Jawun Development Program

Jawun is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at building the capacity of Indigenous people and communities, and promoting self-reliance, entrepreneurial activity and business planning. Jawun means 'friend' or 'family', an honour given to the organisation by the Kuku Yalanji people of Mossman Gorge in Queensland's Cape York.

Through the Jawun Development Program, the University of Melbourne, with Jawun, places talented University staff into Indigenous organisations to work on initiatives that:

• Build the capacity of, and support for, Indigenous individuals and organisations to achieve their goals
• Assist Indigenous people to access mainstream economic and educational opportunities
• Provide opportunities for non-Indigenous secondees to strengthen their cultural competence
• Support Indigenous people to bring about health and social reform.

The Jawun Development Program includes:

• An Employee Secondment Program of six-week residential placements providing opportunities for staff to experience paid secondments with Indigenous-led community organisations
• An Executive Program providing two- to three-day visits for executive leaders to learn more about the Jawun Development Program in order to sponsor and advocate for secondments across the University.