Confirmation of Candidature - Candidate : Melanie Waters

The research sets out to engage with community, government sectors and NGOs to develop and trial a cultural theoretical framework that can potentially lead to a new paradigm in the way policy is developed and implemented. This study is significant because it provides the missing aspects untold by colonial historians from a First Nations perspective. The research creates opportunity for truth-telling contributing to a new body of literature relating to the impacts and ongoing effects of colonisation. Further, the research investigates how major Australian societal concern can be addressed to improve the way government, mainstream institutions and NGOs deal with designing and implementation of policy aimed at FNP's cultural needs. It is well established that there are cultural knowledge gaps across the sectors that have a responsibility in this space and goals are not being meet as evidenced by the 2020 Closing the Gap Report. However, my argument is from the position that such service providers need to identify that there are gaps and deficits within internal structures which continue to fail FNP's advancement towards self-determination.

For more information, please email the Graduate Research School or phone 0746 311088.