‘Indigenous people have a gift to give to non-indigenous people: to teach them how to connect back to who they are’

CATS 2018: An interview with Shawn Andrews

04/08/2018
CATS 2018

 

Shawn Andrews, an indigenous Australian, has created Indigicate, which teaches Australian school children about Aboriginal culture. Indigicate training isn’t held in classrooms, but outdoors. We met with Shawn when he was holding an outdoor morning session at the CATS forum.

Tell us about the Indigicate concept.

The only reason I get out of bed every morning is to stop our people from dying ten years younger than the average life-expectancy in Australia. The only way to achieve that is by changing a generation of young people. And the easiest environment for us to do that in is the outdoors, as it allows us to take a look at our country through our own eyes, and also to be exposed to our capacity for well-being and connection. It’s not always easy to take people out of the city, but Indigicate specializes in safe journeys in the outdoors, combined with indigenous culture connection. It has existed for six years so far. We have taught more than 40,000 students in our programmes in the last three years and worked with over 50 schools. Only now are we beginning the see the results.

Do you get any support from the state or is it entirely privately funded?

I was taught a long time ago that the only way to have change with a longterm impact is to create a sustainable business which is not dependent on government. So we developed a product that schools would want to utilize. Schools in Australia already go out on school camps every year from year 3 to 10. We figured out that if we could compete in that space, as outdoor educators with a product that could help us change the world, then schools would pay for it independently and we wouldn’t need to rely on government assistance.

What is the reception you get from the kids? Are non-indigenous kids in Australia open to learning about Aboriginal culture?

Absolutely. People in Australia sometimes think indigenous culture is only about boomerangs and digeridoos, but it’s much richer and deeper than that. We get letters from parents saying how wonderful the programmes are and how the young people have changed. The process we use is more than just giving them information about culture and history. It’s about changing the person, understanding how we can connect. The response has been truly amazing. We are sitting now in the position where our organization could very quickly grow to 30 or 40 staff, with 20,000 students per year just on camps. The young people today are so inquisitive, so passionate. They want change and they want a voice and we give them a platform to do that. They just love the idea that we are not different, that we should all just be together. So the timing is very right for me.

In which area of Australia do you focus? 

Currently we are based in Melbourne, but we also work in other states and areas.

When you begin this kind of business, you don’t want to grow too quick and outgrow your expertise, because then you deliver a product that’s not up to standard and you can’t change a generation if you are not working efficiently in schools. But our longterm aim is to be national and even international. We already do some work around the world. I think indigenous people around the world have a gift to give to non-indigenous people: it’s to teach them how to connect back to who they are.

How did you start your relationship with Caux and IofC?

I attended the APYC (IofC Asia-Pacific Youth Conference) in 2007. Back then I had a lot of problems in my life, I was still a very unsettled individual. A few people in  IofC Australia started having conversations with me on how I could look at life a little bit differently. At the same time, I gave a speech at a prestigious school in Melbourne and some of the people there were also involved in IofC. They offered me a fully funded trip to Caux, to participate in the equivalent of the Caux Peace and Leadership Programme. So I came and participated in the 2009 course.

That was my first ever trip overseas as a 28-year-old, and I was the first person in my family to travel overseas. Of course, the first thing that you see here in Caux is the natural beauty, but then I connected with the place. The souls and spirits of the building, the land and the people here had a great impact on me.

But it took me four more years to get rid of my gambling addiction, depression and anxiety, and start Indigicate, which I started with 20 dollars. The inspiration for it came from two places. It came from the mountains back at home that used to sort of talk to me and it came from the strength and wisdom of the people, and especially the elders, of Caux who had the ability to read me very well and give me the right advice.

And then I was back here only last year for CATS, because I truly believe in this conference. I truly believe in young people’s voices being promoted, and I want to bring some of our kids next year.

So you have some plans for future projects between CATS, Caux and Indigicate?

Yes. To bring indigenous kids in care here, we must probably get government funding or raise funds, because to bring someone here from Australia costs a lot of money. We are starting to work with better government alliances and we want to bring 10 to 12 young Australians. Half will be kids in care from trauma situations and half will be indigenous kids from some of the schools we work with. We already have a couple of them here this year.

The whole idea is that when these kids go home they can be the spark for the rest of the young people they hang out with. So they can have an impact. I see myself as just a single drop of water in what will hopefully become a magnificent waterfall of change in our country.

Kids in indigenous communities in Australia face a lot of challenges, right?

Yeah! Our kids are struggling. Not all of them, though, as there is a bit of a gap between well-off kids and kids who are living in poverty within our own communities. There still is a lot of suffering. We Aborigines hold a lot of records that we shouldn’t hold – like the highest rate of youth incarceration in the world per population and the highest rate of youth suicides. Ten years ago we made up 5% of all youth suicides in Australia and we now make up 80%, while we are only 3% of the population. And unfortunately around 30% of indigenous kids in my state alone (Victoria) live in the care of the government. It’s a tragedy because we are essentially creating more people who will be in that system and then they will have kids who will stay in that system. So we have to try our hardest to show them that there is hope and love and kindness in the world and that they will be OK, that they can achieve something.

If we get enough indigenous kids to do this, in three or four years’ time we will have a CATS in Australia, led by them. This would be the seed of change to stop our people dying and hopefully change the situation. But also one of the aims is to focus on the non-indigenous kids, because they are the greater part of the population and so will be able to have a larger impact in business or in politics in the future.

By Félix Portier, 2018 Caux Forum Communications Intern

 

Featured Story
On

related stories

Geneva Democracy Dialogue square EN

Democracy: a matter of choice and voice

"In a democracy, each of us carries the responsibility to engage, listen and to contribute. It is more than a political system. It is about choice and voice. How does this resonate with you?" With the...

Viki square EN no logo.png

Europe: A Mindset of Diversity

Spanish journalist Victoria Martín de la Torre is passionate about Europe, diversity and interfaith relations. Here she reflects on different aspects of Europe, based on her PhD research which led her...

Polina and Katya square faces EN

What is the meaning of home?

Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...

Ignacio India blog

Walking the Talk in Business

On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...

Save the date Caux Forum 2024 EN

Caux Forum 2024: Save the Date!

Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...

Caux Forum opening square website EN

Filling the gap in global efforts for peace and democracy

The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...

Tsvetana 13 Sept 2023

Finding purpose and harmony through music and the Caux Palace

In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...

Save the date 2023 square no date

Caux Forum 2023: Save the Date

We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...

Arpan Yagnik

Arpan Yagnik: Mountains to climb

Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...

YAP 2021 article square

Young Ambassadors Programme 2021: Learning to listen

When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...

Zero waste square for social media

Sofia Syodorenko: A zero waste lifestyle is a mindful lifestyle

How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...

Patrick Magee 600x600

‘Where Grieving Begins – Building Bridges after the Brighton Bomb’: a live interview with Patrick Magee

The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...

Summer Academy 2021 screenshot square

Forging a network of problem-solvers to build a secure and sustainable future

The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...

Salima Mahamoudou 21 July 2021 FDFA workshop CDES 2021

Remaking a world in peril

The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) 2021 ran online from 20 July until 30 July, for the second consecutive year, comprising three open plenaries and seven workshops. This year’s discu...

CL 2021 Hope square

A Journey from Uncertainty to Possibility

2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...