Statement of Commitment to Australian Reconciliation

 
The Institute's Statement of Commitment to Australian Reconciliation was signed during NAIDOC Week on July 9, 2007 by Professor Fiona Stanley (Director of the Institute) and Associate Professor Colleen Hayward (Manager of the Kulunga Research Network).
 
9 July 2007

Preamble:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Indigenous peoples of Australia.

The Statement:

The Institute is committed to both the spirit and the process of reconciliation between the Indigenous and the non-Indigenous peoples of Australia.

In making this commitment we:

Embark on a journey of healing and justice.

Recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and the original carers of this land.

Acknowledge the loss of land, children and kin, languages and cultural identity and the impact this has upon Aboriginal , health and wellbeing.

Believe that to move forward, all Australians as a nation, to move forward, must better understand the shared past and how the pastit affects the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Accept that reconciliation involves both a symbolic recognition of the honoured place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, as well the practical measures required to improve the health and whole of life experiences for all of our children, families, and communities.

Appreciate the unique opportunity for all Australians today to embrace and to learn from the cultural richness of 40,000 years of an ancient living heritage which belongs to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Believe that all Australians deserve a fair go.

Call To Action

The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has a particularly valuable contribution to make to the process of reconciliation.

The Institute and the Kulunga Research Network have shared objectives and responsibilities to further the process of reconciliation.

The Institute commits itself to work in partnership to develop Aboriginal researchers and non—Aboriginal researchers to conduct research in a culturally secure way to effect change to address the unacceptable disparities in Indigenous health and everyday lives.

The Institute values and respects Aboriginal ways of doing research.

The Institute conducts research in accordance with the relevant national guidelines and protocols for conducting Aboriginal research about and with Aboriginal peoples.

In pursuing the Institute’s mission and aims, and acting in consultation and collaboration with the Kulunga Research Network, the Institute will continue and will enhance its commitment to:

  • Conduct and apply research to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, adolescents young people and families.
  • Teach and support the development of future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers.
  • Advocate for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, adolescents young people and and their families and communities.
  • Contribute to the knowledge and innovative methodologies to build the capacity of families and communities.
Last updated 25 May 2009