reconciliation

For the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, building stronger relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians is essential if we are to be true to our mission. As a serving, healing and inclusive Church, connecting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their organisations and building strong relationships with them is necessary if we are to give witness to the Gospel. This requires us to promote the healing of divisions, justice and peace, and the dignity of every individual in society. Relationships are built on trust and an understanding of the intergenerational impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Understanding and accepting 60,000 years of human occupation in which families lived, loved, and celebrated their existence through ceremonies, songs and dance – some of which are still practiced today – builds on our identity as Australians when we claim this Country as our home and where we practice our faith.

Respect and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the sharing of cultural ways, language, sharing knowledge of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are but a small aspect of the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the life of the Church. Most contributions to schools and parishes have been given to share the rich heritage and continual cultural connection to Country by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.

In 1989 Ngutana-Lui, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre was established. It is an example of the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to reconciliation and to Catholic Education for the ongoing commitment to education and reconciliation. The benefit for Catholic Education students, teachers, and administrators is to participate in a learning experience that creates understanding and appreciation of the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, diversity and cultures. This process enables participants to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with confidence and understanding.

Through this RAP, we plan to create opportunities for Clergy, Archdiocesan agencies, and parishioners to access similar Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural learning experiences to build confidence in establishing/continuing respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our Archdiocesan agencies and parishes have an opportunity to build on the participation rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the workforce through paid employment and volunteerism. Our commitment is to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees through the development and implementation of an Archdiocesan Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment and retention strategy. The development of this strategy will be through input from RRG, agencies and parishes to ensure that a partnership approach is undertaken to achieve this deliverable. Increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the workforce creates opportunities to build on respectful relationships, increases the diversity of the workforce and contributes to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural perspectives in the day-to-day activities in agencies and parishes.

Recognising and accessing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses through the purchasing of supplies and services is another way in which agencies and parishes can contribute to socioeconomic development.