RASAC is a founding member, and co-chair, of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands Empowered Communities interim Regional Steering Committee (iRSC).

‘Empowered Communities seeks to create a genuine and balanced partnership between Indigenous organisations, government and corporate Australia, where everybody is working together on a level playing field and towards a shared strategy.’

— Andrea Mason, CEO, NPY Lands Women’s Council

 About EC

Empowered Communities (EC) is a national reform initiative created in 2013 by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people that operates in eight regions across Australia and aims to empower communities by empowering people. We are also building support and partnerships with Government (Commonwealth, State and Territory) to transform their role to be “enablers” of Anangu led change and to embed the necessary shifts within the current systems and structures to support this new way of working together (tjungu).

In the tri-state Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands, EC’s work is led by the Aboriginal people of the land, Anangu, and is grounded in Tjukurpa (culture), Walytja (family), Manta (country), and Wangka (language). This approach, together with strong collaboration between communities, regional Anangu organisations, service providers and government, is focussed on supporting and enabling the leadership and agency of Anangu to create transformational change and to drive the long-term development of the NPY region.

EC Projects in the NPY Region

NPY EC is a growing alliance of Aboriginal partner organisations who, with the guidance and advice of their Anangu Directors, provide oversight of a small secretariat. Anangu have confirmed six regional priorities:

• Work, meaningful engagement and financial security
• Education, culture and youth support
• Anangu led decision making and community empowerment
• Caring for the vulnerable
• Housing and infrastructure
• Keeping safe

Based on these priorities, NPY EC’s first priority initiatives are:

• Emerging Leaders Program
• School to Work Transition Support
• Intensive Support for New Workers
• Kulintja Kutju - Regional Funding and Procurement Review Group

Empowered Communities - Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands

Website Link: https://empoweredcommunities.org.au/our-regions/npy-lands/