Regional Meetings
In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) decided to begin planning for an Australian Reconciliation Convention to be held in Melbourne in May 1997, and in order to generate interest and input into the Convention, CAR asked the AFR Co-ordinators in each State to organise a series of Regional Meetings around their State.
Seven meetings were held across NSW - in Bateman's Bay, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Tamworth, Lismore, Pt Macquarie and Sydney.
These one-day meetings/workshops were very well attended - 100-220 people at each one - and with approximately equal numbers of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people participating.
The format for the meetings was:
- Welcome to Country
- Keynote address by a NSW member of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
- Discussing what the CAR vision of 'A united Australia which respects this land of ours, values the Aboriginal and Islander heritage, & provides justice and equity for all', would look like in their own community.
- Then, in relation to the vision that had been articulated, trained facilitators led small group workshops to discuss and name the challenges which would have to be overcome in order to realise that vision.
- After a plenary, participants returned to small groups to discuss and decide on actions they, and others, could take to meet the challenges.
- At the final plenary, some actions were grouped into major proposals for action to be taken by the local community, whilst others became proposals to be sent to the National Convention requiring action by State or National government agencies, or other national organisations.
By bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from local communities together, the meetings not only generated great ideas for action, they also inspired people to commit themselves to working together to address local issues.
Summary of outcomes :