[RNLD] Fwd: Kurdiji 1.0 - Applying the Humanities to Indigenous Mental Health

[Randy J. LaPolla]

Apologies for cross-posting

From: Drew Baker <drew.baker at outlook.com>
Subject: Kurdiji 1.0 - Applying the Humanities to Indigenous Mental Health
Date: 27 April 2017 at 12:07:50 PM SGT

Dear Colleagues,

I'm writing to ask for your help. I'm working with the Warlpiri community of Lajamanu in the Tanami desert to create an indigenous suicide prevention app combining traditional Indigenous cultural knowledge with modern technology. In Australia we are losing three aboriginal people a week to suicide, from a population that is just over half a million. 

You may have heard of the Milpirri festival, established in Lajamanu in response to the 2005 suicide of a local man. The festival, which occurs every two years, endeavours to spread the kurdiji ideas around resilience and mental health, as well as other cultural knowledge. Since 2005 there hasn't been a single suicide in Lajamanu.

Now those same elders want to bring Kurdiji into the digital age, with a community created app based on stories, ceremonies and law. They want to fight for all aboriginal lives, not just those in remote or traditional communities. They have partnered with an expert team including technologists, photographers and a leading clinical psychologist from The Black Dog Institute (an institute that specialises in studying and treating depression). 

The app will be called "Kurdiji" (‘shield', or 'to protect'). It takes its name from a body of Warlpiri knowledge normally transmitted as part of the Kurdiji initiation ceremonies for young people. The kurdiji ideas have been successfully used by the Warlpiri to increase resilience and prevent suicide – and they have an equivalent in traditions from different language groups.

As a community led project, and not something spearheaded by a renowned academic, it’s tricky to find operational costs so we’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe. We’re trying to find ways now to spread the word about our campaign, which has attracted a lot of support from indigenous people – who, unfortunately, just aren’t in a position to donate very much.

We’ve got a great video with Uncle Jack Charles and support from iconic Australian musician Nick Cave and we’re writing to you now in the hope that you can share our video or let your colleagues and students know about the campaign and possibly donate yourselves. You can see the film on our GoFundMe page: www.kurdijiproject.com <http://www.kurdijiproject.com/> and on our webpage: www.kurdiji.org <http://www.kurdiji.org/> 

Aboriginal suicide rates are at the level of an epidemic, and a genuinely community led technological approach hasn’t been tried before – so we’re in unknown territory to some degree. Your help, in spreading the word about our campaign, or making a contribution, will make an enormous difference.

Best wishes,

Drew Baker
Kurdiji Project
www.kurdijiproject.org <http://www.kurdijiproject.org/>

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