Gamarada Anger Management and Healing Sessions and Courses; Aborignal Healing, Eastern Methods for relaxation, cleansing and awareness

(Above - graduates from Gamarada Train the Trainer program Nov-Dec07 above).

(Below - Men on the recent Gamarada program May - July 08).

We the men of Gamarada, would like to pay our respects to the elders and wise ones who have gone before us and who have worked for the greater good of the people. We would also like to pay our respects to the other Aboriginal men's groups such as Babana for your incredible work in the community and to men such as Babana Chairperson Mark Spinks, Shane Phillips of the Tribal Warrior Association and Ray Minnecon (Yabun Person of the year 2008)

(Note - all the facilitators of the May-July Gamarada group are Babana members)

What is Gamarada? – Gamarada means ‘comrades’ in the Gadigal language. It is a program that attempts to create a holistic mix of largely Aboriginal, Eastern and Western methods of self healing that will create a greater respect for Aboriginality, with Aboriginal people creating not only a program for themselves, but a program that can be offered as a means of healing and coming together with the wider community.

Gamarada is owned by those who attend. It is about joining as brothers, to create a space where we support our own growth and healing as well as the growth and healing of other participans. It is about trying to focus on higher values such as community service, love, compassion, non violence supported by building inner strength, discipline, willpower and self control.

Currently all facilitators are unpaid volunteers. We have no funding and we rely on community donations to operate the program

Gamarada News

We are honoured and grateful for two recent supporters. Firstly, Patrick Dodson, former Chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, former Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody & winner of the 2008 Sydney Peace Prize. Secondly, Govenor of NSW. Thank you so much also and to all others who have given us support letters.

For our next program, you are warmly invited to attend an information session at Redfern Community Centre (Cnr Louis and Hugo Sts, Redfern) on Mon 16/2/09, 6 to 7.30pm to hear graduates speak and find out more about the program and support Aboriginal men's self healing.

Our next program will run from 23/2/09-4/5/09, 530 – 8.30pm Dinner included!!!

Interested Men are most welcome to come along and have a look at the program for one night before applying to officially join the program. Refreshments and a meal are available on the night.

We have recently had 2 Evolving Community leader's night at the House of Mind Body and Spirit cafe, Glebe. On our first night it was profound and included a Shaman Andrew channelling from the heart information to the men, gifts received from the community, a poetry reading from our Gamarada volunteer Marunta the psychic poet, healing offered by community members to the men and yummy home cooked food made specially for the occasion. Many thanks to cafe owners Ravi and Meena for sponsoring this night and for your ongoing support. On our most recent night on the 20-11-08 the great energy continued, including a community planning session at the end of the leader's section.

David Leha, who has overcome many challenges in his life to become one of the shining lights amongst the initial Gamarada graduates, on Thurs 26/8/08, conducted a Gamarada working with anger and healing session for the Probation and Parole Service as a paid facilitor for the Walking Together program. David attended this program 4 years earlier as a participant. An incredible inspiration to men who are coming out of the Criminal Justice system . Click here to read a touching letter acknowledging David sent to various supporters to acknowledge this milestone. To see a you tube clip of one of the participants talking about David's presentation click here.

A sample of other support letters

Here are some of our other support letters which we are most grateful for (alphabetically listed)

Alison Churchill (CEO Community Restorative Centre)

Aunty Lorrayne Peeters (Managing Director Winangali-Marumali)

Eileen Baldry, Dr, (Associate Dean, University of NSW)

Marcelle Hoff (Sydney City Councillor)

You tube clips of Gamarada.

Here are some men from the last program talking about Gamarada

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctCYng2gz4I

Here are some you tube clips of Babana graduate David Leha, firstly at the Babana Men’s health and well being day Rodd Island

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lufHWG6vvSE

Then David presenting Gamarada info at the Babana / Walking Together Joint venture day

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5CvMmbqmRo

We have just had a most successful program, with 74 men overall attending and an average of 26 men (on cold winter's nights) for the 7 weeks of the main program.

Due to demand, we have decided to increase the program to 10 weeks so we wont be so rushed and we can allow members of the community to offer and present information to the men.

One of our inspirational graduates, Shane Phillips, was recently at the 2020 summit in Canberra and had his own article in the Sydney morning herald on Monday 21/4/08. Congrats for this and thank you for your tireless work in and for the Community.

Uncle Ray Minniecon, Yabun person of the year 2008 has accepted our invitation to be the official Patron of our group. We are humbled and most grateful.

Anger management & healing sessions

From Gamarada Men’s Healing Group, a session has been developed that is available for graduates of the program to be able to conduct themselves in their communities and for Government bodies after they have completed two programs and other criteriaare and are certified by the original graduates as ready to run this session. We envisage that graduates will have the option of charging a fee for running this. One of our original graduates David Leha, is now approved by Corrective Service to conduct and be paid to conduct this session. This is called the Anger Management and Healing session. It blends Aboriginal healing with cultural material, incorporating Eastern methods for relaxation, cleansing and awareness. Read more here.

" I thought this sort of stuff was not manly and was quite sceptical at first. However I enjoyed the program, learnt lots and realise how what we are trying to create together has the ability to assist people with a lot of their own self healing and to take control back of their lives and emotions"

– Shane Phillips, CEO Tribal Warrior Association

"I have been interested in looking at different ways that we can work on building emotional and inner strength. We as a community have created this program and everyone who attends takes an ownership of it and can join in the great feeling that we all received as a result of attending"

– Ken Zulumovsky, Worker in the field of Aboriginal mental health and social and emotional well being for 10 years.

"For many years now, from a background of violence and hatred, I have learnt to open my mind and to take in things which can help me with my own healing. Gamarada has inspired me and given my many new skills which I am now using to support others in their own healing"

– David Leha, 'Radical Son', Facilitator of Gamarada
Anger management & healing sessions.

We are happy to introduce Gamarada's new website! Here you can check out what is happening in the Aboriginal community in Sydney and around the country, check out our supporters and sponsors supporters and sponsors to other inspiring sites and here you can find out more about David Leha's courses and how to register for them. Download our flyer here!

The first courses begin in May 2008. If you are interested in learning more, don't hesitate to contact us! If you would like to attend the program, at this stage you can attend on a Monday night at the ground floor room, Community Centre Redfern, corner Louis and Hugo Sts Redfern, where you are welcome to join in or observe for a night and then, if you want (and spaces are available) you can complete an application form and join us.