Gunawirra began with a gathering of Aboriginal representatives and elders from outlying areas of New South Wales and Sydney suburbs and 16 professionals from psychiatry, psychology, social work, psychoanalytic therapy together at the Grail Centre at North Sydney, in 2008. From this ‘karawee karawee’ (gathering) Gunawirra was born.
Our purpose was to determine what the most pressing and specific needs of the Aboriginal children were, from pregnancy through to five, in the far country and suburban Aboriginal populations. These problems were created by loss of land; loss of basic culture; loss of community; loss of family through the stolen generation; and, loss of self value as a subjugated people:
- Specific problems of attachment, loss and trauma
- Fear, mistrust, anger and hatred of self and others leading to suicidal ideation
- Bitterness, depression, anxiety
- Loss of confidence/self-esteem and sense of personal worth
- Sexual problems/gynaecological difficulties
- Phobias, psychiatric disorders, asthma
- Relationship/marriage difficulties or break ups
- Nightmares/insomnia
- Suicidal tendencies/self mutilation
- Alcohol/drug misuse bythemselves or partner
- Difficulties parenting/relating to children.
(Out of respect for Aboriginal culture only indigenous sources, eg. Koori Mail, for the above are used).
At that seminal meeting we could all see the desperate need for a coordinated and multi-faceted approach to preventing existing and future harm within Aboriginal families. Our vision was for Gunawirra to be an early intervention model focusing on the prevention of trauma created by loss of attachment with the mother, family and community in pregnancy, infancy and in early years. From then on we designed specially-created and culturally appropriate programs for whole families, utilising a variety of research methods — the main one being generative action research— so that all projects were born from within the Aboriginal family and community.
The goal we developed is to break the cycle of trans-generational trauma and abuse in individual Aboriginal families and so mitigate and, in some cases, eliminate the dangers of further abuse and trauma.
Out of this was born all our projects.
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The Grail – Gunawirra Limited Gunawirra Limited is proud to acknowledge the significant foundational role played by the Grail in its formation. The Grail is a movement of women of faith working together to bring about a world of peace, justice, equity and renewal. It was a Grail member who was primarily instrumental in the initial gathering. The spirit of the Grail permeates the work of Gunawirra and so together underlying meaning and action combine to form a rich organisation that gives support through 14 distinct projects to over 30 preschools in NSW and centres in outlying an inner Sydney areas. |