Innovate RAP making an impact two years on

In December 2020, The Salvation Army Australia Territory launched its first Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which focused on implementing strategies and initiatives that promote action towards reconciliation as a movement and across our sphere of influence.

As we mark two years on from the launch of the Innovate RAP, it’s with great pride that I celebrate with you the fantastic progress we have made and reflect on the journey we have walked together.

The Innovate RAP has allowed us to dive deeper into our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their culture, lived experiences and traditions. It has also allowed us as a movement to strengthen our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by piloting new initiatives that promote engagement and empowerment.

I am very proud to write this message of celebration and gratitude for your contribution to the two successful years of meeting the 89 deliverables we set out to achieve in 2020.

However, there is some unfinished business from our Innovate RAP, which we aim to prioritise in the coming years through a Stretch RAP. Through the Innovate RAP, we have developed a framework to help us create long-term strategies and define measurable targets for advancing reconciliation internally and in our communities.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to walking the journey of reconciliation with us.

Grace

and peace,

Captain Stuart Glover Secretary for Mission The Salvation Army Australia

Building bridges of understanding and engagement

Maria Anderson, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Coordinator SA/NT, hosted a 13-day ‘cultural mission immersion experience’. It was designed to help emerging Salvos leaders gain deeper insight into, and understanding of, Australia’s First Nations people. Participants visited various programs and services run by The Salvation Army (TSA) in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs and gained an understanding of the land that the TSA is providing a service on, learnt more about the issues Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are facing and how this impacts community. The experience was not only a trip, it was a time for each participant to reflect on their own journey, renew friendships and make new connections.