Workshop Moderator
Speakers
Ian Hamm
Chair, Board of Directors at First Nations Foundation
Nerita Waight
Chief Executive Officer
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
Neville White
Emeritus Scholar at La Trobe University
Reconciliation is a step on the road to a more peaceful and inclusive co-existence between indigenous Australians and those of us whose Australian heritage is more recent. It involves acknowledging the first nation status of all Aboriginal people, and recognition of their ancestral and cultural links to this land. It also involves the creation of the opportunity to be heard and participate fully and equally in our society.
The 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart was the culmination of several years of consultation with indigenous people from all parts of Australia. This statement is the first such collective expression by our indigenous Australians of the next steps required to take us forward on the road to reconciliation.
This session will consider the current environment for reconciliation and what needs to be done to assist this process. It will consider what can be done by business and government, what might be required in terms of our legal and governance structures and by our society in general. It will also consider this from the perspectives of geographically diverse indigenous communities. Importantly, it will help guide Rotarians on how community service organisations can engage in the reconciliation process and support the aspirations of indigenous Australians.