Boys from the Bush

Remote Aboriginal communities are often characterised by outrageous levels of alcohol addiction and drunken violence, a large and growing drug problem amongst the youth, poor diets, parental neglect, overcrowded housing, mass idleness and boredom, vandalism, sexual assault and the collapse of formal education. All of which has resulted in abject poverty, loss of dignity, extremely poor physical and mental health, substance abuse, congenital and acquired brain damage, levels of ignorance comparable to Third World victims, and extremely high levels of incarceration and suicide.

Real work is the key to helping many of these young people. Real work not only provides income, it provides equity, purpose, identity and the structure of time and place. Real work helps in our transition from childhood to adulthood. Through work we begin to develop maturity and responsible behaviour.

The challenge we face is that the majority of young people in some remote communities have serious behavioural problems causing real barriers to their employment. Some of these behavioural problems stem from congenital or acquired brain damage, while others are the result of two or more generations of passive welfare dependency, the breakdown of social norms, law and order, discipline and education. Other behaviours are simply the natural expressions of confused and restless youth trying to find their place in the world.

These young people are the focus of the Boys from the Bush Projects.