The Council for Aboriginal ReconciliationThe Council > Strategic Plan > Goal 1: DocumentsAchieve recognition and respect for the unique position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the indigenous peoples of Australia through a national document of reconciliation and by acknowledgment within the Constitution of this country. Through this goal, the Council aims to fulfil its responsibilities to report on the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and of the wider Australian community on the nature, content and manner of giving effect to a document, or documents, of reconciliation which would benefit the Australian community as a whole. The Council recognises that documents of reconciliation can have a variety of forms. Proposals which have been considered include a formal national agreement; a new Constitutional preamble; other Constitutional amendments, including a possible bill of rights; and regional and local agreements. There already exist a large number of regional and local agreements which have been negotiated between indigenous communities and other parties--such as local government, mining companies or pastoralists--which promote reconciliation through respect and understanding. The Council has established that there is broad community support for a formal reconciliation agreement. A majority of people believe that an agreement would improve relations between indigenous Australians and the wider community. Strong community support has also been shown for a new Constitutional preamble which would acknowledge the unique status of indigenous people and their original ownership of this land. The Constitution in its current form makes no mention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In developing proposals for a document or documents of reconciliation, the Council will consider its previous work, including the Council's 1995 Social Justice Submission to the Government; the outcomes of the 1997 Australian Reconciliation Convention; the community consultations which informed the Social Justice recommendations and the Australian Reconciliation Convention; and the outcomes of both the 1997 national Constitutional Convention and the Indigenous Leaders' Constitutional Convention. Other significant events during this final term which may influence the form and content of a national document are the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the centenary of Federation in 2001. Strategies
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