Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

Chapter 2.2: Challenges at the National Policy Level
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particular of the right to free, prior and informed consent. Fast tracking
land access may work for government and industry, but indigenous
governance processes still need to be respected and we have the right
to be engaged fully in negotiations—and this means having understood
completely the nature of the decision being taken.
Achieving justice and equity for indigenous peoples in Australia is
something that traditional owners, industry and government can strive
for with the development of economic opportunity through native title.
And that means continuing the partnerships that we have already
developed through agreements with economic benefits for traditional
owners and their communities. The positive benefits from negotiating
agreements are not only outcomes that result in tackling key employment
deficiencies, but less obvious ones such as engagement, capacity
building, and experiencing a level of governance that allows people the
right to participate in decisions that will not only affect what happens on
their land but also impact on their lives. These positive spin-offs result in
less tangible outcomes, but outcomes that are still vitally important; they
strengthen indigenous peoples both emotionally and psychologically,
resulting in the ability to forge stronger and more constructive and
sustainable partnerships with key stakeholders.
We have argued that if you do not resolve native title in a just and
meaningful way through negotiation and agreement, you will not succeed
in the goal of “closing the gap” between indigenous and non-indigenous
Australians. Native title is intrinsically linked to the health, well-being
and the economic success of indigenous peoples. The key, however,
is engagement. Results will not be seen unless we ensure indigenous
peoples are included at all levels of the negotiation, which is the key
premise of the principles of free, prior and informed consent. These are
principles that provide benefits for industry as well as indigenous peoples.
Part of the challenge will be to build and continue to develop alliances and
partnership at the regional, as well as the national level. These alliances
should involve the Minerals Council of Australia and its members, native
title organizations, Aboriginal communities, the government, and NGO
service providers.
Conclusion
There has never been a better time for creative thinking in relation to
native title in Australia, and the government merely tinkering around the
edges of the native title system will not deliver meaningful outcomes for