FOREWORD BY THE CHAIRMAN

The Aboriginal Provisional Government is the product of the many generations of Aboriginal people who have fought despairingly for Aboriginal justice. It represents the reality that only we, as Aboriginal people, can forge a proper place for ourselves and those generations of Aborigines to come.

From fairly humble beginnings, the APG has established itself as a body which, even by its name, can explain and argue its aims and objectives. If ever we needed the APG, we need it now. Our situation grows worse day by day, and our hope for justice seeps away year by year under the strain of the more dominant needs of white Australians.

We now have offices and representatives in all states and territories, a paid up membership of over 1000 people, and have issued several hundred Aboriginal passports. And we are only beginning.

Our success to date can be attributed to two things. Firstly, we put forward what we know the Aboriginal people want, although we articulate it in a new way. Secondly, our workers and members are genuinely convinced that the A.P.G. is the way to go. Their efforts have been entirely voluntary, an approach we had to prove to ourselves in order to believe Aboriginal self government could work. If we were forced to rely on government funding, we knew we could never do without them. But we have proved it very possible!

One of our tasks is to encourage debate in the Aboriginal communities by showing leadership. This volume is a part of that program. We hope you feel it achieves its purpose. On behalf of the APG I welcome you to our world of challenging and provocative thought, and the vision we share with you about our future.

BOB WEATHERALL