The Australian Catholic Social Justice Council’s Briefing for June is now up on the website. The Briefing covers issues of Catholic social teaching in June 2016, highlighting resources, media items and diary events. It can be read here.
From the Secretariat, John Ferguson:
The theme of this year’s Reconciliation Week is ‘Our History, Our Story, Our Future’. The organisers say that reconciliation is at the heart of our nation and that the three aspects of the theme are critical for a genuine reconciliation.
‘Our History reminds us all, that historical acceptance is essential to our reconciliation journey. Historical acceptance will exist when all Australians understand and accept the fact that past laws, practices and policies deeply affected the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, often having devastating immediate impact and causing much of the disadvantage that exists today. It is also a commitment to ensuring these wrongs are never repeated in the future.’
Reconciliation Australia goes on, ‘Our Story reflects the fact that the journey towards reconciliation forms a significant part of Australia’s story, as do the stories of both trauma and triumph told by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It also encourages each and every one of us to make reconciliation part of our own story.
‘Our Future reinforces that reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, in the knowledge that we believe in fairness for everyone, that our diversity makes us richer, and that together, we are stronger.’
