Indigenous & minority rights

Diversity should be a social asset, but in many places there is little respect for indigenous people and minorities. We work with people to overcome racism and discrimination.

Oxfam specializes in the training and institutional strengthening of organizations that call for changes in policies that discriminate against groups based on their identity.

Strengthening organizations

Oxfam empowers organizations of indigenous peoples and minorities, training their leaders and providing support as they work to make government and society just for all peoples.

Specifically, Oxfam:

• Addresses exclusion – We help people get the education they need to understand their rights. Once people understand their basic rights to education, health care, and making a decent living, they can learn how to project their collective voice. They possess a power that can never be taken away from them.
• Seeks out partnerships – We work with representative organizations to help them make their case to decision makers. Oxfam trains leaders to build strong organizations that can articulate the problems in poor and excluded areas. And we help with support for institutions, so they can do the organizing and education needed to empower their constituency and develop sound, reasonable proposals for change.

For instance, Indigenous Australians live nearly 20 years less than other Australians. Indigenous communities are taking action to improve the health of their people and we’re supporting their efforts to achieve equality of health.

Oxfam’s focus is to ensure that local communities have a well-established, strong, and capable organization that serves its constituents. Strong organizations that demand government transparency and accountability build respect for basic human rights.

Learn more

Close the Gap – Indigenous health in crisis campaign (Oxfam Australia)