Senator Patrick Dodson introduces the 7th edition of 80-20 Development in an Unequal World in his foreword to the book. It was first published in the print edition in November 2016.

Clearly, there is work to be done.

I am a proud member of the Yawuru people of Broome in Western Australia. In the Yawuru language of my people there are three key concepts which emphatically shape our ways of knowing and understanding. They are:

• Mabu ngarrung: a strong community where people matter and are valued
• Mabu buru: a strong place. A good country where use of resources is balanced and sacredness is embedded in the landscape
• Mabu liyan: a healthy spirit, a good state of being for individuals, families and community. Its essence arises from our encounter with the land and people.

For one thing, these concepts are not newly minted nor are they unique to Australia. They come from the time before time began. We call this the Bugarrigarra. From when the earth was soft and yet to be moulded and given its form by the creative spirits. Te Bugarrigarra encompasses the time well before Western philosophy, religion and laws existed or travelled to our lands in ships.

How the book is related to the concepts

I draw your attention to these concepts for they capture much of the essence of what this compelling and rich book, 80-20 is all about. As a matter of fact, they provide a context and a perspective for analysing the world immediately around us and that world which appears to be far distant. These three concepts and the way 80-20 Development in an Unequal World explores them, remind us of an urgent need. To recognise and recover respect for the diversity and richness of our various cultures in Australia and beyond.

At the present time, these fundamental principles remain at serious risk worldwide, and they demand our attention and action. Unquestionably, they serve to remind us of our shared humanity without which we will never overcome the challenges we face. That is to say, 80-20 vividly captures the essence of the work that is before us.

The history of our people – the First Australians – is one of official denial and exclusion in our own land. My family, along with most Aboriginal families, carries the pain of this exclusion in our recent history. A highly ethnocentric, even racist, social outlook unarguably shaped Australian law at that time. Many of the laws were genocidal in intent, application and consequence. Without doubt, the same moral compass justified the American laws that mandated racial segregation in the US before the civil rights movement. Such views and laws led also to the horrors of Soweto and Robben Island and even the hate crimes of Nazi Germany. These systems of laws and regulation shared the same legal, intellectual and moral parentage. In fact, such laws, worldviews and practices have their parallels across the world today with similar pain and suffering for their victims.

People continue to challenge this exclusion in Australia today, just as they challenge it in very many ways across all regions of the world, especially among the world’s poorest. A reality that 80-20 describes in some detail. Chapter after chapter, story after story, this book not only catalogues exclusion and its consequences but also offers remarkable storytelling of change in today’s world.

A book of ‘hope and courage’

In reading 80-20 Development in an Unequal World, I remember the words of Australian anthropologist Bill Stanner. He, in reference to official policy towards the First Australians, described it as ‘…a cult of forgetfulness practised on a national scale’.

For the perceptive reader, 80-20 offers a clarion call; to challenge the constant ‘forgetfulness’ of the realities of inequality and exclusion we are effectively observing on a world scale. It catalogues the denial of dignity and human rights of the many which, in turn undermines the humanity of all. Using extensive data, perceptive analysis and excellent graphics (alongside biting cartoons), 80-20 offers a compelling alternative storyline. It not only highlights what is wrong today but also constantly suggests and debates solutions. In this regard, I endorse the observation Irish President Michael D. Higgins made in his preface to the 6th edition that this is a book of ‘hope and courage’.

We know, as fact, that just as some Australian legislation in the past rested on outmoded patterns of thought and belief. Much of the current official policy and practice on international development is not sustainable of people or planet. Our thinking, our laws and much of our practice remain locked in an ingrained paternalism and racial superiority (and behind those, a deep and abiding fear). Such mindsets and policies continue to justify repeated acts of greed that grab the lands, resources and lives of far too many people. They undermine not only our shared humanity but also our common future.

A dominant thread throughout this book is the recognition of that common humanity (and, all too often, inhumanity). The discussions of justice and injustice, hunger and poverty, women’s rights, human rights, and climate change catalogue it. Recognising this will serve to refresh our spirit (our ‘liyan’). It will enable us to move on from the many mistakes, poor policies, ignorance and outright racism that have bedevilled us to date.

A creative and productive partnership

For many years now, my Aboriginal colleagues from Broome and myself have had a creative and productive partnership with 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World. Together, we have worked on the reconciliation agenda here in Australia and also in Ireland and beyond. I commend the energy, creativity and resilience that characterises 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World as an organisation. They are evident in the pages of this book. Our partnership continues to energise us for the work that lies ahead.

80-20 Development in an Unequal World reminds us that regardless of race, culture or gender, we all have a shared goal as global citizens. We want to build a common, tolerant and flourishing future together. We urgently need a world unencumbered by a lack of respect and appreciation for the human dignity of all peoples and our planet. If we constantly build on what we have in common rather than what divides us, I believe that we can be better people. We can create a better world and, together, we can offer a better place to the coming generations. In the meantime, there is indeed work to be done.

I am very happy to endorse this educational resource for the story it tells; the analysis it offers, as well as the vision it inspires.

Senator Patrick Dodson
Australian Aboriginal Leader