Indigenous Governance And Leadership Essay

Understanding Governance

Discuss about the Indigenous Governance and Leadership.

Governance plays a very important role in deciding what kind of society people select to live in.  Governance helps a county, community, small groups and companies to achieve the objectives they are striving for. Governance is totally different from government, administration and management. It is a wider term than leadership. Good governance makes effective provisions for powers, rules, schedules, and time margins (Zeldin et al., 2012).

Governance leads to the protection of human rights and welfare, justified enforcement of rules, policies and laws and helps in maintaining relationships with external parties. This leads to effective management of money, people, and culture. Governance provides the benefit of formulation of goals and objectives for the whole society. Governance is a powerful tool for economic and social development. Power, authority and rules are important components of governance system (Garmany, 2010).

Effective and good governance leads to various benefits to societies, people, and nation. Governance is a tool which helps in determining economy and community development and also helps in maximisation of self determination in the people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island. The economic and social well being in societies and groups depends upon the Aboriginal communities that how they are planning development for their people in long run.

Indigenous Community Governance Project states that good governance should include legitimacy where all men and women should be given equality and participation in decision making, fairness which provides opportunity for improvement in human rights protection, and performance which leads to outcomes that were planned.

Indigenous governance is different from organizational or corporate governance. In indigenous governance, people themselves care for country, manage, and share resources and share their knowledge amongst each other. Cultural values, traditions, rules, and beliefs are shared with each other. Social and philosophical systems play an important role in governance of structure, processes and institutions.  A community can be described as a network of people and various organisations connected together by way of personal terms, political links, rules, and traditions. Community share economic and social benefits and common benefits (Ostrom, 2010).Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are extremely diverse in their cultures, histories, locations, size, and local conditions. They are related to different national, and government laws.

Organization governance is the combination of authority, control, and direction for the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Indigenous organizations have an informal group of people who work in coordinated manner to attain the specific objectives and not to indulge in legal incorporation such as assembly, alliance (Zeldin et al., 2012). Many of the informal organizations are initiated by Government and agencies to provide local delivery of policies and programs.

Importance of Governance

Role of women is very important in the government of indigenous people as the women in these societies normally have very important role of leadership and governance in maintaining the household and family. Governance also strengthens women role in society and also encourage then to be part of the government through empowerment and this leads to gender equality in decision making progress. Involvement of women would lead to effective governance which will be helpful in efficient decision making for attainment of goals and objectives.

Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people believe in their own culture based governance. They have their own system that has changed over the time. These changes can occur in the traditions, rules, and code of conduct of the system. Consequently, it has impact upon imposing arrangement. Furthermore, there is different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies in the Australia that has adopted different culture based ways of governance. Despite this, there is some common culture values and tradition within the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander societies (Capistrano and Charles, 2012).

Indigenous people uses alike culturally-based principles within the Australia in order to design their governing settlement. These principles included the networks, relationships, governance histories, cultural geographies, leadership, decision-making authority, and mutual accountability (Toolkit, 2016).

Network is a group of people, things, or organizations that are independent but connected with each other and helps one another to share the ideas, beliefs, knowledge and resources. Networks are effective for people and organization to cooperate with common goal. For example, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander use their networks in extended families, linked groups, communities, ceremonial traditions, kinship relationships and groups of leaders.

Relationship depends upon the shared culture connections of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance networks. Effective internal relationship among the group member is essential for legitimate governance.

There are different histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, communities or organizations to make their governance arrangements. Hence, they face challenges according to their governance histories.

It indicates the cultural boundaries associated with the geographies like land-owning groups, traditional, and gender arrangement, leadership hierarchies, and extensive family networks.  These are cultural boundaries are different from the non-indigenous administrative (Lyver, et al., 2014).

Leader helps people to cooperate, use their resources, resolve the problems, and care for the nation. In such way, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders have ability to influence people. They are also knowledgeable and forming networks within and outside the environment. 

Organizational Governance

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander make decision associated with the local group of member within the network. These decisions are related to the issues of owner’s land, resources, the knowledge or the dispute among the local people. But problem has occurred when wrong layers of network involved within the decision making process.

It means responsibility of person, family, wider groups, and network towards each other. It depends on the rules and regulation and assesses the activities of the group. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander emphasize the significance of downward responsibility to the members of their own nation, community and local groups.

Cultural legitimacy in the governance settlement means involvement of rules, regulation, structure, and process in the governance arrangements. It is effective to develop understanding about the values, cultural traditions, power, and authority among the group member. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community uses the cultural legitimacy in their new governing arrangements in order to share their cultural values, tradition and exercising authority with the people (Capistrano and Charles, 2012). To build and maintain the cultural legitimacy, indigenous leaders need to focus on some aspects such as develop clear understanding about the member and area whether legitimacy is weak, open to use new technologies, realistic idea and engage the stakeholders.

Leadership is the art of influencing the group of members to act towards accomplishing the common goal. Leadership is about providing the right direction and guidance to people. A leader is the individual who has distinct style, personal qualities, values, skills, experience, and knowledge to influence the people to act to meet common objectives.

Every society has its visionary leaders and they have ability to use their power. Hence, leaders need to communicate about the set of values and standard with their followers. They should have ability to recognize their own as well as others’ weaknesses and strengths (Indigenous Governance Toolkit, 2015). They should be able to inspire the people to act together. Moreover, leaders should be accountable and commit to act fair and comprehensive to represent their members and followers. Leaders also understand their limitation to their role. They also help their country, communities and organizations to achieve their goals.

According to Rothaermel (2015), the concept of leadership and governance includes the strategic guidelines, plans and policies, rules and regulation, motivation, partnerships and effective oversights. It is effective for the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute in order to get the positive outcomes. Besides this, leadership involves the implanting strategies, developing plans and policies, accountability, and transparency. Thus, it is said that effective leaders have ability to face challenges in complex circumstances in order to meet the objectives. They are practical at all level of the organization.

