30 May 2016

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The State of Reconciliation in Australia

Justin Mohamed CEO Reconciliation Australia Mr Mohamed is Chief Executive Officer of Reconciliation Australia and a proud Aboriginal man of the Gooreng Gooreng nation near Bundaberg in Queensland. He has dedicated the past 25 years to working towards building a stronger and healthier nation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. At Reconciliation Australia, Justin leads the organisation in its vision to create a more just, equitable and reconciled Australia through key programs and initiatives, including Reconciliation Action Plans, Narragunnawali Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning, and National Reconciliation Week.

Photo courtesy of David Foote, Auspic

This speech was delivered by Justin Mohamed for the Parliamentary Library National Reconciliation Week Lecture at Parliament House Canberra on 30 May 2016.

Good morning.

First, I would like to acknowledge the Ngunnawal, Ngambri and Ngarigo People, Traditional Owners of the land we’re meeting on this morning and pay my respects to Elders past and present. I would also like to acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

Thank you to the Australian Parliamentary Library for creating this opportunity for us to engage in this important conversation around reconciliation during National Reconciliation Week.

The reconciliation movement is about recognising and healing the past and committing to a better future: a future in which we value First Australians and provide justice and equity for all.

Relationships and respect are fundamental to reconciliation. Knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is also key to reconciliation.

At Reconciliation Australia we are preparing the groundwork for the next generation to drive our vision for reconciliation into the future. Reconciliation Australia’s landmark report—the State of Reconciliation in Australia—speaks to this vision, and to shared language around reconciliation, for all Australians to consider.[1]

The report, launched in February this year, highlights the milestones achieved in Australia’s reconciliation journey over the past 25 years. It recommends the way forward if we are to realise our potential as a reconciled nation.

This report comes at a critical time in Australia’s history. It comes at a period when reconciliation is an increasingly important part of the national conversation. And the clear message of this conversation is that until we achieve true reconciliation, we fall short of reaching our full potential as a nation.

The report gives us a clear framework to define reconciliation and measure our progress. It defines reconciliation in five important dimensions:

• race relations
• equality and equity
• unity
• institutional integrity and
• historical acceptance.

These dimensions, when woven together, will form the fabric of a reconciled Australia—an Australia:

• in which race relations are positive
• where relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians are free of racism, and built on trust and respect
• where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can participate equally in all areas of life
• where the unique rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are recognised and upheld.

It will be an Australia unified by recognising and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage—unified by celebrating these cultures as a proud part of our shared national identity.

In this Australia, reconciliation will be actively supported by the nation’s political and business institutions, and community and social sectors. In this Australia there will be widespread acceptance of our nation’s history, particularly the wrongs of the past. The ongoing impact of these wrongs will be understood and we will commit to never repeating them.

This historical acceptance, like all dimensions of reconciliation, is critical. We will only be a reconciled nation when these dimensions are actively woven together.

Australia has a long history of reconciliation and countless people have dedicated their lives to the movement. In 1967, we saw nine in ten Australians vote in favour of giving the Commonwealth power to legislate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 1991, formal reconciliation began with the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. By 1992, we witnessed the Mabo decision, which led to native title. And in 2008, the Apology was given to the Stolen Generations.

These are all remarkable achievements, brought about by generations of people fighting for change for the better. Yet the State of Reconciliation in Australia report confirms that we still have a long way to go if we are to stand up and be a nation that is just and equitable for all Australians.

Today we live in a nation where many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still experience racism, prejudice and discrimination. Today Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up over 25 per cent of Australia’s prison population. And our people face a number of complex social problems resulting from colonisation and a denial of basic human rights.

For me, three of the five dimensions are particular areas where we need to undertake some strong work:

• historical acceptance
• race relations and
• equality and equity.

If Australia is to achieve true reconciliation, we must first acknowledge the facts of our history.

The State of Reconciliation in Australia tells us that nine in ten Australians agree that injustices occurred because of European settlement. Yet only half agree that past race-based policies have created today’s disadvantage.

This tells us that we have some way to go before our nation fully understands and accepts the wrongs of the past and how these continue to impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait people today—this is where historical acceptance comes into play.

The recent public debate around the University of New South Wales’ recommendation of the term ‘invasion’ rather than ‘settlement’ to describe the arrival of Europeans in Australia, demonstrates the ongoing lack of understanding and acceptance of our difficult history. Unless we can recognise and heal these historical wounds, they will continue to diminish our country’s future.

The report also confirms that too often, First Australians continue to bear the brunt of racism and discrimination. For example, in 2015 we witnessed the disrespectful and unacceptable booing of Adam Goodes—distinguished Australian and recipient of Australian of the Year—during AFL games.

Earlier this year, we were shocked and offended by the availability of an online game which blatantly encouraged the killing of Aboriginal people. And more recently, a comment by Alan Jones—stating that ‘we need more Stolen Generations’—saw both a denial of rights and a denial of history. These cases speak to the racism and discrimination that still mars the nation.

