Jawun: 2017 Learnings and Insights

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Leaders are empowered with
capacity building ‘in place’ and
via the broader Jawun network
Indigenous-led development is a concept only
possible through Indigenous leadership. Whether
at the individual, family or community level, the
transformation required for Indigenous development
challenges or opportunities comes about through the
presence and actions of leaders.
The success of the Jawun model in enabling
Indigenous-led development agendas, and the rate
of progress of those agendas themselves, is heavily
dependent on the effectiveness of leaders.
By making strong local leadership a criterion for
partnership, in addition to an invitation from the
community, Jawun builds its presence in a region
on the shoulders of strong leaders. The Jawun
model uses capacity building and the provision
of connections and opportunities to empower
Indigenous leaders, recognising different levels as
well as different forms of Indigenous leadership
First, there is the direct role played by secondees in
supporting Indigenous leadership, both established
and emerging.
Second, Jawun leverages its networks—spanning
other Indigenous regions as well as corporate
and government sectors—to enhance leaders’
connections and collaboration opportunities. This is
explored further in Section 5.
Third, Jawun leverages the support of corporate
partners to provide accelerated growth opportunities
for Indigenous leaders, including with bespoke
development initiatives for Indigenous leaders—
emerging and established, female and male, remote
and urban. These include:
• Emerging Leaders—to support development of
young or upcoming Indigenous leaders
• Indigenous Corporate Leadership program—
reverse secondments to expose established
community leaders to professional development
opportunities
• Stories of Female Leadership—a female
leadership forum to support female Indigenous
leaders and their often unrecognised roles in
driving change within their communities.
A total of 111 Indigenous leaders have been exposed
to development or networking opportunities
through Jawun. Case studies in this section illustrate
the impact of Jawun’s investment in leadership
through these opportunities, focusing on the stories
of individuals.
Unless Indigenous leadership [at the family, local, regional and
national levels] is ignited, Indigenous people will simply not
be able to make themselves visible, heard and influential in the
corridors of power in order to determine their own destinies.
—EMPOWERED COMMUNITIES DESIGN REPORT, 2015
4 JAWUN2017 LEARNINGS AND INSIGHTS