Documents of Reconciliation

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Deciding on a document

The Council's work since 1991 has established that there is strong public support for a national document of reconciliation but the level of commitment and support will depend on what it contains.

The Purpose of a Document

The Council believes that a document of reconciliation will benefit the whole Australian community by:

• uniting Australians through a statement of mutual respect;
  
  
• promoting justice and equity for all;
  
  
• valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and achievements and recognising their unique status as the first peoples of Australia;
  
  
• setting out an understanding of the shared history of our nation;
  
  
• including a national commitment to address the disadvantaged position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
  
  
• providing the basis for building and maintaining improved relationships between Indigenous Australians and the wider community; and
  
  
• giving lasting and legal effect to the process of reconciliation.

The Structure of a Document

Council is considering a document which comprises a declaration of reconciliation that is symbolic, inspiring, and enduring, and which is underpinned by a series of principles which will define the basis of past and future relationships and how we can move forward together.

Council hopes that the declaration of reconciliation will be given Constitutional protection and proposes to commence consultation with Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to seek their support for such a proposed amendment at the earliest opportunity. The reconciliation declaration should also be formally adopted by the Commonwealth and all State and Territory Parliaments by motion or in legislation.

To ensure the declaration is lived out in the nation's life, the principles will underpin future relationships between Indigenous peoples and the wider Australian community. They will guide us as we work and grow together toward a reconciled nation. Like the declaration, these principles should acknowledge who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. They will be based on the values of mutual respect, honesty and truth.

The principles should be reflected in all Government policies and strategies, including the implementation of this national strategies. The principles will be best advanced through collaborative partnerships between all sectors of our community.

What a Declaration of Reconciliation should say

A declaration of reconciliation and the principles which underpin it should cover the following issues:

(i) why we agree to have a document of reconciliation;

(ii) a description of who we are - the peoples who make up Australia today - the diversity of Indigenous peoples, the succession of different ethnic groups to settle here over more than 200 years, including the most recent arrivals;

(iii) acknowledgement that consent was neither sought nor given at the time of colonisation;

(iv) recognition of Indigenous spiritual and cultural survival despite the history of Indigenous dispossession from land and families, damage to heritage, culture and language, and poor treatment by institutions;

(v) respect for Indigenous cultural identity and acknowledgment of the unique status of Indigenous peoples as the first Australians and their unique contribution to the cultural and spiritual identity of the nation;

(vi) recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples, including the freedom to pursue political, economic, social, religious and cultural development within the framework of the Australian nation;

(vii) a commitment to provide appropriate recognition and status for Indigenous customary law within the legal framework of the commonwealth, states and territories;

(viii) a commitment to improve the delivery of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to work in partnership to achieve realistic improved outcomes in the key areas of health, housing (including infrastructure), employment, education and community justice within specific timeframes;

(ix) a commitment to support an ongoing national education program about reconciliation which will eventually be incorporated into the curricula of schools and institutions; and

(x) a commitment to continue to work for a united Australia which respects this land of ours, values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and provides justice and equity for all.

National Strategies to give effect to the Document

The principles will be written in plain language and directly inform the development of national strategies which contain detailed commitments to address specific issues in practical and realistic ways over time.

Individuals and organisations will be encouraged to show their support for the declaration by signing a public register. By giving support to these strategies, governments, businesses, organisations, and individuals can make practical commitments to reconciliation. Some elements of the national strategies may be quickly agreed and may be suitable for immediate or early implementation, while other parts may only be achievable in the longer term, but would remain on the public record for future fulfillment.

For example, these strategies could include:

A National Strategy to Address Indigenous Disadvantage which will seek commitment from governments, service organisations, and indigenous communities to a set of principles and actions for improving how services are delivered to indigenous peoples and how governments are measured on that delivery. The principles will include guidelines for the establishment and support of partnerships between Indigenous organisations, government and other service providers. It will propose the wider adoption of benchmarks against which performance can be measured and it will include processes for the regular reporting and review of progress in this area.

A National Strategy to Promote the People's Movement for Reconciliation will provide the basis for action to sustain and build on the existing people's movement for reconciliation, developing partnerships to make reconciliation a reality in our local communities, schools and workplaces. These partnerships could be informal, or be expressed through local or regional agreements or joint ventures. The national strategy will include proposals to establish a reconciliation foundation through which people, organisations and institutions can demonstrate their support for reconciliation. This foundation will be independent of government; have responsibility for promoting the agreed declaration of reconciliation; promote economic and social justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; promote community education about reconciliation; establish and maintain links with other relevant national and international bodies; and monitor and report on the implementation of the national action plans.

A National Strategy to Promote Recognition of Human Rights will emphasise that all Australian citizens are born free and equal in dignity and rights and should be equally entitled to the rights, privileges and benefits of citizenship and equally subject to the duties and responsibilities of that citizenship. A strategy to promote human rights should also acknowledge the original ownership of Australia by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. It could encourage commitment to recognition of their unique status as the first Australians including, recognition and protection of native title land and sea rights; recognition of Indigenous peoples' rights to self-determination within the overall framework and laws of the nation; and commitment to the recognition and protection of Indigenous cultures, heritage, languages and customary laws.

A National Strategy to Implement Constitutional and Legislative Changes will seek commitments from commonwealth, state and territory governments to provide legal recognition and protection of the national reconciliation declaration. This includes support for a new preamble to the Constitution which acknowledges the history and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commits the nation to continue to work for reconciliation. The strategy could also include proposals for amendments to the Constitution itself to recognise and protect the declaration of reconciliation, or for State and Territory constitutions to be amended in this way. The strategy could also include recommendations to introduce complementary Commonwealth, State and Territory legislation which provide recognition and protection for local and regional reconciliation agreements. Other legislative options might include protection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights in regard to land and sea, language and customary law and recognition of Indigenous peoples' rights to control and manage their own culture and heritage. The strategy might also include proposals to increase Indigenous representation in all Australian parliaments.

A National Strategy to Promote Indigenous Symbols and Protocols seeks to recognise the significance of Indigenous cultures and heritage and to encourage action at both the national and local level. In relation to protocols, this involves commitments to incorporate appropriate Indigenous customs and traditions into ceremonies of state. This includes the swearing in of new heads of state, members of parliament, or local government councillors, the opening of commonwealth and state parliaments, welcomes for visiting heads of state and citizenship ceremonies. It could also encourage adoption of appropriate Indigenous "welcomes to country" and acknowledgement of traditional ownership at the local level including governments, clubs, organisations and associations. In relation to symbols, the strategy could provide a broad approach for governments and community groups to establish physical symbols of reconciliation such as signage, monuments, or statues that fairly reflect the contribution of Indigenous peoples in the shaping of national and local history.

A National Strategy for Working Together to Sustain and Protect the Environment will recognise the importance of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land management knowledge in sustaining the natural environment. This strategy will therefore promote partnerships between Indigenous, government, industry and community groups where systems incorporating both traditional and contemporary land management practices can be developed which will better protect and sustain the land for future generations. This strategy will also include guidelines for developing Indigenous, government and community partnerships in regional land, vegetation and water resource management planning and programs.

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