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Tuesday
2nd November 1999
6.30pm to 9.30pm
At:
The Settlement
Edward Street, Chippendale, Sydney.
(Gregory's Map Reference 18 k5)
Closest Station is Redfern
| Have your say on the national
document of reconciliation!
The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation is developing a document of reconciliation that consists of an inspiring declaration that should be formally adopted by Commonwealth, State and Territory governments. This will be underpinned by principles and national strategies with commitments to promote reconciliation. A majority of people consulted by Council believe that an agreement would improve relations between Indigenous Australians and the wider community. You can find out more about the National Document of Reconciliation at the national documents site. The draft document is below. Council wants to involve as many people as possible, both Indigenous and the wider community in deciding on the document and making commitments, and will conduct extensive consultations from July to December 1999. As part of this consultaion process Black + White + Pink is working with the Council to organise aa forum for GLBTQ people and organisations to express our views and to map out the steps we must take as we work together towards a reconciled nation. |
Read the Black + White + Pink Statement of Reconciliation signed by Sydney Gay & Lesbian Community Organisations |
The
Evening will be hosted by the effervescent Vanessa Wager who will guide
us through the maze of opinion concerning Reconciliation and to further
help us understand the twists and turns, Senator Aden Ridgeway will give
the keynote address.
Following the speakers will be the opportunity
to have your say on the Draft Document of Reconciliation and the Strategies
for Implementation of the Draft Document of Reconciliation. To achieve
this we will be breaking into small groups for 45 minutes with each group
being facilitated by members of the gay and lesbian community addressing
two distinct themes :
- The Content and Wording of the Draft Document of Reconciliation
- The four key National Strategies as well as discussing local community based strategies
Following the small group work will
be a feedback session where each group will report on the discussions that
took place and document the findings ready to present to the National Council
for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
If you wish to receive a Reconciliation Kit (developed by the National Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation) which sets out all the issues and provides a guide to the consultation process and register for the Workshop, please contact us through the following methods. We hope to have most people RSVP by contacting us (as this will give us an idea of numbers) however feel free to turn up on the night and bring your friends and family.
Please remember to leave your name and address and postcode and we will post you a kit.
Email : paddymcgoo@hotmail.com
You can read the statement of support for Aboriginal
Reconciliation from Sydney Gay & Lesbian community organisations at
the Queers
for Reconciliation site.
What is reconciliation?
Reconciliation
is about working together to improve relations between Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples and the wider community.
In 1991, Federal Parliament established the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation to promote a formal process of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community.
The Parliament noted that many Indigenous peoples
were removed from their traditional lands by the British Crown and that
there has been no reconciliation process so far.
Why a document?
Parliament directed the Council to talk to as many people as possible about whether a document of reconciliation would benefit the nation and to make recommendations on the nature and content of such a document.
Council has consulted thousands of Australians over the last eight years and found great support for a national document of reconciliation.
The Council's draft document of reconciliation expresses our commitment to greater understanding and appreciation of each other.
What's it got to do with me?
This
document of reconciliation is about building a better Australia and better
community relations so all Australians benefit.
Council must report to Parliament about what should be in a document of reconciliation. To be sure it reflects the views of the Australian people, Council wants to hear your ideas about its draft.
Here are some things the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation thinks should be in a national document of reconciliation.
Celebration of the diversity of peoples who make up Australia today.
Recognition of the unique status of the first Australians and the importance of culture and land to Indigenous peoples.
Respect for the continuing customary laws, beliefs and traditions of Indigenous peoples.
Acknowledgement that consent was neither sought nor given at the time of colonisation.
Acknowledgement of our history and its continuing consequences today.
A commitment to achieve greater equity in social and economic conditions for Indigenous peoples by improving the delivery of services.
National strategies to ensure that reconciliation is included in government policies and programs and so becomes a reality in the lives of all Australians.
What will it do?
The
document of reconciliation will recognise and respect Indigenous peoples
as the first Australians.
It will be a symbol of our nation's maturity, a sign of hope for the future, and will guide future relations between all Australians.
It will also set out commitments and actions to make reconciliation a reality in our communities, workplaces and institutions.
What won't it do?
The document of reconciliation may not change our lives immediately, but it could improve the future for all Australians.
The document of reconciliation will not be the end of the reconciliation journey and it will not absolve us of further action and commitment.
The document of reconciliation will stand on its own - it is not the same as the preamble to the Australian Constitution and will not affect the preamble.
