About National Reconciliation Week
Question:
Discuss about the Wiki’s Design For National Religious And Cultural Event In Australia.
13th April 2018
The event that I am interested to attend this year is on the National reconciliation week which forms part of the Australian cultural and religious designated holidays (Thorpe & Galassi, 2015). The event is worth to attend because it enables everyone to celebrate and share together with the Torres Strait Islander people, Aboriginal and all the citizens of Australia country (McIntosh, 2014). The religious groups in 1993 supported reconciliation prayer day, it is after the three years that the prayer day got meaning to have a wider scope of reconciliation. The religious groups evolved later to become an independent Non-governmental agency known as Reconciliation Australia. The independent agency is given the mandate by the state to carryout organizing and planning function during the national reconciliation week.
The event provides me with an opportunity to understand the Australian cultures and customs, and provides more opportunity to interact with socially with others. Attending the event will enable us to have fun on the basis of activities that will be showcased. The event proceeds the National sorry day of 24th May it is framed into two key events aimed at bringing reconciliation after a history of political milestones. The first milestone was the passing of the Australian constitution in through a referendum in which 90% of the citizens voted in 27th May 1967 (Morphy, 2015). The passing of constitution allowed fair and just legal citizens for Australian people.
The main contribution of the constitution passed through a vote verdict passed in 3rd June 1992 was to make laws for the indigenous people and take full length to recognize them as Australian citizenry (Fozdar, 2015). The time period during the event allows all citizens to reflect upon their shared history and contribute to achievements of Torres Strait Islander people and Aboriginal and cultural heritage (Morphy, 2015). The Mabo legal decision made by the high court is remembered in recognition of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The event goal is to create good symbols of aspirations for reconciliations and enjoy the recognition of Native title system. That allows the non-Aboriginal Australians to participate in the process of reconciliation.
The National Reconciliation event will be a week long occasion organized in South Australia by the state. It will take place between 27th may to 3rd June this year. The national reconciliation week is an annual event documented and recognized fully by the state. The one week event is organized specifically by Reconciliation Australia.
The Reconciliation Australia is an independent, nonprofit organization which was established in the year 2000 given the task of creating reconciliation after the country milestones. The name of the agency was coined symbolically to represent the nature of the occasion (Potts, 2016). The nonprofit organization works in collaboration with several partners of the state they include South Australia reconciliation councils, Western Australia, city of Queensland, Victoria to organize on the success of the programmes to be showcased during the National reconciliation week. During National Reconciliation Week and over the coming months, during the period the citizens of Australia are allowed to make reconciliation efforts by advocating activities that prove worthy in reconciliation process. But each individual and institution across the country is provided with equal opportunity to organize and participate in any activity that could contribute to National reconciliation (Freeman, 2014).
The Event Details
In conjunction with the national reconciliation week will be staging an event in schools and learning institutions. The event will allow several programmes to be held and performed provided by different stakeholders (Freeman, 2014). There are several programmes that will happen during the event they include: A public forum for all will take place at the school library and hall where shared discussions will be on Australian culture and heritages (Short, 2016). There will be several Aboriginal heritage walks and culture will be show cased presented in form of exhibition. There will be a session presenting film screening, concerts, and festivals that will allow social interactions and fun. To create more entertainment and fun there will be exhibitions and live performance by artists, musicians, businesses, and craft businesses. The performances will mainly focus on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cultural heritage (Bond, 2015). Each individual can be involved in the process by participating in activities and events that are aimed to add value to the reconciliation process.
In addition there will be reconciliation breakfasts for all that will have indigenous cuisine that will be provided. The provision of cuisine is to remind individuals on historical Australian foods and drinks. Traditional dances by Torres Strait Islander people and Aboriginal will be the key main concert for the event attracting more people attention. Dancers will be dressed with traditional regalia of the different Australian heritage representing diverse cultures. The current event will also have a competition that is sponsored by the state where the winners will be rewarded (Freeman, 2014). During the event displays, plays and storytelling will take place within the vicinity of the venue. The occasion is promote creative innovations and talents during the event. The goal of the event is encourage full interactions of all the members who will find time to enjoy the event (Fozdar, 2015). A digital recognition wall will be created during the event where students will create a display in written or visual interpretations that will recognize the Australian and Torres Strait Islander citizens, customs, values and culture (Aplin, 2017). The digital recognition wall projected in a huge screen will be linked with the social media platform that will allow postings. Attendees and participants will be allowed to draw poems, narrate stories or do role playing if not acting. During the week each participant with an item will be allowed to participate and present their specific items to the audience.
