Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja (AJA4) Principles for ways of working

All AJA4 actions are expected to adhere to the following principles developed by Koori Caucus through their work on self-determination in the justice system:

  1. Prioritise Self-Determination: Always strive to transfer power, decision-making and resources to the Aboriginal community.
  2. Support cultural strengthening: Enhance positive connections to family, community, and kin to build resilience to setbacks and develop strategies for dealing with hardships.
  3. Be strengths-based: Respect and honour the strengths and resilience of Aboriginal people, families and communities and build upon these.
  4. Be trauma-informed: Employ healing approaches which seek to understand and respond to trauma and its impact on individuals, families, and communities.
  5. Be restorative: Aim for the restoration of victims, offenders and communities and repair the harm resulting from the crime, including harm to relationships.
  6. Use therapeutic approaches: Recognise that at all stages of involvement with the justice system there is potential to make a positive impact on a person’s life.
  7. Respond to context: Recognise and adapt to meet the specific needs and circumstances of people, families, and communities.
  8. Be holistic: Address the interrelated risk factors for offending in a holistic manner, such as substance abuse, housing, and unemployment.
  9. Protect cultural rights: Respect the distinct and unique rights of Aboriginal people.
  10. Address unconscious bias: Identify and respond to systemic racism and discrimination that persists in the justice system.

Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja (AJA4) Partnership principles

The partners to this Agreement are committed to:

  1. Self-determination for Aboriginal peoples.
  2. Developing long-term sustainable relationships based on trust.
  3. Respecting Aboriginal knowledge, history, lived experience and connections to community and country.
  4. Shared responsibility and accountability for outcomes and actions.
  5. Redressing structures, relationships and outcomes that are unequal, racist and/or discriminatory.
  6. Recognising Aboriginal cultural rights, protocols, principles, ethics and standards.
  7. Working differently with Aboriginal peoples, recognising that mainstream approaches are frequently not the most appropriate or effective.
  8. Collaborating with community to co-design services to achieve collective impact. (Using a self-determination approach means that government does not have exclusive ownership of issues).
  9. Aim to improve long-term well-being for Aboriginal children, families and communities.
  10. The RCIADIC principles of arrest and imprisonment as sanctions of last resort.