The document of reconciliation is not a treaty, nor will it prevent discussion of a treaty.
Further information
For more information about the Council and its work visit the Council's website (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car/). There is specific information on the Draft Document for Reconciliation at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car/docrec/index.htm
The Council's vision:
A united Australia which respects this land
of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; and
provides justice and equity for all.
______________________________________
DRAFT
Declaration for Reconciliation
Speaking with one voice, we the people of Australia,
of many origins as we are, make a commitment to go on together recognising
the gift of one another's presence.
We value the unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original owners and custodians of traditional lands and waters.
We respect and recognise continuing customary laws, beliefs and traditions.
And through the land and its first peoples, we may taste this spirituality and rejoice in its grandeur.
We acknowledge this land was colonised without the consent of the original inhabitants.
Our nation must have the courage to own the truth, to heal the wounds of its past so that we can move on together at peace with ourselves.
And so we take this step: as one part of the nation expresses its sorrow and profoundly regrets the injustices of the past, so the other part accepts the apology and forgives.
Our new journey then begins. We must learn our shared history, walk together and grow together to enrich our understanding.
We desire a future where all Australians enjoy equal rights and share opportunities and responsibilities according to their aspirations.
And so, we pledge ourselves to stop injustice, address disadvantage and respect the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to determine their own destinies.
Therefore, we stand proud as a united Australia that respects this land of ours, values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and provides justice and equity for all.
______________________________________
National Strategies to Advance Reconciliation
The following National Strategies to Advance Reconciliation are based on Council's Draft Declaration for Reconciliation. The developed strategies will map out the steps we must take as we work together towards a reconciled nation. By supporting these strategies, governments, businesses, organisations and individuals from both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community can make practical commitments to reconciliation. Partnerships between all sectors of our community are the best way to ensure that the Draft Declaration for Reconciliation becomes a reality in people's lives.A National Strategy for Economic Independence will facilitate greater economic independence and self-reliance in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It seeks to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and promote their human dignity. This strategy recognises that economic empowerment will not occur through welfare programmes. The strategy will achieve its greatest success when it is built on partnerships between all sectors. This strategy would include:
better access to capital, business planning advice and assistance; increased networking and mentoring opportunities; better access to training and development opportunities; promotion and encouragement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander small business; greater strategic and integrated regional economic development plans; fostering partnerships with the business community; and reform of current government economic and funding programmes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
A National Strategy to Address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Disadvantage aims for better outcomes in health, education, employment, housing, law and justice. Its objective is to achieve social and economic conditions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples which are the same as those enjoyed by other Australians. This strategy will get better outcomes from government and non-government services. It builds on the National Strategy for Economic Independence.
Reconciliation requires practical and real steps to target the disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a result of past injustices. Statistics show that they are the poorest, unhealthiest, least employed, worst housed and most imprisoned Australians.
This strategy will be based on partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, governments, the business sector and service organisations. It will set out mechanisms to measure progress and report publicly.
A National Strategy to Promote Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rights will be based on the principles that all Australians should share equal rights and responsibilities as citizens; should be able to participate, as they choose, in all levels of decision-making on matters which affect them and their communities; and should enjoy equal social and economic conditions, according to their aspirations. The strategy will recognise the unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original custodians of Australia, their continuing cultures and heritage, and their rights under the common law. It will recognise the unique relationships of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with their traditional lands and waters and the importance of traditional land management knowledge in sustaining the natural environment. The strategy will also recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' continuing aspirations for greater recognition and self-determination within the framework of the Australian Constitution, and will propose strategies for increased representation in Australian parliaments.
A National Strategy to Sustain
the Reconciliation Process will build on the existing peoples' movement
for reconciliation. It will promote knowledge and understanding of the
history of Australia's colonisation and will assist Australia to celebrate
the diversity of the origin of its peoples. It will acknowledge the cultural,
social and economic contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples to the nation. The strategy will describe how governments
at all levels, organisations and community groups can recognise and adopt
appropriate protocols, as well as establish symbols of reconciliation that
reflect our shared history and culture. The strategy will propose the establishment
of a reconciliation foundation to provide leadership for reconciliation,
monitor progress, and support the many groups which currently contribute
to the reconciliation process, including State and Territory Reconciliation
Committees and local reconciliation groups. The strategy will also seek
recognition and protection of the Declaration of Reconciliation in the
Constitutions of the Commonwealth, States and Territories.