In order to move forward with reconciliation, it is clear that we must have zero tolerance towards such racism and discrimination. These examples of prejudice and intolerance, must be replaced with positive relationships. Indeed, relationships are the backbone of reconciliation—and like all positive relationships, our journey of coming together must be built on respect, honesty and trust.

In relation to equality and equity, there remain large and unacceptable gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians—in social, health, education and economic outcomes. The life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is approximately 10 years lower than for the rest of the Australian population. And one in three deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 to 35 is due to suicide—twice the rate of other Australians.

Until First Australians participate equally in a range of life opportunities, and we truly value the rich diversity and uniqueness of their cultures, we will continue down the path of socio-economic exclusion and cultural insecurity.

To make gains in the area of equality and equity, policy and strategic planning must be done in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their representative bodies. And all sections of the community must take action to increase understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.

These are the challenges that lie ahead. As long as past wrongs are denied or repeated in the present, we cannot say we are reconciled. As long as prejudice and racism exist, we cannot say we are reconciled. As long as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples do not enjoy the same opportunities as non-Indigenous Australians, we cannot say we are reconciled.

It is the responsibility of all of us to understand and accept our history; to engage with both the difficult stories of racism and positive stories of achievement and cultural pride we are told on a daily basis; and to actively participate in building our nation’s future.

Importantly, the State of Reconciliation in Australia report also outlines clear measures that can move us towards a truly reconciled future. The seven key areas for action are:

1. overcome racism
2. renew focus on closing the gap by all Australian governments
3. recognise and respect the cultures and collective rights of First Australians
4. capitalise on the positive social change generated through corporate sector engagement, such as the Reconciliation Action Plan program
5. improve the governance of government
6. achieve a process to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and unite all Australians, and
7. acknowledge our past through truth, justice and healing.

To find out more, you can access the report in full on Reconciliation Australia’s website.

All Australians have a fundamental part to play in our reconciliation journey. Libraries—such as the Australian Parliamentary Library—also play a fundamental role as a gateway to knowledge and culture in our society, and have a unique ability to support increased knowledge and understanding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

More broadly the wider Australian public has a long way to go before we reach an adequate level of understanding and appreciation of our diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This understanding is critical to building a solid foundation of mutual trust and respect.

The State of Reconciliation in Australia report reveals that only 39 per cent of Australians report having a high level of knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, and only 30 per cent report having a high level of knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Fortunately, the numbers show that this knowledge gap can be narrowed, as over 80 per cent of Australians agree it is important to know about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Reconciliation Australia is actively engaging Australians in this learning journey. A practical example of this engagement is Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning program. Narragunnawali has been designed to support the more than 21,000 early learning services, primary and secondary schools in Australia to foster a higher level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

The teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures can be daunting for educators and carers, especially if they are non-Indigenous. Narragunnawali engages students and educators alike in recognition of this uncertainty and desire from educators for more direction in ‘closing the gap’ of knowledge and understanding in our schools today.

Indeed, if we are to move forward, reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians.

Today, in workplaces across Australia, Reconciliation Australia’s very successful Reconciliation Action Plan program—the RAP program—also works to advance trust, respect and understanding between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and non-Indigenous Australians in the workplace and beyond.

Reconciliation Action Plans (or ‘RAPs’) see organisations across the nation presented with significant opportunities to demonstrate their commitment to, and advance, reconciliation in the workplace. Currently more than 700 organisations across Australia, employing more than 3 million Australians, contribute to achieving reconciliation through the RAPs program.

We know that programs like these are effective in bringing about real outcomes in advancing the state of reconciliation in Australia. The 2014 Reconciliation Barometer found that RAPs lead to higher trust and more positive attitudes in workplaces with a RAP. The Barometer found that:

• 77 per cent of RAP employees have high trust for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, compared with 26 per cent of people in the general community.
• Only 5 per cent of RAP employees believe that prejudice is high in their organisation, compared with 45 per cent who feel it is high in the general community.
• 82 per cent of RAP organisation employees believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold a special place as the First Australians, compared with 71 per cent of the general community.
• 71 per cent RAP employees are proud of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, compared with 57 per cent of the general community.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians. By improving relationships, respect and opportunities today, we are working to create a reconciled, just and equitable Australia tomorrow.

This week we celebrate National Reconciliation Week. This year’s theme—‘Our History, Our Story, Our Future’—asks all Australians to reflect and to consider how, together, we can create a nation that we can all be proud of. Certainly, in this, we have much to do.

Together, we must make reconciliation a national priority to continue building this momentum toward a better nation.

Thank you for your engagement today, and commitment to playing your part as we work towards another generation of achievements in reconciliation.

 

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[1].          Reconciliation Australia, The State of Reconciliation in Australia, February 2016.

 

This paper has been provided by a presenter in the Parliamentary Library’s Seminar and Lecture Series. The views expressed do not reflect an official position of the Parliamentary Library. The copyright remains with the original author and permission may be required to reuse the material.