On February 15, YWCA Australia officially launched our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). This is our first RAP, and it maps out how we will contribute to national reconciliation and strengthening our relationships with First Nations Peoples.
Our inaugural celebrations today included an Acknowledgement of Country by Jane Yettica, an address from First Nation’s Consultant Krystal Kinsela, a reflection by Aboriginal Artist Lani Balzan on the meaning of our RAP artwork and an address by YWCA Australia CEO Michelle Phillips on the importance of reconciliation for the Y. It also included a viewing of a video where members of YWCA Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group shared, in their own words, what this RAP means to them.
In her Acknowledgement of Country, Jane Yettica emphasised the importance of reconciliation.
“Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships, and reconciliation is about change. But in order to change, we must be willing to challenge the systems, the processes and the views that are not inclusive of our communities, and to be open to different ways of knowing, being, and doing as a community,” they said.
Kristal Kinsela reflected on the impact YWCA will have through our reconciliation work.
“Aboriginal women are the most legally disadvantaged, so having YWCA, as an organisation trying to keep women safe, providing housing and education and leadership will only go a long way,” she said.
In her address, CEO Michelle Phillips emphasised that our RAP is just a step in our journey towards Reconciliation.
“Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that requires commitment from all of us – both within YWCA and in wider Australian society. I am proud that YWCA is taking an important step on this journey today, and I look forward to seeing the actions we’ve committed to grow and deepen as we work together towards a more equitable future for all,” she said.
Through our RAP, YWCA Australia will:
- Increase the cultural knowledge and capability of our team members
- Actively consider the impact of our work on First Nations Peoples
- Strengthen relationships between our organisation and First Nations Peoples; and
- Respectfully and visibly acknowledge First Nations peoples as Traditional Owners and that sovereignty was never ceded. YWCA’s RAP can also be found on Reconciliation Australia’s website.
