Reconciliation Why the movement needs you & how to make change
1 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
What is Reconciliation? The vision of Reconciliation is: A UNITED Australia which respects this land of ours; VALUES Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and provides JUSTICE and EQUITY for all. It’s for everyone, from all cultures and walks of life. It must involve whole communities and every family. That’s why individuals are the lifeblood of the movement. It deals with changes in power relationships and communication between sections of the community that have mostly lived separately. It takes place on every level; from personal reflection to international activism.
Why is Reconciliation important? We have witnessed incredible achievements, but there is more to be done:
70% of Australians believe Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are prejudiced against each other. Denial of the Stolen Generations and other facts of our history still exists in the non-Indigenous community. Poor health outcomes including depression, drug use, anxiety, hostility and feelings of hopelessness is exacerbated by racism and discrimination. Similarly, the shocking overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system reveals institutional and systemic racism. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still not recognised in Australia’s founding document, despite having existed here for tens of thousands of years prior to colonisation. Improvement in relationships and understanding between people is the only real way to combat continued racism and disadvantage.
Reconciliation is a big issue. It’s big because it involves all of us: every single Australian. It involves taking a brave look at our society and deciding to stamp out inequality, recognise past wrongs and change the way we think about ourselves and each other. Reconciliation is not just symbolic. Inequality affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes in almost every sphere of life: health, education, spirituality and justice. But together, we can change things; one person at a time.
2 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
Reconciliation is a big issue. (continued) On the Reconciliation agenda right now:
Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians Find out more: www.recognise.org.au Close the Gap Find out more: www.oxfam.org.au Justice Reinvestment Find out more: www.justicereinvestmentnow.net.au The Northern Territory “Intervention” Emergency Response Find out more: www.humanrights.gov.au Racism: It Stops with Me Campaign Find out more: www.itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au Language Revitalisation Find out more: www.alrrc.nsw.gov.au
Just as important as big political campaigns are:
On the ground relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people Local recognition of the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Greater understanding, respect and relationships for all Australians
Important dates 26 January Australia Day / Invasion Day 13 February Apology Day 21 March Harmony Day 26 May National Sorry Day 26 May - 3 June National Reconciliation Week 27 May Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum 3 June Mabo Day
1 July Coming of the Light Festival 1st Week of July NAIDOC Week 4 August National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day 9 August International Day of the World’s Indigenous People September Deadly Awards October NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout Carnival
3 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
What can I do?
Peter Jones, Winga Myamly Local Reconciliation Group
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“Reconciliation is not about speaking on behalf of a community... it’s about raising community awareness”
D e cla r a t io n
Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
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Working With Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Communities Why do we need protocols? Protocols represents an attempt to combat systemic social prejudice and ensure your work is respectful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural beliefs, practices and family and community dynamics, and are based on genuine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation.
Terminology Best case: ask Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. If unsure, there are some general guidelines you can follow to avoid using offensive or inappropriate terminology. Capitalise the first letter of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Indigenous. Outdated terms such as “full-blood”, “half-blood”, “half-caste” and “quadroon” are offensive and should not be used. Acronyms like “ATSI” or “TSI” and other abbreviations are often considered offensive. The word “Aborigine” should not be used. Many Aboriginal people associate these terms with colonisation and assimilation, and find them objectifying. Names like Koori, Murri, Noonga etc. refer to a particular group or area to which certain people belong. They are not general terms and should not be used as such.
Representation Avoid reinforcing negative stereotypes and exposing confidential or sensitive information. Where images of deceased Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australians might be used, suitable warnings should be given at the beginning of the content. E.g. “This document may contain images and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed away”.
5 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
Communication and social organisation Remember that an incident or a comment may be interpreted differently by, or hold different meaning for, people from other cultures. Ensuring you are informed about local dynamics and modes of communication will assist in building strong respectful relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities you seek to work with.
