This year we are celebrating 25 years of Reconciliation in Australia. Each year National Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
This year we spoke to our local community and asked them to reflect on what Reconciliation means to them. We were greatly encouraged by what they had to say and would like to share this with you. Please click here to see video.
On Tuesday 31st May, a Reconciliation Week breakfast was held at our Koolyangarra Child & Family Centre in Cranebrook, for all local Service Providers in the Penrith LGA. It was a time of reconnecting, celebration and reflection.
We were privileged to have Sue Butler from Northcott share her experiences of Reconciliation, both personally and professionally. Sue highlighted for us why she thinks the relationship between Northcott and NCNS has been so positive and how for her it has also reflected the true intent of Reconciliation. Sue spoke about:
Commitment and Support: “Being committed to building relationships and willing to actively support each other. Support for me means the doing, which is, helping out practically and physically being present.”
Learning: “I have learned so much about Aboriginal people and their history and experiences. I believe all of us who work with NCNS and come with an open mind cannot fail to learn. Sometimes this can be confronting but as a worker and as an organisation to move beyond the rhetoric you need to listen, learn and adapt practice to meet Aboriginal cultural needs. I feel having a positive relationship with staff at NCNS provides me with a cultural brains trust.”
Flexibility and the willingness to try: “Along the journey we have tried different activities and approaches. Some have worked, some not, but we always keep going and adapt and review as we do so. We have developed a sincerity and honesty between individual workers that enables us to have frank and open discussions”.
If you would like to read more from Sue’s speech, please click here.
At NCNS we are deeply committed to building relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the agencies that work alongside them.