By JESSE GRAHAM
AN event that discussed the past, present and future of reconciliation in Australia and drew hundreds of people to Healesville’s Memo Hall earlier this month has been hailed a success.
On Thursday 9 June, the Yarra Ranges Council held its annual Reconciliation Week event in Healesville, drawing some 250 people into the memo hall.
Speakers Anne Barton, Professor Jerry Arabena, Dr Doseena Fergie and Richard Frankland then spoke to the audience about white privilege, Aboriginal culture and the idea of cultural safety – being safe to express and practice culture without judgement and with acceptance.
Event organiser, Indigenous development officer Garry Detez said the event was a success, and that the speakers were “incredibly well received” by the audience.
“They loved the speakers, they really appreciated it – they got a lot out of it,” Mr Detez said.
“I’ve been told it was a truly inspiring and moving event – people took a lot away from it and have gone back to their workplaces, raving about the speakers.”
He said Ms Barton, who is related to former Prime Minister and architect of the White Australia policies Sir Edmund Barton, spoke about white privilege – what he called “the other side of racism”.
“We’re looking at communities from the white privilege perspective, disadvantage is hard to see and understand,” he said.
“It’s about trying to get through an understanding of our privileged position in communities – it makes us all aware that people from different cultural backgrounds don’t have the same view of reality as we have.”
Dr Fergie, chair of the Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association (HICSA), spoke with Prof Arabena about the strength of Aboriginal culture, and how country, family, kinship and language can be used to empower Aboriginal communities.
Mr Detez said the messages from the day, including the theme of From Racism towards Cultural Pride and Safety, had clearly been taken on by the audience members.
“The feedback that I’ve had clearly indicates the fact that some people are taking that message of cultural safety … back to their organisations to try and get better reconciliation outcomes, and are trying to improve the capacity of their organisations to empower Aboriginal people,” Mr Detez said.
At a Yarra Ranges Council meeting on Tuesday 14 June, councillor Fiona McAllister and mayor Jason Callanan paid tribute to Mr Detez and the team who organised the event.
“I have to say, in the three and a half years that I’ve been here at council, it was the best event I’ve ever been to,” Cr Callanan said.
“It was challenging and inspiring and uplifting, and to see the Memo Hall in Healesville almost packed out to capacity is an absolute testimony to the work they do,” Cr McAllister said.
