Who is ARDS ?
ARDS membership
The members of ARDS are Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land. We come from one of the sixty two clan groups who make up sixteen different ringitj nation alliances.
North-east Arnhem Land is a vast area of land covering 37,000 square kilometres, with a Yolngu population of approx 7000 (an additional estimated 1000 live in major urban centres). Our language group is known as Yolngu Matha.
What is ARDS
ARDS is an Indigenous capacity building organisation committed to stand with and empower the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land. The Yolngu world view and language is central to our way of working.
What do we do?
ARDS builds capacity in the areas of health, economic, legal, social and governance systems.
We do this through:
- “discovery education” to increase mutual knowledge and understanding
- creation of opportunities to access mainstream services
- influencing policy making in terms of legislation
- providing expertise for the development and implementation of culturally competent services
- facilitating communication between Yolngu and government or government and Yolngu
- mediation
- advocacy
All of this is provided within a community development framework.
Our tools
Capacity building is delivered in a number of ways including:
What do we want to achieve?
To enable our membership to:
- regain mastery over their lives and living environment
- retain their cultural uniqueness
- overcome social, academic and economic exclusion and disadvantage
- restore their life expectancy to equal that of wider Australia
- rebuild hope, pride and purpose
- be valued as citizens of Australia
