Reconciliation Australia: Position Paper
10 Years after the bridge walks
Does reconciliation have a place in Australia today or is it a spent force, superseded by more tangible efforts towards “closing the gap”? If we are to move forward in post-apology Australia where many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens continue to endure poor life conditions, this question needs a careful answer.
“Are we getting anywhere?” is another one we’re often asked, as yet another report describes persistent gaps that won’t shift despite large commitments of financial and human resources. What meaning does reconciliation have in the face of the very real and immediate needs of many, and what is its relevance to the broadly accepted national responsibility for closing the gap?
In the lead-up to Reconciliation Australia’s tenth anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the Reconciliation Bridge Walks in May 2010, this position paper explains the crucial connection between reconciliation and closing the gap, how we work as an independent national organisation to advance it, and where we see unprecedented potential for meaningful, lasting progress to be made.
