Josh Creamer
Joshua is an Indigenous Australian who has been a keen contributor to human rights and development since primary school when he was a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee. He has since been active in the Aboriginal Students Support Parents Association; tutoring Aboriginal students, and providing housing for indigenous people in the local area. He currently works at Legal Aid Queensland, where he provides information, advice and representation in family, civil and criminal law matters.
"With a background in Law I have been confronted by the inequalities that Indigenous people face everyday in dealing with mainstream institutions, particularly the Criminal Justice Systems. Indigenous Australians are severely over-represented in the Criminal Justice system. In some instances the prison population is 75% indigenous compared to 2.4% that Indigenous Australian's make up in the Australian population. Australian Governments have continually breached International Declarations in their treatment of Indigenous Australians for which there has been no consequence. My long term goal is for better legal education for Indigenous Australians to ensure that they are aware of their rights and responsibilities and to stop the Law from being you as a tool of oppression. For Indigenous Australians to achieve Self Determination Law will play an important part in identifying a holistic strategy focusing on key issues such as Health, Employment, and Land rights."
Joshua hopes that Oxfam IYP2004 will assist him in the promotion of change for Indigenous Australians in areas of Health, Housing, Education, Reconciliation, and address the issue of over representation in the prison system.
“Being an indigenous person, I feel I’m best equipped to undertake such a plan because I’ve shared many experienced as those in the community and I’ve been faced with the same attitudes and adversities they have faced”.
