Published: 1 Jun 2024

A pioneering pilot of a Local Decision Making initiative for youth in East Arnhem Land has been extended for an additional five years through a $7.75 million co-funding package until June 2027.

The Northern Territory Government, the Australian Government’s National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA) signed a Partnership Agreement for the community controlled Guŋga’yunga Djamarrkuliny, or East Arnhem Land Youth Model (EALYM).

The Agreement ensures all funding partners maintain their commitment to the delivery of the EALYM with a focus on embedding the principles of the Coordinated Investment Framework, Local Decision Making and all 4 Closing the Gap priority reforms.

Established in 2020, the EALYM is a community and homelands led and controlled initiative across the Yolŋu Matha speaking communities of Gapuwiyak, Galiwin’ku, Ramingining and Millingimbi.

Through the EALYM, each community has its own local leadership group made up of Traditional Owners and clan and community leaders to deliver youth strengthening initiatives which are community led and delivered via a brokerage fund, and to develop local youth strategies and a monitoring, evaluation and learning approach which measure Yolngu lead markers for success.

The leadership groups meet monthly to discuss outcomes from existing activities, as well as to discuss proposals and new ideas to improve their communities.

Local Yolŋu coordinators are also employed as part of the EALYM to support the model’s operation and implementation.  The leadership groups and coordinators also lead the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework. During 2022-23, the EALYM established over 20 clan and community based activity programs to positively engage young people, support cultural learning and reinforce prosocial behaviours.