1. Ochre Day 2015
OAus Health and Wellbeing Presentation
Firstly,I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the landwe are meetingontoday.I would also like
to recognise Elders from different nations and how great it is to have everyone involved in Ochre
Day. I also want to thank Mark Saunders for inviting Oxfam to present today.
My name isEmrhan Sultan;I am an Alice Springsmanbelongingtothe Western Arrernte and Luritja
tribes in Central Australia as well as the Kokatha clan here in South Australia.
Towardsthe endof lastyear I made the move to Melbourne andtookup a jobopportunityat Oxfam
Australia.Myrole is coordinating national partnerships through the Health and Wellbeing Program
withinthe Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander Peoples Program Unit, otherwise known as ATSIPP.
Aboriginal Health,holistically, has been something that I have the aspiration to be able to offer my
experience and support to; particularly when it comes to men’s health.
Growing up as an Aboriginal youth in Alice Springs, I visited family in hospital almost every week:
heartand kidney disease and cancer related illnesses mostly. I spent many hours in those hospital
wards.Too many!At the time,I wonderedhow myfamilygotthere;andhow theywouldget better.
As I got older I have been able to see things from a professional level through my working
experience in the men and family relationships and men’s health areas. I’ve wondered how my
generation, and the next, could stay out of hospital.
Sadly, we are losing more young brothers and it makes me more determined to help make a
difference through the work I am doing to change this. I would also like to acknowledge everyone
here who is contributing towards better health for our mobs and know just how important your
roles play in community.
My workingexperience throughoutthe NorthernTerritory around health and wellbeing has been a
great challenge but very rewarding. I’ve been able to build important relationships with fullas in
remote communitiestoworkwiththemandtalkopenly,withoutjudgement, about local issues and
to come up with achievable innovative plans to the problems they face. It’s about developing
solutions, empowerment and working hand-in-hand with our mobs – Oxfam is doing just that.
For more than 30 years Oxfam has assisted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with the self
determinationof individualsand communities – and helping build stronger relationships and bring
together change in the health and wellbeing area.
Within Oxfam the ATSIPP Unit is working across the areas of leadership and health, advocacy for
policy and practice change, coalitions and campaigns, and providing active support for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander self-determination and justice in the broader Australian community.
We deliversome programsdirectly,butmostimportantly are workinginpartnershipwithAboriginal
and TorresStrait Islander owned organisations across the country. We believe that each and every
Australianhasthe rightto equal access to health, income, employment, education, and the chance
to live a meaningful and positive life.
The ATSIPPUnit playedasupportingrole intransformingthe Close the GapcampaignforIndigenous
Health Equality; from a popular campaign to a force that is shaping government policy by working
withAboriginal andTorresStraitIslanderorganisationstoholdourgovernmenttoaccount. Between
2012 and 2015 the National Close the Gap Day and the Coalition for Aboriginal Health Equality
Victoria, have also been supported by the ATSIPP Unit.
We have to make sure that constantpressure isputon State and Federal Governmenttoensure that
the campaign message is heard and acted upon.

2. Ochre Day 2015
OAus Health and Wellbeing Presentation
The campaignhas successfullyachieved a number of results through meetings with politicians and
policy officers, events such as National Close the Gap Day, submissions, shadow reports and
representation at Senate Standing Committees.
In parallel to contributions to building stronger and more effective coalitions to influence the
government, Oxfam Australia has supported efforts to facilitate growth in public awareness and
public support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues. This has primarily been
achieved through the implementation of the highly successful National Close the Gap Day, the
biggest and highest profile Indigenous health event in Australia.
National Close the Gap Day in2015 was the biggestandmostsuccessful since the campaign started
in 2007. We had almost 200,000 (199,752) participants.
In line with our work to help Close the Gap we also form long term partnerships with Aboriginal
CommunityControlledHealthOrganisations. Over a number of years we have worked closely with
organisationslikeNACCHO,the SouthWestAboriginal Medical Service in Western Australia and the
FitzroyStarsFootball Clubin Melbourne. We also have a focus on short term working relationships
with8 organisations acrossthe country throughour innovative male health grants; and I would like
to touch on a couple of those partnerships.
Through the ATSIPP Unit, one of the many innovative male health partnerships is with Menzies
School of Health Research on the ‘Stories of Survival’ project. ‘Stories of Survival’ identifies and
recruits key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men who are cancer survivors to attend a Cancer
Yarningworkshop.The workshopisa wayof generatingdiscussionabouttheir experiences of being
diagnosed, their treatment, and also their experience after treatment completion. Men are then
invitedtoshare their stories of survival through recorded interviews which are distributed to over
110 national,regional,local andremote radiostationsacrossAustralia.‘Stories of Survival’ will also
become availableusingonline resources(YouTube,Facebook) toensure the greatestpossible access
to the project products and outcomes.
Another of our innovative male health partnerships is supporting the Mallee District Aboriginal
Services to deliver a training program focusing on men’s health and wellbeing initiatives, such as
connecting participants with their community and attending cross cultural camps for Elders and
young men. Mallee District Aboriginal Services is also empowering and providing opportunities to
Aboriginal men who are long term unemployed or former offenders and supporting them by
teaching participants new skills and helping them to gain access to apprenticeships and
employment. Through the program Mallee District Aboriginal Services meets with 25 men on a
regularbasisthrougha men’sgroup that also promotes healthy lifestyles and physical activity. The
men have engaged with the program which will run over a two year period with participants
attending one day a week. On successful completion participants will receive a certificate II in
Agriculture and Rural operations.
Oxfam is proud of the great work our partners are doing across the country. Looking ahead we will
continue our support for male health programs and Close the Gap Campaign; as well as having a
focus on incarceration and justice reinvestment and support of the Change the Record Campaign.
In closing;
I thankMark and everyone whohasbeen involvedin makingOchre Dayhappenandfor allowing me
to be part of this year’s event. Moving forward in 2016, I am pleased to say that Oxfam Australia is
fullycommittedtosupportingthe nextOchre Dayevent and to be part of building a stronger future
in health for our mobs - Thank you.