Reconciliation action plan
The Dialogue’s ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan
The decision to develop a RAP was born out of a desire to become a more culturally aware organisation that contributes to a meaningful approach to reconciliation. This structured approach will allow the Dialogue to involve coordination and understanding across our initiatives and business relations. We are working to develop closer relationships with the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities within which we operate as part of our ongoing commitment to reconciliation.
The Dialogue has strong partnerships in Greater Western Sydney and our regional advocacy focus in Western Sydney is also a motivating factor for us to develop a RAP, owing to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the region – the largest in Australia. Among Western Sydney’s local council areas, Penrith has the largest Aboriginal population, with 9,500 residents identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. Blacktown and Campbelltown are also home to large Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, and both LGAs are areas where the Dialogue is active.
It is crucial that the Dialogue appropriately represents and advocates for the rights and concerns of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples living in the Western Sydney region. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians should be given the same opportunities to participate in community life, employment and the housing market. As the Dialogue focuses on these issues through our policy agenda, it is important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and awareness are incorporated in our policy, advocacy, and workplace. The Dialogue strongly believes that we must learn from one another and ensure Greater Western Sydney’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has a supportive platform to be heard.
The Dialogue strongly supports reconciliation and hopes to bring this to the forefront of discussion. The Dialogue has always encouraged the wider community to build good relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially those within Western Sydney. We acknowledge the hurt and injustice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have experienced and continue to experience. We also show our support and commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, to recognise First Nations Peoples in the Australian Constitution.