Women and Governance

In contrast to this, leaders can encourage the sense of moral and social responsibility into their each activity. They also influences group of people to act towards the common ideas and ideologies. Further, they provide the appropriate direction to people to reach their goals.

In the view of chairman of the Australian Productivity Commission, effective leadership plays vital role in solving the issues that face by the communities and nations. Further, leadership and management are not the same things. It means, in the organization, managers and leaders both are different. It usually depends on ability of people to exercise their power and use their rights in the organization. Moreover, leaders can inspire the people and foster their commitment and cooperation (Thompson, 2011). Thus, it is said that everyone can be leader by using their talent and to use their distinct skill each day.

In addition to this, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are act to rebuild their leadership and decision-making authority. In this way, these communities are using the appropriate ways of selecting, supporting and mentoring their young leaders. As a result, it establishes the more effective governing bodies.

Effective leadership is important to meet the social, economic, and cultural outcomes with respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Hence, it is said that without visionary and accountable leaders, governance can quickly become the ineffective (Thompson, 2011). Further, there can be lack of credibility. Additionally, through selecting the appropriate leaders, organization can achieve the favorable outcomes. Because effective leaders are able to coordinate with people and also solve every type of conflict within the organization.

Governance for national rebuilding always deals with the practical mechanisms. It follows the principal of maximization of self determination.

Two different approaches of Governance

In Standard approach, the main goal and economic problem is considered as development. Culture is considered as problem in decision making. Moreover, decision making is short term, non strategic and even non controllable. External parties have an influential control and used to set the future goals. Leaders move only towards distribution of products and services and makes ineffective decision by not considering plans. Rules and policies in this approach are based upon external values, concepts, and standards prevailing in society from earlier times. This leads to failure in governance to organization (Ott, 2010). Standard approach works on external funds which lead to chaos and confusion in carrying out of operations.

Indigenous Governance and Culture

On other hand, in Nation rebuilding approach development is considered as interrelated economic, social, and cultural goal. Decision making progress is long term oriented, more strategic and is fully controlled. Culture is considered as strength. Nation rebuilding approach moves in the direction of welfare of nation’s people and always focuses on achievement of common goals. Leaders act as nation developers and make decisions for the welfare of people of nation. National rebuilding approach leads towards majority decision making, community development and sustainable organizations (Arnstein, 1969). This approach manages and diversifies the risk heading towards social and economical growth and development.

The ladder of Self Governance

The ladder of Self governance is a very important aspect for nation rebuilding as it informs about the different levels which help in achievement of responsibility and power which lead towards the direction of nation rebuilding. The movement from standard approach to Nation rebuilding approach is a steady process. The level should be decided after practically exercising the governing authority and their capabilities.

Nation Rebuilding Approach

A nation rebuilding provides detailed information about strategic vision of community governance. It is an approach in which self determination plays a very important role (Huntjens et al., 2012). National building approach requires some critical steps and they are as follows.

• Drawing of unique cultures and values related to governance and protection of culture and values prevailing in society with a consideration of respect.
• Determination of constituents for legitimacy of nation. Through this all the people in the nation will be provided with equal right and will be equally represented.
• Determination of style of leadership requirement and effectiveness and growth needed for nation.
• Designing of appropriate policies, rules, strategies and structures for the implementation.
• Develop a strong coordination with the members so that there can be effective participation in decision making progress of arrangements and aspirations required for nation rebuilding (Arnstein, 1969).
• The last step is involvement with environment and links influencing governance and maintains a cordial relationship with other parties.

References

Arnstein, S. R. (1969) ‘A Ladder of Citizen Participation’, JAIP, 35 (4), 216-224.

Capistrano, R. C. G. and Charles, A. T. (2012) ‘Indigenous rights and coastal fisheries: A framework of livelihoods, rights and equity’, Ocean & coastal management, 69, pp. 200-209.

Garmany, J. (2010) ‘Religion and governmentality: Understanding governance in urban Brazil’, Geoforum, 41(6), pp.908-918.

Huntjens, P., Lebel, L., Pahl-Wostl, C., Camkin, J., Schulze, R. and Kranz, N. (2012) ‘Institutional design propositions for the governance of adaptation to climate change in the water sector’, Global Environmental Change, 22(1), pp.67-81.

Indigenous Governance Toolkit (2015) Leadership for governance. [Online]. Available at: https://toolkit.aigi.com.au/toolkit/4-0-your-governing-body-and-leadership (Accessed: 13 August 2016).

Lyver, P. O. B., Davies, J. and Allen, R. B. (2014) ‘Settling Indigenous Claims to Protected Areas: Weighing Māori Aspirations against Australian Experiences’, Conservation and Society, 12(1), pp. 89.

Ostrom, E. (2010) ‘Beyond markets and states: polycentric governance of complex economic systems’, Transnational Corporations Review, 2(2), pp.1-12.

Ott, J. C. (2010) ‘Good governance and happiness in nations: Technical quality precedes democracy and quality beats size’, Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(3), pp.353-368.

Rothaermel, F. T. (2015) Strategic management. USA: McGraw-Hill.

Thompson, L. J. (2011) A moral compass for the global leadership labyrinth. In Ethical Leadership. UK : Palgrave Macmillan.

Toolkit (2016) Indigenous governance and culture. [Online]. Available at: https://toolkit.aigi.com.au/toolkit/2-1-indigenous-governance-and-culture (Accessed: 13 August 2016).

Zeldin, S., Camino, L. and Calvert, M. (2012) ‘Toward an understanding of youth in community governance: Policy priorities and research directions’, Análise Psicológica, 25(1), pp.77-95.