Today is the first day of National Reconciliation Week (NRW), and as an Official Supporter of NRW 2012, I'm proud to present a number of high profile and passionate Australians here to celebrate Reconciliation and this year's theme 'Let's talk recognition'. To kick of a thought-provoking week of blogging, I'm thrilled to welcome Luke Pearson. Luke is an Aboriginal educator, facilitator, social commentator and avid tweeter and blogger!
And if I do say so myself, he's one deadly dude! So, read Luke's words, consider his comments and leave one of your own. Peace, Anita
I often get asked about my thoughts on Reconciliation...
People
ask me how Reconciliation is going? Where it is going? And is it ever going to
get where they think it should be?
While
I cannot see the future, I always find these questions very easy to answer.
And
like all the best answers, it comes in the form of more questions...
"How
is Reconciliation going these days?" ... How are you going these days? How are
your friends and family? How is your community?
"Where
is Reconciliation headed?" ... Where are you headed? Who are you following? Who
is following you?
"How
are we ever going to get Reconciliation to where it should be?"... How are you
going to get where you think you should be?
To me
Reconciliation isn't some intangible, ever-elusive abstract. It isn't a far away
dream, and it isn't the boogie man.
It is
you and me; and everyone else too.
It is
about how we get along together; how we support each other; how we learn from
each other; how we share with each other. It is how look after each other, and
how we look after ourselves.
It is about owning our
history, our present and our future; together.
"True
reconciliation does
not consist in merely forgetting the past." Nelson Mandela.
It is not about 'forgetting
the past', or even getting 'over the past'. It is about coming to terms with our
present; and determining our directions for the future.
It is about understanding
the past is not just 'a long time ago' and the future is not 'a long time from
now'. The past is nothing more than a series of yesterdays, each leading
directly into the next, going back to the beginning of time. The future is
tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, going forward until the end
of time.
It is easy to feel outside
of such enormous concepts as 'Reconciliation'. .. but you are as much a part of
Reconciliation as any of the other 22 million individuals who combined, make up
'Australia'. So are the countless millions who created our history, and the
millions more who will inherit it after us.
Your community, your
friends, your family; they are Australia. So is the family who lives next door
to you, so are the family who live on the other side of the country to you.
Your actions, beliefs and
attitudes; they are a part of Reconciliation. The way you directly and
indirectly influence the beliefs, attitudes and actions of others; these are
your contributions to the Reconciliation journey of others.
So, instead of asking me 'where is Reconciliation headed?', or anyone else, all you need to do is ask yourself: "where am I taking Reconciliation?".
[Luke and I would love to hear your thoughts on Reconciliation and what you're doing to celebrate this week, so please leave us a comment]
1 comment:
Like your work Luke. Reconciliation for me is steeped in coming to grips with the shared history of our relationship with Europeans. It hasn't all been pleasant and the past can't be changed, yet much of that past reaches into the psyche of Indigenous Australians today (and into whitefellas psyche too), many Indigenous people are living their lives in distress and this must change for the better so all our people have the opportunity to have lives that are purposeful and meaningful.
All the best for RecWeek.
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