What is reconciliation?
Reconciliation may mean different things to different people. To the Queensland Government, reconciliation means acknowledging our history and taking action to build a better future.
The Queensland Government recognises the inherent rights of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their entitlement to enjoy and express such rights. The Queensland Government's reconciliation activities are based on the following principles:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the traditional owners of Australia
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures have unique cultural relationships to the land, sea and waterways
- some past Government policies have led to present-day social problems in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- we must recognise the past
- we must build a better future
- there is no place for racism or discrimination in Queensland
- everybody can and should contribute to make Queensland a great place to live.
Reconciliation has both symbolic and practical elements. Positive attitudes, a spirit of goodwill, mutual respect and recognition of the effects of white settlement on Australia's first people, form the symbolic cornerstones of the reconciliation effort.
On the practical side, working towards an improved quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly in the areas of health, education and employment, is essential if we are to achieve true equality for all Queenslanders.
Last reviewed: 10 July 2009