National Reconciliation week

Speech delivered by Acting Australian High Commissioner,
Ms Alison Duncan, at the National Reconciliation Week reception
held at the Australian High Commission on 27 May 2010

“I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight to recognise the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, which is celebrated annually in Australia from 27 May to 3 June.

It celebrates the rich culture and history of the First Australians - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - and their strong contribution to Australian society today.

It is also a time of reflection, to look back upon Australia’s history, including its darker side, to see how far we have come along the road of reconciliation and see what still needs to change.

The history of National Reconciliation Week begins in 1996 when it was formally adopted as a national focus for all reconciliation activities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

National Reconciliation Week coincides with two very significant dates in the history of race relations in Australia

Today, May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, in which more than 90 per cent of Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution which discriminated again Indigenous Australians. The 1967 Referendum was by far the most overwhelming ‘Yes’ vote at an Australian referendum ever recorded, more so even than Federation.

Next week, June 3, marks the anniversary of the Australian High Court judgement in the 1992 Mabo case. A decision that for the first time recognised the Native Title rights of Indigenous Australians as the original inhabitants of this continent and overturned the myth of terra nullius (empty land) – which was the basis for colonisation of Australia and which informed Australian legal practice for over a century.

This year, National Reconciliation Week has a third date to commemorate. National Reconciliation Week 2010 celebrates the ten year anniversary of the Bridge Walks in May 2000, which saw 300,000 Australians and international visitors, including many Solomon Islanders, walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Reconciliation - an event subsequently replicated in other cities and towns around the country.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week this year is “Reconciliation: Lets see it through!”. It aims to highlight the achievements that have been made. While we acknowledge there is still a long way to go, Australia as a nation is working towards resetting relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and achieving long lasting and real reconciliation.

To this end, the Australian Government is supporting the establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation to address grief and loss issues among Indigenous Australians, with a strong focus on the Stolen Generations.

The Government also considers that a national Indigenous representative body is a prerequisite to enabling new partnerships and re-setting relationships with Government.

Members of the first Congress Executive of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples have now been appointed and will soon commence the important work of representing Indigenous Australians in the policy arena. This body is the first such organisation chosen entirely by Indigenous Australians to represent Indigenous Australians. It will play a key role in the Government’s commitment to developing genuine partnerships to “Close the Gap” on life expectancy and opportunities.

Australia was pleased to announce its support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples last year.

Australia also celebrates the recent election of the first Indigenous Australian woman, Megan Davis, to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, following a successful lobbying campaign by the Australian Government.

Although our situations are different, Australia and Solomon Islands share the need to pursue reconciliation between our communities.

We hope that we can learn from each others experiences and secure long-lasting harmony and peace within our societies.

ENDS

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