National Reconciliation Week serves as a poignant reminder of the histories, cultures, an achievements of the First Nations community and invites us to contemplate our individual and collective contributions towards achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year, the theme of National Reconciliation Week is "Be a voice for Generations." Reconciliation Australia's website suggests actions we can all take to be a voice for generations every day of the year, and not just during Reconciliation Week. These actions are listening, unity, fairness, learning, action, truth-telling, reform, representation, self-determination, land rights, and equity. With these actions as inspiration we came together as a team to learn from how others are putting them into practice and to reflect on what this means for us as individuals and in our work. 

Several key insights emerged from our discussions:

We discussed that for many of us, the first step is learning how to listen, and listen deeply. As we explored the role of truth commissions and truth-telling in acknowledging past injustices it is clear that as a community we need to practise deep listening and be ready to use the truths we hear to inspire meaningful action.

“What we are doing is not two-eyed seeing, but two-eared listening. At the heart of justice is listening. Before you can restore justice, you need to listen to the stories of injustice.” - Chief Mi’sel Joe from Miawpukek First Nation.

We were inspired by the concepts of Dadirri and two-eared listening.

We discussed the significance of researching and openly sharing information regarding the wealth generation of our Foundation. While we are already working with First Nations partners, we hope that continuing to work to understand the Foundation’s past will be a valuable opportunity to better inform our future practice. This process is ongoing and presents a vital opportunity to influence others in our sector. 

 The practice of truth telling is “not a wall but a bridge”, using truth-telling to “draw history into the present, and to draw connections between past policy, present policy, and present injustices”. - Courtney Jung

We explored the many spaces where self-determination needs to be championed, and spoke about how embracing self-determination means ensuring First Nations people are in the position to decide but also to set the standards, processes and ways of being.  

We were inspired by the Koondee Woonga-gat Toor-rong Charter . 

We discussed the significance of representation in the year when the referendum on the Voice to Parliament will be held. We reflected on the interconnectedness of voice, representation, and rights and the challenge of trying to foster equity while working within an inherently unequal white system.

We were informed by the Noongar Settlement Agreement the Victorian Truth Commission the South Australian Voice to Parliament 

National Reconciliation Week has encouraged us to sit with the layers of reconciliation, challenging ourselves to understand more deeply and strive for actions that surpass allyship. As we move forward, we are holding several questions:

• How do we learn and engage to support the development of voice, treaty, and truth and find our place in that journey to effectively walk alongside others?

• What does it mean for our organisation to embody effective anti-racism?

• How can we create relationships of conciliation and build a shared future together?