National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) is a key time in Australia’s national calendar where communities come together and reflect and assess where they are on the Reconciliation journey. For some, you may be at the beginning, for others, you may have made key changes in the way you work with and welcome First Nations people.
One great way of doing this is by your parish, school, diocese or organisation creating and enacting a Reconciliation Action Plan. The following is what the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council has to say from their March 2022 newsletter:
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NATSICC is heartened by the rise in development of Reconciliation Action Plans across the Australian Catholic Church.
Since 2006, Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) have enabled organisations to sustainably and strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation.
Based around the core pillars of relationships, respect and opportunities, RAPs provide tangible and substantive benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, increasing economic equity and supporting First Nations self-determination.
NATSICC is pleased to be able to support the development of Reconciliation Action Plans. Our National Office and individual Councillors have worked with schools, parishes, and organisations to develop their own Reconciliation Action Plans. We have developed resources to assist groups in achieving the goals set out in their Action Plans – ie. custom Acknowledgment Plaques & Virtual Acknowledgments.
We will continue to assist organisations and parishes to develop their RAPs, but also hasten to remind groups that local community members must also be involved in the consultation, planning and rollout of the plans.
Organisations that NATSICC has assisted in developing their RAPs:
• Archdiocese of Brisbane
• Caritas Australia
• Catholic Mission
• St Vincent de Paul South Australia
• Calvary Hospital – Calvary North Adelaide, Calvary John James Canberra and the National Office
• Christian Brothers College Adelaide
• Sisters of St Joseph RAP
This theme for Reconciliation week (27 May – 3 June) is “Be Brave. Make Change”. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday (3 July) is ““The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Get up! Stand up! Show up.”
RESOURCES
Reconciliation Australia
https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliationaction-plans/start-your-rap/
Rap Information Webinars 3 May
https://reconciliationaustralia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cKjJCyuiS9agtUiZtHqhvw
Archdiocese of Brisbane RAP
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/life/reconciliation-action-plan/
Education focused RAPs