When my parents arrived in the 1950s as ’10 pound Poms’, Australia was a brave new world. Their street in Melbourne’s Glen Waverley bustled with fellow European migrants eager to create a life for their families.But while our neighbourhood was a snapshot of multicultural Europe there wasn’t a lot of mixing. My parents socialised with others from the old country while their Italian and Greek neighbours went to their own churches and started their own small businesses.
The ‘poms’ and ‘wogs’ in the street lived together quite happily, but separately.
The walls only started to come down when their kids – my generation – began attending school with the children of other migrant families.
Or when parents like mine began venturing into the local restaurants run by their Southern European neighbours.
During National Reconciliation Week, I’ve been thinking about the parallels between their experiences and the way Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians relate to each other.
It seems to me that the vast bulk of non-Aboriginal Australians are living quite happily, but separately, from the first Australians – much the same way as the different European groups did in suburban Melbourne all those years ago.
It leads me to ask, why are the majority of Australians not engaging with Aboriginal people? Is it disinterest? Is it apprehension or fear? Is it lack of opportunity? Is it all the above?
If it’s disinterest, would knowing that Aboriginals lag behind non-Aboriginal Australians across almost every important social indicator – health, housing, employment, imprisonment, education – motivate us?
If apprehension or fear, does this reflect our own insecurities or guilt? That we don’t know what to say and are afraid of causing offence?
And as for lack of opportunity?
I’ve heard it said that more than 80% of non-Aboriginal Australians have never even met an Aboriginal person.
If that’s true it would suggest an almost insurmountable gulf in terms of opportunities for genuine reconciliation between the two groups.
How can we expect reconciliation to take place if our experiences and beliefs are formed from media reports and hearsay from others, rather than a genuine engagement?
The numbers don’t lie.
Alarmingly, more than half of Australians believe the relationship between the two communities is poor.
Close to 75 per cent of Aboriginal Australians believe they hold high levels of prejudice toward non-Aboriginals Australians. It’s a little over 70 per cent going the other way.
What a depressing situation.
In my view the path to genuine reconciliation runs through Australia’s workplaces.
Aboriginal employment not only means greater prosperity for individuals and communities but an opportunity for both non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal alike to really see each other, face-to-face, and the potential for prejudice and misunderstanding to be overcome.
But getting more Aboriginal Australians into work requires a concerted commitment from government, businesses and the community service sector.
For Australia’s business that means the purchasing – where possible – of products and services from Aboriginal suppliers; providing opportunities for Aboriginal trainees and apprentices; and hiring Aboriginal employees.
For governments and community organisations, that means making sure that Aboriginal Australians have the skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities provided.
There’s no doubt people are making an effort.
We’ve recently seen Andrew Forrest’s Aboriginal Employment Covenant bear some fruit but so far the obstacles to progress have proven hard to overcome.
But dare I say Australian business could do more.
This week Mission Australia hosted a dinner for more than 250 leaders from Victoria’s business and Aboriginal communities to discuss practical measures to address poverty and disadvantage among Aboriginals.
It’s early days but I’m hopeful we’ll see some real progress from the discussions that took place.
Virtually all Australians can think of an Aboriginal person who sets an example for others in sport; half can nominate an example in the arts, politics and government and community service.
However, less than 5% can think of an Aboriginal person who sets an example in business.
I dream of a time when that figure – and those revealing the deep levels of mistrust and prejudice that still exist between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians – can be reversed.
And we can all make a contribution to that process – not just in National Reconciliation Week – but throughout the year.
Even if it’s just starting a conversation about it with your friends and family and refusing to let the issue be forgotten or marginalised.
And faced with the chasm of understanding that exists between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians your participation is needed now more than ever.
Paul Bird is Mission Australia's State Director for Victoria. This article was published in The Punch on 31 May 2011
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