Few Australians, whether they be Indigenous, descendants of early settlers or recent arrivals who have benefited from being part of this country, would speak against reconciliation of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of Australia. Yet it took some 200 years for a modern view to prevail and a new thrust towards reconciliation of the peoples.
Reconciliation is about people and communities coming together.
It is not about governments legislating reconciliation. If the community is not supportive or there is no desire by either the Indigenous or the non-Indigenous people to bring about reconciliation, then no amount of government legislation will transform past practices and prejudices. This approach is reflected in the topic of this afternoon's seminar session where aspects of community life will be debated, not whether laws need to be changed or promulgated, to achieve reconciliation. It is in industry, the community sector I represent today, it is in arts, sport, women in society, media, religion and education, where the seeds of enduring reconciliation need to be sown and tended. For both sides, the seeds include learning, respect, recognition of success and failure, forgiveness.