At its core reconciliation is about building respectful relationships between First Nations people and the wider Australian community to enable us to work together to close the gaps, and to achieve a shared sense of fairness and justice.

We cannot think of Australia as reconciled when some continue to experience racism and when there continues to be such profound disparity between First Nations people and the wider Australian community in terms of life expectancy, education and employment, just to name a few.

‘Reconciliation’ is about:

  • First Nations people and the wider Australian community sharing conversations, listening and talking with each other, and working together to overcome the inequality and inequity within our society.
  • Listening, acknowledging and addressing our shared history and finding ways to right these wrongs. It is not one act but a journey that requires a commitment from all Australians.
  • Recognising the dispossession, persecution and continued oppression experienced by First Peoples as a direct result of Australia’s colonisation and the consequential effects there of.
  • Moving past our nation’s colonial legacy by recognising First Nations peoples right and capacity to practice self-determination.

At Reconciliation South Australia, we believe that if we mobilise all South Australians to develop respectful relationships through conversation and education, we can influence and build opportunities for shared understanding, healing, growth and better life outcomes.

“Reconciliation must transcend Australian political theatre and promote a sense of national unity…"

– Patrick Dodson, The State of Reconciliation in Australia, 2016

“Reconciliation isn’t a single moment or place in time. It’s lots of small, consistent steps, some big strides, and sometimes unfortunate backwards steps…”

– Karen Mundine, Chief Executive Officer, Reconciliation Australia

In 2016, Reconciliation Australia launched the State of Reconciliation in Australia Report (2016), celebrating 25 years of formal reconciliation efforts in this country. In this time, and prior to it, countless individuals have dedicated their life’s work to the reconciliation movement. To measure this progress and provide direction moving forward, Reconciliation Australia identified five critical dimensions that together represent a holistic and comprehensive picture of reconciliation.

Reconciliation SA is South Australia’s representative within the Australian Reconciliation Network, and together we endorse the Reconciliation Australia’s State of Reconciliation in Australia Report (2016) and its five dimensions of Unity, Race Relations, Equity, Institutional Integrity and Historical Acceptance.