An equal and inclusive community

Sono Leone

Hi. My name's Sono Leone, and I'm a descendant of the Garawa and Butchulla nations. Today, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians on the land that I am on, that I work and live on the Turrbal people and also acknowledge our elders past and our elders present. I'd also like to acknowledge the over 500 different language groups around this nation that we now call Australia.

Rev Peter Hobson

G'day folks. My name's Peter Hobson I'm the Superintendent, Minister for Wesley Mission Queensland. We are so excited to be able to launch our Reconciliation Action Plan Innovate Document for Reconciliation Action Week 2020. The theme for this year is in this together.

Geoff Batkin AM

Wesley Mission Queensland is part of the Uniting Church and we have a history of 110 years in the city of Brisbane. And when I think about that 110 years it pales into absolute insignificance in terms of the Turrbal people, the first people of the land on which we are now meeting, who've been here living, supporting, nurturing the community in which we now live.

Geoff Batkin AM

I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and state. My absolute commitment that Wesley Mission Queensland as part of the Uniting Church needs to work towards genuine reconciliation with Australia's first people, to do this we've committed to a reconciliation action plan and we'll be working in partnership with people within our staff, teams, other community leaders and local elders to actually bring that vision to reality.

Makayla Jennings

This year marks 20 years of Reconciliation Australia's commitment to the reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. Organisations like Wesley Mission Queensland can contribute through reconciliation action plans, which are formal commitments, statements to the movement.

Pania Taramai

Here it was a mission. Queensland We're proud to announce that our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan has been officially endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. An Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan outlines the actions that Wesley Mission Queensland plan to implement towards our vision of reconciliation.

David Passi

Hi I'm Passi. I'm the Indigenous Liaison Officer for Wesley Mission Queensland. I enjoy working at Wesley Mission Queensland because I feel included and have the ability to be myself. I found my experience working in the RAP community fun and exciting and meeting different people from all walks of life. I'm very pleased to be part of the Reconciliation Action Plan Innovate Document and we're in this together.

Danielle Sullivan

Wesley Mission Queensland's Commitments to reconciliation lies within four key focus areas. Firstly, it's all about relationships. Wesley Mission Queensland believes that a shared journey is vital to the ongoing process of reconciliation and the wellbeing of our whole community. In establishing meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples, we can expand our knowledge and show our commitment to enhancing genuine and respectful relationships.

Danielle Sullivan

The second focus area is respect. Wesley Mission Queensland honors Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First Peoples and celebrates our uniqueness and diversity. Respect is one of the core values that drive the vision of Wesley Mission Queensland as we seek to nurture a culture of inclusion with a focus on social justice. We are committed to meaningful consultation and true understanding of people, culture, history and connection to the land and to each other.

Danielle Sullivan

Leading us together into authentic action across our core activities. The final focus area is opportunities. Providing opportunities is vital for Wesley Mission Queensland to be actively involved in making a positive difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We strive to find connectedness between the past, present and future and commit to providing employment and supply chain opportunities for Australia's first peoples.

Danielle Sullivan

We are in this together and hope to be able to further celebrate this milestone towards the end of 2020. We invite you to journey with us. By working together, we will realize our vision for a compassionate just an inclusive society for all.

From Reconciliation Australia

From Australians Together