National Reconciliation Week, which started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples) was launched in 1996. In 2001, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on Reconciliation and approximately 300,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge to show their support.
The dates – 27 May to 3 June – remain the same every year, commemorating two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey; the 1967 referendum, in which Australians voted to remove references in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the High Court Mabo decision, which established the principle of native title rights in Australian common law.
Now, More than Ever is the theme for National Reconciliation Week 2024; the chevron artwork, by Gubbi Gubbi artist Maggie Douglas, is a universal symbol for pointing the way. Today, National Reconciliation Week is celebrated in workplaces, schools and early learning services, community organisations and groups, and by individuals Australia-wide.
A Reconciliation Australia spokesperson says that we all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation by being engaged, calling out racism and staying hopeful.
“We all know racism is never okay. It diminishes those who practice it and disempowers, undermines and damages those who are subjected to it. Racism is ultimately about power.
“We need to listen well; listening works. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are crucial for the wellbeing of their communities.”
There are many ways that Australians can become involved in the Reconciliation process, by checking out https://www.reconciliation.org.au/calendar for NRW events or organising events in their own community. People can join the Voices for Reconciliation by registering their choir, or forming a local choir just for the occasion at: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/voices-for-reconciliation-2024/.
