Last week Mission Australia recognised National Reconciliation Week. Our services across the country engaged with Aboriginal people and communities in many different ways.According to Reconcilation Australia, it is "the ideal time for all Australians to reflect, celebrate and commit - to join the reconciliation conversation and to think about how we can get involved in making a better future for Australia."
Today's news features some of the local activities that took place in appreciation of Reconciliation Week.
Pathways to Prevention - Inala, QLD
Pathways to Prevention - Inala marked the occasion by observing the hard work of their four Aboriginal colleagues.
Team Leader Lesley Kraemer recently shed some light on the relentless dedication her team demonstrates every day:
"Aunty Vivian Bonner has worked tirelessly for over 8 years at Pathways to support the families in the Inala community who have been referred to our service.
"She often goes beyond the call of duty to provide the necessary support."
"Ricky Morgan has recently joined our service and he shares the load with Aunty Vivian by building a strong rapport with some of the troubled boys that are in our community.
"Both Aunty Vivian and Ricky are doing great work and we are very fortunate to have them working with us."
Reconciliation Week is a time to consider the local efforts of people like Aunty Vivian and Ricky that largely go unnoticed.
Lesley noted that "in all of their work, both Aunty Vivian and Ricky raise the awareness of the needs of the Aboriginal community...In their work with families and children they incorporate aboriginal history and culture that helps to strengthen ties to their indigenous roots.
"We celebrated as a team and our Aboriginal workers were touched by our recognition at such an important week in Australia's history"
Cafe One on Wickham - Fortitude Valley, QLD
Café One on Wickham held a memorial service as part of their recognition of Reconciliation Week.The service was lead by Mission Australia Chaplain for QLD, Tim Booth, to commemorate the life and contributions of long time Café One community member, Auntie Ruby.
Café customers, staff, volunteers and Brisbane City's Councillor for Central Ward, David Hinchliffe were present to pay their respects.
Tim Booth offerred his thoughts of the Café One community to mark this important date in the Australian calendar:
"What I see in this example and of many others around Mission Australia is staff getting on with doing practical ‘reconciliation work’ with clients and communities – both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal – quietly, professionally and effectively everyday.
"This is a source of hope for me, and I feel a great deal of appreciation to be able to witness the important and challenging work that staff do daily."
Mission Australia Employment Solutions - Goulburn, NSW
Employment Solutions - Goulburn celebrated Reconciliation Week with a luncheon of Australian fare with traditional ingredients and an educational workshop.
The workshop was lead by Clive Freeman - a Jarvis Bay Aboriginal educator who taught the group about traditional Aboriginal toolmaking and use of natural resources.
Skills Development Advisor Alfie Walker helped arrange the day's activities and was thrilled to celebrate and share his Aboriginal culture with his colleagues.
Early Learning Services - Tanilba Bay, NSW
The children of the Tanilba Bay's Early Learning Service participated in a range of fun activities that were designed to build their understanding of reconciliation. Throughout the activites the children were involved in discussions about Aboriginal culture, and learnt about the Australian wildlife depicted in traditional dream time stories such as "How the birds got their colours".
Further Reading
- Read our Aboriginal Advisor's piece "A Conversation for the Health of all Australians" here
- Visit Mission Australia's Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island resources page for our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), the latest indigenous news, current affairs and policy updates.
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