Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Reconciliation Australia

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Reconciliation Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to promote a continuing national focus for reconciliation. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. The Council had become inactive as there was only a limited political commitment to reconciliation from the government of John Howard.

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In 1991, the Commonwealth Parliament voted unanimously to establish the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and a formal reconciliation process. Parliament had noted that there had been no formal process of reconciliation and that it was “most desirable that there be such a reconciliation” by the year 2001, marking the centenary of Federation.

It is funded from corporate and government partnerships as well as tax deductible donations from individual Australians.

It works with business, government and individual Australians to bring about change, identifying and promoting examples of reconciliation in action. They also independently monitor Australia’s progress towards reconciliation.

Reconciliation Action Plans

In 2006 Prime Minister John Howard and Professor Mick Dodson launched the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program, which was to be administered by Reconciliation Australia. Through the program, organisations develop a business plan that documents the actions they will take to contribute to reconciliation in Australia. The practical steps outlined in the RAP aim to help to build strong relationships and enhanced respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Community programs, Indigenous employment, and procurement from certified Indigenous businesses are examples of the kinds of actions businesses can take in their RAP.

Directors

  • Professor Tom Calma AO (Co-Chair), Chancellor of the University of Canberra and the National Coordinator for Tackling Indigenous Smoking
  • Ms Melinda Cilento (Co-Chair), independent director of Woodside Petroleum
  • Mr Justin Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer, director of the Greater Western Sydney Giants Foundation, Chairperson of Ganbina (2014/15-) , Co-Chair of Cricket Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Committee (NATSICAC), and is on the Boards of both Vision 2020 and Supply Nation.
  • Ms Karen Mundine, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, on the Boards of the Mary Mackillop Foundation and the Gondwana Children’s Choirs which includes the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir
  • Mr Kenny Bedford, lives on and represents the remote island of Erub (Darnley) on the Torres Strait Regional Authority
  • Dr Ken Henry AC, director of National Australia Bank Ltd, Executive Chair of the Institute of Public Policy at the ANU, Chair of the Advisory Council of the SMART Infrastructure Facility at the University of Wollongong and Board Director of the ASX Limited]]
  • Mr Glen Kelly, sits on a number of committees and statutory authorities at a State and Commonwealth level.
  • Mr Bill Lawson AM, retired engineer and advocate for reconciliation, founder of the Beacon Foundation
  • Ms Djapirri Mununggirritj, Yolngu elder from North East Arnhem Land, ex-officio member of the Yothu Yindi Foundation Board
  • Mr Peter Nash, Australian Chairman of KPMG and holds positions on KPMG’s Global and Asia Pacific boards
  • Ms Kirstie Parker, an Aboriginal woman of the Yuwallarai people in NSW, and Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
  • Ms Joy Thomas, served as an adviser and chief of staff to Ministers in the Howard Government
  • References

    Reconciliation Australia Wikipedia