Last year, CSSV, along with a number of other Catholic organisations, supported the work of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), in their efforts to engage with the Voice Referendum. Despite the disappointing referendum result, CSSV found strong relationships with a variety of organisations that remain committed to listening to and walking with First Nations Peoples.
This year, to ensure the Catholic community continues to centre reconciliation in its social mission, CSSV has established a Reconciliation Working Group. The group, comprising of CSSV members and other Catholic organisations, is a vehicle for sharing knowledge and actions that contribute to solidarity with, and justice for, First Nations Peoples within the Catholic community and society more broadly. The group’s second meeting took place at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry (ACM) in Thornbury on August 21, and sought to more clearly define the purpose, objectives and focus of the Working Group, setting it up on strong foundations for the work to come.
CSSV with Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Victoria and representatives from the Binnap Partners. Photo: Henning Kallies
Among the goals defined in this meeting was to facilitate shared learnings on the implementation of organisational Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP) or other informal means of pursuing reconciliation objectives. Six of CSSV’s member organisations have already implemented a RAP, others are underway with this process and many others have informal processes around cultural safety and empowering Indigenous employees and clients.
Further to this, the Working Group aims to assist Catholic organisations in engaging with the commitments made to reconciliation in the Plenary Council Decrees and working to support the Yoorrook Justice Commission and the First Peoples’ Assembly. With the First Peoples’ Assembly prepared to begin negotiating a Treaty in Victoria, the Working Group sees it of highest priority to equip the Catholic community, including social service organisations, schools, parishes and clergy, with the knowledge required to appropriately and purposefully engage with the next steps in realising reconciliation.
Having defined the Working Group’s objectives, CSSV looks forward to the knowledge that will be shared and the work that will be undertaken in the coming months and years.
CSSV would like to thank the ACM for generously hosting the meeting, and we are grateful to Louise Luu (ACM), Craig Arthur (NATSICC) and the Binnap Partners for generously sharing about their work at the recent meeting.
If you or your organisation are interested in walking with First Nations People through this journey, you may be interested in following the work of NATSICC and the ACM. Here are some of their resources to explore:
- NATSICC’s Embracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the life of the Catholic Church
- NATSICC’s Cultural Competency in a Catholic Context Course
- Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Victoria’s Website
If your organisation is interesting in participating in this Working Group, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the CSSV office – office@css.org.au.
Artworks at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Victoria
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