ReachOut's Reconciliation Action Plan
I am very happy to share with everyone here on the forums that ReachOut has come to together to put forward a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). So what is a RAP? A RAP is something which acknowledges Reconciliation in Australia and its importance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
(Painting "over time we came together' by Cassie Leatham)
Here at ReachOut our community is already fantastic at supporting one another, and recognising each other’s differences- but as someone who acknowledges their own Aboriginal heritage, I would love to see us banding together to better support members who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
It is a known fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons are at a significantly greater risk of serious mental health issues. There is also a knowledge gap between many Australians and the significance of Aboriginal culture- in fact there is a lot I still don’t know! Reconciliation aims to resolve these issues by not only saying sorry but also calling everyone to push for change.
We’re going to use this thread to start talking about our RAP, to learn a bit about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and values and to start to decide what we would like to DO in our community to help out with reconciliation. Once we’ve decided what’s important for us, we’ll have an Infobus and talk to some people who can help us to make some changes :).
So here’s a question to get things started.
What does the word reconciliation mean to you?
Comments
Reconciliation is about working to create a harmonious relationship between Ausrtalias indigenous population and the broader community. This is about building positive and respectful relationships, raising awareness about aboriginal histories and cultures and the harsh realities of the disciminatory policies that we have seen exclude indegnous people both legally and socially.
100% behind this! Like @OceanMaster1207 this is especially relevant for RO as an online mental health support community!
What does reconciliation mean to you?
Definitely understanding and acknowledging the impact of colonisation on Indigenous Australians, and also realising that past traumas experienced still affect communities today, and that laws and structures and ways of thinking which came along with colonisation are still perpetuated today. There also has to be an element of committment and work, because just talking about reconciliation can become hollow and eventually useless in trying to right the wrongs committed in the past.
Why do you think it's important for ReachOut to have a plan and actually do something about reconcilliation?
Because reconciliation is more than just acknowledging oppressions and past traumas - it also needs to have a framework where we can figure out how to address these oppressions. Doing this through RO would mean working with young Indigenous people specifically, and figuring out how to apply the principles of reconciliation in a practical, everyday sense
For me reconciliation is about dealing with past trauma and finding a way to move forward. It's about recognising that what happened in the past was wrong and making a future where it won't happen again.
Yesterday in class we had a great workshop about the history of Tasmanian aboriginals and it was very sad. I hope through reconciliation we can heal the past and have a bright future where aboriginals are treated as they deserve.
This is a really cool thread 🙂
What does the word reconciliation mean to you?
I think reconciliation is about recognising and acknowledging the wrongs of the past, and uniting to address the issues for a more positive future.
What does the word reconciliation mean to you?
I reckon Reconcilliation has three ingredients to it.
1. Knowing about and saying sorry for the bad stuff that happened.
2. Talking about it and deciding what we need to do to together to move forward and grow!
3. Take the steps we have decided on.
And the talking about it bit is the tricky part, because we don't just need to make things the way they were, we also shouldn't just "close the gap" i.e fix the problems. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should decide who they want to be and what they want to achieve in their communities and nations on their own terms. It can be hard to work out what you want to be when you've only ever been treated pretty badly. It makes it harder to have big dreams.
Reconciliation is recognising that things went wrong and stuff that should never of happened, happened and now is the time to make some changes so it never happens again, Australia can grow from a damaged past. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should feel safe and comfortable in our community and can achieve great things!
Okay so it seems like we all agree Reconcilliation is about saying sorry and doing something about it.
I like the definition that the awesome people at Reconciliation Australia have:
"Reconciliation is about building better relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the benefit of all Australians.
To create positive change we need more people talking about the issues and coming up with innovative ideas and actions that make a difference."
And on that note, i have another question! It's a tricky one.
Why do you think it's important for ReachOut to have a plan and actually do something about reconcilliation?
Didn't even see this stealthpost @Ben-RO 
Why do you think it's important for ReachOut to have a plan and actually do something about reconcilliation?
To provide better support to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and show everyone that RO cares about issues that are unique to their experiences and history.
As an Aboriginal young person its really important to me. It can give them a place that they know they will be supported and feel welcome. They can know that there is an organisation out there that not only is solely focused on youth, but has a plan about reconciliation, and that will help a lot of people feel comfortable, me included.
Wow everyone has had some really great responses! Sorry for being absent in the discussion, I've been extremely busy this past week.
What does reconciliation mean to you?
As many of you have already mentioned, to me I think a big part of reconciliation is acknowledging what happened to past Aboriginal people during the colonisation of Australia and how it impacted Aboriginal culture across generations. It is about understanding that Aboriginal culture has been in many ways undermined, and moving forward by expressing reconciliation through apology, re-embracing Aboriginal culture, and empowering Aboriginal persons to stand tall in their community.
Why do you think it's important for ReachOut to have a plan and actually do something about reconcilliation?
Reconciliation is something which should be considered by all Australian organisations, but I think it is especially important for ReachOut. Being the wonderful online support community we are, we want Aboriginal young people to be able to feel accepted and understood. By formulating a RAP ReachOut can implement a structured plan which outlines actions working towards reconciliation and then monitoring the progress of those actions.
Wow this is great, I'm so happy about this. I can't comment much right now cause I'm real busy but I will definitely contribute lots to this thread!
