Reconciliation is defined as the process of understanding and restoring a relationship, particularly if the reason for the rift is as a result of one party’s actions. Reconciliation is a community-based movement involving Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It is a process that aims to improve relations between Indigenous peoples and the wider community.
What is Reconciliation?
Reconciliation involves building mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and other Australians. Achieving reconciliation involves raising awareness and knowledge of Indigenous history and culture, changing attitudes that are often based on myths and misunderstandings, and encouraging action where everyone plays their part in building a better relationship between Aboriginals and fellow Australians.
Reconciliation - Let's Finish What We Started
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Strategies to Address Reconciliation Challenges
There are three main ideas on which the reconciliation movement is based.
•Recognition - Indigenous people are the traditional owners of the land and they have a unique relationship with the physical environment.
•Justice - Past government policies have been detrimental to Aboriginal populations as they have been dispossessed of their lands and separated from their families - a process known as the ‘Stolen Generation’ - leading to today’s well-documented social problems.
The Stolen Generation
•Healing - People in general want to improve the living conditions and quality of life for all Australians, but particularly those who are disadvantaged.
•Recognition - Indigenous people are the traditional owners of the land and they have a unique relationship with the physical environment.
•Justice - Past government policies have been detrimental to Aboriginal populations as they have been dispossessed of their lands and separated from their families - a process known as the ‘Stolen Generation’ - leading to today’s well-documented social problems.
The Stolen Generation
•Healing - People in general want to improve the living conditions and quality of life for all Australians, but particularly those who are disadvantaged.
Individuals Involved in Reconciliation
Many Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals have worked to promote the concept of reconciliation in Australia and to highlight the disadvantages that many Indigenous communities and people face. Some high-profile individuals who have actively promoted reconciliation and Indigenous issues are Peter Garrett (midnight oil singer and politician), John Williamson (singer/songwriter), Nova Peris-Kneebone (athlete) and Cathy Freeman (athlete)
Groups and Organisations Involved in Reconciliation
Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) is an independent network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations that support justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. ‘The Sea of Hands’ is an ANTaR activity.
Reconciliation Australia is an independent, non-profit organisation that represents the ideas of many Australian people for reconciliation. It is made up of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and it focuses on closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Reconciliation Australia is responsible for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) which began in 1996 to provide focus for nationwide reconciliation activities. NRW runs from May 27th – June 3rd to coincide with two significant dates in Australia’s history which provide strong symbols of the aspirations for reconciliation. May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in which more than 90 per cent of Australians voted to remove clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians. The referendum also gave the Commonwealth Government the power to make laws on behalf of Aboriginal people. June 3 marks the anniversary of the High Court's judgment in the 1992 Mabo case. The decision recognised the Native Title rights of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original inhabitants of the continent and overturned the myth of terra nullius – the belief that the continent was an empty, un-owned land before the arrival of Europeans in 1788.
Government Involvement in Reconciliation
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Sorry Day - 13 February 2008: The Australian Parliament apologises to the Stolen Generations. Both the government and the opposition support the apology and say 'sorry' to Aboriginal people who were taken away from their families from 1900 to the 1970s. The apology has no legal effect on the ability of Aboriginal people claiming compensation. This speech was hailed as a great step forward in the Australian government recognition of past human rights abuses – particularly in relation to ‘The stolen generation’. It has been criticised by some as a ceremonial gesture with not enough real improvement in Aboriginal quality of life as the statistics on the previous page indicate.
Kevin Rudd's Sorry Day Speech February 13 2008
What Does the Future Hold for Reconciliation in Australia?
Reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and the wider community means different things to different people. Reconciliation will not be a reality until
Indigenous disadvantage is improved. Strides have been made to improve the situation, but more progress and decision-making needs to be made in the areas of
Indigenous health, education, housing, employment and land ownership to make true reconciliation a reality.
Indigenous disadvantage is improved. Strides have been made to improve the situation, but more progress and decision-making needs to be made in the areas of
Indigenous health, education, housing, employment and land ownership to make true reconciliation a reality.
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