Indigenous Pathways is a First Nations Australians-led initiative of the Australian Volunteers Program that aims to expand and strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation and connect Australian First Nations Peoples and organisations with overseas counterparts.

In Papua New Guinea, the South Fly Ranger Program has adapted the Indigenous Australian community ranger model to support remote communities. They now have a cohort of 178 community rangers, 38 per cent of whom are women.

In 2018, two community rangers from Western Province participated in the Indigenous Rangers Forum held in Australia, which brought together representatives of 72 ranger groups from across northern Australia.

Programs like Indigenous Pathways demonstrate the mutual benefits of engaging First Nations Australians in the development program. While modest, they provide a foundation on which we can build. Australia's Ambassador for First Nations People will lead the efforts to embed the perspectives and experiences of First Nations Australians into the development program and foster cooperation with regional partners.