Feb 12, 2020

National Apology Day a day for remembrance

This week, twelve years ago, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke to all Australians acknowledging Australia’s wrongdoing which resulted in the suffering of the Stolen Generations.

My wife and I kept our daughters home that day from school to watch the apology. It was a significant day, not just for our people, but all Australians.

Despite it taking decades for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to receive a formal apology from the Australian government the date holds poignant significance.

National Apology Day is commemorated on 13 February and encourages remembrance of–and apology to–Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples including the Stolen Generations whose lives have been profoundly impacted by past government policies of mistreatment, assimilation and forced child removal. 

This day is also an important occasion to reflect and celebrate how far we have come to support reconciliation and what more needs to be done in the future. This is everybody’s business! 

What’s important now as a nation is to work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to respect our peoples’ cultures and empower our prosperity. 

This is what gets me out of the bed in the morning and inspires my work with Australian Unity. Providing high quality, culturally appropriate care for Elders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with a disability. The soul of a nation is how we treat our most vulnerable people.

Being one of the largest employers of Indigenous Australians across the aged care sector we are walking the talk when it comes to co-designing and delivering culturally appropriate services. 

Supporting Indigenous enterprises that have a connection with community and promoting Indigenous socio-economic outcomes are of particular interest to our company. This year we will be driving a ‘Stretch’ Reconciliation Action Plan, that has a strong focus on Indigenous economic empowerment. 

We view our expenditure with Indigenous suppliers as a key way to directly support employment and economic development–particularly as Indigenous businesses are nine times more likely to employ an Indigenous person than a non-Indigenous business.

National Apology Day is an important moment in Australia’s history, it is a reference point from where we can concentrate and renew our efforts on progressing towards a brighter future for all Australians.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Major aged care provider reports $40 million loss

  One of the nation’s largest aged care providers has reported a loss of $40 million. However, after a property revaluation of nearly $24 million, the organisation’s “comprehensive loss” was reported as $16 million. During the 2018-19 financial year, UnitingCare received nearly $651 million in government grants and subsidies.  On top of that it received... Read More

Young And Old Trade Songs In An Intergenerational Choir

  Upon hearing Ilona Harker sing, it’s hard to imagine that somebody with such an amazing voice derives more joy from watching others than she does from performing herself. As an experienced singer-songwriter who has performed at major festivals like the Big Day Out and Splendor on the Grass, the experience that Ilona most enjoys... Read More

Mums, bubs and retirees come together

While loneliness is an unfortunately common condition for older people, new mums can also experience feelings of isolation as they come to terms with motherhood and create a new “normal” with their baby. So why not unite these demographics together? This Brisbane retirement village is doing just that. Read More
Advertisement