The Traditional Owners of this land are those who identify as
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Sovereignty was never ceded.

ANTAR pays respect to Elders past, present, and emerging through our dedicated advocacy for First Nations Peoples’ justice and rights.

ANTAR acknowledges the responsibility of committing to a truth-telling process that promotes an honest and respectful path forward for future generations to build upon.

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Blog Staying engaged in the time of COVID
2 minutes

Staying engaged in the time of COVID

Paul Wright
Last edited: July 23, 2024

In these strange and uncertain times with the imminent threat of the COVID-19 pandemic hanging over us all, I wanted to share some ideas on how you can stay engaged with First Nations rights and social justice issues.

I am sure many of us are already self-isolating with our families and hopefully you are as prepared as possible for the coming time of disruption. While we may be restricted in our movements and gatherings for the foreseeable future, there are a number of things we can all do from home to continue our support.

Some such suggestions are:

You can’t be happy ‘til you’ve been sad
You can’t know the good unless you’ve known the bad
You can’t have peace until the battles ore
And you can’t heal unless you’ve been sore

From ‘Open up your Eyes’ (Archie Roach)

  • Continue to dig deep at this time where finances may be a little more stretched, and support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations that are working so diligently to support their communities. Sadly, we have seen that our governments have no qualms in short-changing the most vulnerable people in our communities in the support they need. Where government fails, so many of us are committed to a real rather than a rhetorical ‘fair go’ in this country and its at times like these that the support counts the most.

Please stay safe and well. If you are unwell at all, even just moderately, please follow the public health advice and self-isolate. If you are unsure what to do, call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080.

Paul Wright
National Manager for Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations at Mission Australia

Paul is National Manager for Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations at Mission Australia. He was ANTAR’s National Director from 2018 to 2023 and has many years of experience working in both Government and non-government sectors – covering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, health, immigration and social services. Paul studied politics and international relations at the University of Canberra and has a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Australian National University. Prior to his role with ANTAR, Paul was the Executive Officer for the Close the Gap Campaign Secretariat and the National Health Leadership Forum at the Australian Human Rights Commission. In 2021, he became a PhD Researcher at the Western Sydney University (Social Sciences).