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McMullen: the key is autonomy
17 April 2008
NORTHERN beaches residents Jeff McMullen and Gary Hyland will help shape the future of indigenous Australians when they take part in the 2020 Summit this weekend.
Mr McMullen, a former ABC Foreign Correspondent and prize-winning documentary-maker, will join 1000 Australians contributing to the forum.
He will discuss ideas for an Aboriginal Australia treaty outlining important indigenous issues.
"The biggest concern I have is that I learned in my travels through the indigenous communities throughout the world, in every case where there has been significant progress the indigenous people had far more autonomy than they do in Australia," he said.
Also on the agenda is the gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous people, which is a priority for Fairlight resident Mr Hyland. "There is a great urgency to meet the deadline to reduce the life-expectancy gap," said Mr Hyland, who is the National Director of Australians for National Title and Reconciliation, a network supporting justice for indigenous Australians.
Meanwhile, outgoing Manly mayor Peter Macdonald may not be at the summit, but has his own vision for the future of the peninsula.
"Towards the year 2020, we must plan to make the necessary adaptations to cope with climate change," he said.
"We must reduce our carbon footprint in the first place, modifying our lifestyle to meet the global challenges, but we also need to plan for the impacts of climate change.
"We are the stewards of one of Australia's iconic places; it is crucial we live within it sustainably and pass it on to the next generation a better, healthier and happier place."
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