Queensland Indigenous Cottage Industries Network
Q.I.C.I.N.
To the members of the Steering Committee of Q’ld Computerbank Australia.
Working with Indigenous peoples for thirty years has taught me a lot. Being an Artist, Designer,
business owner, who credits my success on the mentors I have had over the years.
Mentors are the main area I have found missing for indigenous people wanting to start up business. While they may have a mentor for Indigenous Culture and other areas. There are so few indigenous businesses, and in the case of Sharon Costello Indigenous Cook wanting to write a cook book there is no one. The few there are in business are so new at it, they don’t have time to give to someone else.
I have found that a great number of these people over the years have looked to me for guidance.
Mainly because I have been where they are and I understand their culture and problems that go with it. I have always worked one on one with these people and they trust me.
My vision is to set up a network for these people, and others. We already have a small group who doing different things from Indigenous Cooking to Contemporary Dance to the Arts.
I know I motivate them and they me. Through computerbank I would like to supply each of these people with a computer and link them to a network through myself.
I look to you the members of Q’ld Computerbank group to show me the finer points for achieving this.
I also have a huge network of experts in many fields example Lew Wyvill QC former head of the Q’ld Criminal Justice Commission has offered if I find an Indigenous person who is doing law of wants to do law. He would be happy to be a mentor for them. That is too good an offer for me to let go by. Through the network I would join Lew and the law student on something similar to computerbank@ list.Linux.org.au so not only the law student has access to Lew but also the other members also have access along the way to Lew for legal advice.
These people when set up will also need training in the use of computers and I see Computerbank could supply this.
I would like to start with twelve indigenous people being linked to a central computer.
I know I will have to find lots of sponsors for Internet access etc., but I see this as a job for the Q.I.C.I.N. Committee not Q’ld Computerbank. The Internet is important as in the case of Steven Gray Dancer on Stradbroke Island he has no peers on the island but over the Internet he has the best Contemporary Dancers in the world one of which is him!
This is my Vision and I hope it can be part of the Computerbanks Vision as well
Kerry Bowden O.A.M.
Chairman of Steering Committee for Q.I.C.I.N.