Community-led solutions central to Reconciliation

National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) is a time for all Australians to reflect on our shared histories and recommit to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Marking this year’s theme, ‘All In for Reconciliation’, the St Vincent de Paul Society is urging all Australians to listen more deeply to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and to support solutions shaped and led by communities themselves.

The Society’s National President Mark Gaetani said reconciliation must be guided by respect, trust and a willingness to walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Being ‘all in’ for reconciliation means recognising that communities understand what works for them,” Mr Gaetani said. “It means backing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and making sure people have the resources and authority to make decisions about their own lives.”

Many of the people supported by the Society are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. We believe this reflects the ongoing impact of intergenerational disadvantage in housing, income and access to essential services. Through our Members, volunteers and staff, the Society works alongside individuals, families and communities to provide practical support while also advocating to Parliaments for longer-term change.

Mr Gaetani said governments across Australia have an important responsibility to support approaches that are led locally and shaped by lived experience. This is the only way that we as a nation can close the gap that exists between most Australians and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers.

“We need to see sustained, targeted investment in community-led initiatives,” he said. “Too often, decisions are made far from the communities they affect. If we are serious about change, we need to trust community elders and fund what they know will work.”

He said this approach reflects the principle of subsidiarity; that decisions should be made as close as possible to the people they impact.

“When communities are listened to and properly supported, we see stronger outcomes and more lasting change,” Mr Gaetani said.

The Society’s commitment to Reconciliation is guided by Catholic Social Teaching, the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and ongoing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

“National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity to reflect, but it’s also a call to act,” Mr Gaetani said. “Reconciliation is not a one-week effort. It’s something we need to commit to every day, in how we listen, how we support one another, and how we work together for a fairer, more just and more compassionate Australia for all of us.”

The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia consists of 45,000 members and volunteers who operate on the ground through over 1,000 groups located in local communities across the country.

MEDIA CONTACT
0475 068 209 or media@svdp.org.au