A few simple ways to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement
Increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and volunteers
Invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships
Consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and relevant organisations
Ensure any publications and materials are accessible to diverse people
Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to meaningfully participate, acknowledge their contribution and ensure proper reimbursement
Support the development and implementation of Australian laws and policies that protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and intellectual property rights
6 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
What is a Welcome to Country? • A ceremony performed by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people in order to welcome visitors to their traditional land. The person must be a Traditional Owner or Custodian with specific linkages to that location. • Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for thousands of years. They can be done in a variety of ways, including speeches in English or traditional language, singing, dancing or smoking ceremonies. • A Welcome to Country should be included at special occasions and must be performed as the first order of official proceedings.
What is an Acknowledgement to Country? • While only a Traditional Custodians can perform Welcomes to their own Country, anyone can do an Acknowledgement: Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. • A statement acknowledging Country could use words such as: • “I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners/ appropriate group on whose land we meet on today. I’d like to pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” • An Acknowledgement is a way of showing respect to the Traditional Custodians of land where a meeting, assembly or event is taking place. It recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Custodians of this land and their ongoing connection to it.
7 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
Think Global and Act Local Nowhere is the adage more true than in the Reconciliation movement, where community level attitudes are vital. Get your allies together and begin to transform your patch of the world.
Partnerships You don’t have to go it alone, and you also don’t need to start a formal group. Whatever you decide, recognise your unique sphere of influence and start small. Complement existing structures. How about creating a loose network of people already engaged in Reconciliation in your community? Support, promote and celebrate what’s already happening, share information and build relationships. Engage local government employees, Elders, health workers, students, residents, business owners etc. Working in partnership is the key to a successful social movement. Other benefits to working in partnership:
Sharing the workload Influencing greater circles of people Accessing potential funding opportunities through business, local government or incorporated bodies Giving legitimacy to your work
Getting people together Find out if anyone’s doing something similar already and pool your resources
Research priority issues for your community – involve both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and organisations
Meet informally to set your direction. If deciding to start a group, consider using an Indigenous and non-Indigenous Co-Chair structure
Establish ground rules and strategic direction – what do you want to do and how do you want to go about it?
8 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
Getting people together. (continued) Connect! Get keyed in to other networks: • Become a member of www.nswreconciliation.org.au for more support and
resources • Create a Facebook group, and follow Reconciliation and Aboriginal organisations • Sign up for email updates from government departments, community groups, and non-government organisations of relevance • Get more activist tips and tools from www.thechangeagency.org
Keeping people involved Have a clear purpose Use an ‘asset’ based approach – (focus on what you CAN do and the existing strengths of your community) Celebrate successes Get people on board who have different skills to you Advertise and promote your work - Use Facebook and social media (it’s free!) - Tap into community networks through your Local Council or other existing structures Don’t give up. Be patient, persistent and positive. Change takes time.
9 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
The key to holding Successful events Get a committee together and share the load across organisations if possible. Engage the community you want to target! Allow lots of time to prepare Be innovative
Think of a great title or topic Use the arts as a medium to bring people together Try a new format, style or location for your event Keep it positive, respectful and constructive
Promote widely
Set up a Facebook event & drum up conversation in the lead up Chat on the local radio station beforehand Send through email networks Advertise in local media & on noticeboards Target key community members to promote it through their network
Design, Design, Design!
Think about the type of audience you want to attract and design your event material to suit them.
Seven Rules of Community Organizing
1. Nobody's going to come to the meeting unless they've got a reason to. 2. Nobody's going to come to a meeting unless they know about it. 3. If an organization doesn't grow, it will die. 4. Anyone can be a leader. 5. Work with others when you can. 6. Fight for what you care about. 7. Celebrate the wins & have fun!
DON’T PANIC
Taking action is not easy – shifting attitudes is slow, and often progress is hard to see. You will encounter tensions in communities, negativity and other challenges. But your efforts are important, and the shift will happen. Just keep going.
10 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au
“Now more than ever it has to be a people’s movement. Reconciliation will survive on that basis. Reconciliation relies on the people’s push.”
Patrick Dodson
SIGN UP. COLLABORATE. PUSH THE MOVEMENT FORWARD. WWW.NSWRECONCILIATION.ORG.AU 11 Reconciliation: Why The Movement Needs You & How To Make Change. NSW Reconciliation Council 2013 www.nswreconciliation.org.au