The event will also involve a guest speaker a local representative preferably an elder who understands the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and customs to speak on the history of Australia culture and customs. The guest will form part of the key note speakers for the event. The attendees will enjoy free transport sponsored by the state as part of the reconciliation efforts (Dewhurst & McFadden, 2017). The city connector bus which is sponsored by the department of planning, transport and infrastructure will provide free transport as part of the social responsibility for the members willing to attend in routes 98A and 98C that will be conjunction with Adelaide Metro. The seven sisters jet express bus is available to offer free transport for those in routes J1X. The Kardi Munaintya Tram also sponsored by department of planning, transport and infrastructure will provide free public transport as part of its annual social corporate responsibility during the reconciliation week. The transport will be along the Tram route. The individuals attending the event will be exempted from the cost of transport after three firms providing sponsored transport as part of the reconciliation framework. There will be no entry charges to encourage more individuals to attend, but other charges for artery and exhibits will be based on the presenters, actors and artists. The free charge entry is part of the reconciliation efforts to all wishing to attend the occasion. The timing of the event is on the basis of remembrance of the passing of the constitution in 27th May 1967. The event timing specifically will be part of the National reconciliation programme.
Programmes and Activities
The objective of holding the event is to provide opportunity for the Australians and Non Australians in the specific localities to explore creative ways that can bring National reconciliation efforts. The programmes show cased is to build positive, respectful relationship among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and all Australians to enable them work interactively, appreciate each culture, close any negative gap, and share a unified sense of fairness and justice (Wellings, 2014). A marketing committee was formulated to market the event through several platforms. Advertisement will be presented in both local daily and audio media for a period of 1 month. A road show was another method that will be used where a caravan passed through major towns and centers announcing the date and nature of the event. To attract more people advertisements were done through social media platforms for example twitter, face book and what sup. The social media will be useful in finding a wider number of populations targeted to attend the occasion.
The event will directly affect the society in a positive way by changing their mindset to embrace each other different cultures, values and customs (Hamilton, 2017). The event will create a social platform in which individuals from different walks of life’s to interact socially and share their feelings and contributions. The process of reconciliation involves creating a positive respective environment that allows good relationship among Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal individuals. The reconciliation helps to bring citizens together in order for them to fill gaps created by different cultures, values and traditions. In addition the reconciliation will be beneficial in promoting a sense of belonging and create long lasting relationships. The process builds future frameworks for success and enhances wellbeing of the Australian populations. In the context of National reconciliation it defines how businesses, schools, government and community can participate in bringing equality of life, employment and education for the Australian citizens. The long run effect of having such event is to have a peaceful and unified society and country, and to make citizens of Australia to appreciate own national heritage, values and customs.
References
Aplin, G. (2017). Heritage Protection in Australia: The Legislative and Bureaucratic Framework. In Geographies of Australian Heritages (pp. 25-40). Routledge.
Bond, C. (2015). The day I don’t feel Australian? That would be Australia Day. The Conversation.
Dewhurst, N., & McFadden, F. (2017). A ‘reconciliation’ journey: Our story. Every Child, 23(3), 12.
Fozdar, F. (2015, October). National Days and the Politics of Indigenous and Local Identities in Australia and New Zealand, by Patrick A. McAllister. In Anthropological Forum (Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 432-434). Routledge.
Freeman, V. (2014). In defence of reconciliation. Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence, 27(1), 213-223.
Hamilton, P. (2017). Sale of the century?: memory and historical consciousness in Australia. In Memory, History, Nation (pp. 136-152). Routledge.
McIntosh, I. S. (2014). Reconciliation, you’ve got to be dreaming: exploring methodologies for monitoring and achieving aboriginal reconciliation in Australia by 2030. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 32(1), 55-81.
Morphy, H. (2015). Indigenous Australia. Museum Worlds, 3(1), 7-17.
Potts, B. (2016). President’s report: Step-by-step reconciliation: New working group to build action plan. Proctor, The, 36(6), 3.
Short, D. (2016). Reconciliation and colonial power: Indigenous rights in Australia. Routledge.
Thorpe, K., & Galassi, M. (2015). Diversity, Recognition, Respect: Embedding Indigenous Services at the State Library of New South Wales, Australia.
Wellings, B. (2014). Lest you forget: Memory and Australian nationalism in a global era. Nation, memory and Great War commemoration: Mobilizing the past in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, 45-59.