3KND BRINGS NAIDOC TO LIFE FOR VICTORIA

3KND 1503AM, the “Voice of Indigenous Victoria Australia”, offers Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community members from Melbourne and wider Victoria the unique opportunity to share their experiences, concerns, perspectives and information with the wider community and neighbours over the 3KND radio Airwaves and Internet.

Rotary Club of Preston member Gerry Lyons (aka the GMAN) is the General Manager of 3KND.

Following the cancellation of NAIDOC due to COVID-19, Gerry got together a mob of artists and with the help of Melbourne Arts Centre and other groups they played out the Victorian Naidoc Week Concert. Uncle Archie Roach was the star and the virtual national and international audience on the night numbered 61,000. Gerry sees the role of music in keeping oneself healthy, balanced and sane. Music can bring people together, it can revive pleasant old memories, it can relieve stresses, it can raise the spirit.

IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

3KND GMan Rotarian Gerry Lyons spoke to the Club of the massive jump in domestic violence within the indigenous communities in these lock-down times. Children have been taken away because a parent has become unemployed, home food has diminished and connection with community has suffered badly.

People have been slow to call out for help. Gerry and his 30 person staff, permanent and volunteers, are seeking out those who have no-one to talk to, no voice to call out, no family to share with . . . During the weekend of the Concert there were no cases of domestic violence while currently his mission of being out there listening and sharing is having similar results.

This is one of the reasons that at Preston Rotary, we so strongly support 3KND and the GMAN.