-the-key-to-closing-the-gap/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/chicka-dixon-knew-education-was-the-key-to-closing-the-gap/#item2891 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:45:05 +0000 Dick Estens | Author bios | The Punch