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Every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation. In playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that acknowledge the truth, and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.
As a national organisation, we know that the work we do can influence health outcomes and reconciliation. And we're committed to having those outcomes informed and influenced by those who are best placed to do so. We're partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori peoples to ensure their voice is leading our work.
We’ve significantly strengthened our commitment to improving Indigenous health with the APC Strategy 2020/21 Direction Four: As a culturally competent organisation we deliver a culturally safe workforce.
Our vision is to:
As per our strategic direction we will:
As part of this pillar of the strategy, the Board has committed to delivering a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. - Reconciliation Australia
We will begin our RAP journey with a Reflect RAP. This plan will be the foundation for us to take bigger strides into the future to deliver on our commitment. Through building relationships, respecting culture, history, knowledge and rights, and creating opportunity we aim to contribute to a more reconciled Australia.
We recently established a RAP working group. They are currently exploring what our Reflect RAP will look like. We want to take each step slowly. We want to ensure each pillar is being deeply considered to provide actionable outcomes.
Some of our deliverables include:
Future RAPs will cement the objectives above. And we'll delve deeper into what we can do through our sphere of influence such as:
Our working group has a wide spread of experience, skills and talent who will contribute with passion to this work.
We also involve all our staff outside of the working group to provide ideas, collaborate with us, champion our plan and learn as a whole team.
See CEO, Bronwyn Clark’s blog piece on improving health outcomes for First Australians.
This year, we watched Puttipari and the Rainmakers. This is a story about why connection to country of birth is so important to First Nations Peoples. We learnt about the diverse Aboriginal groups, cultures, languages and custodianships of country specific to the Kimberley region.
We saw Putuparri become conflicted and torn between the traditional and contemporary lifestyles of his people.
“This film was incredibly moving. I struggled to hold back tears. Culture and land are such integral parts of their identity. First Australians deserve to be able to learn, practise and teach on their land, without pressures from opposing lifestyles.”
This film has enhanced cultural awareness and knowledge throughout the organisation. It's allowed us to understand the repercussions of being removed from country in the face of opposing lifestyle pressures.
We recommend this film to anyone with a desire to learn about First Nations culture and history. You can purchase the film or host a screening through their website.