Describe The Responses Of Individuals, Groups And Governments In Australia To The Challenge Of Reconciliation

During the century of nationhood, reconciliation has been an ongoing issue in Australia. Reconciliation means different things to people, but a common understanding is that all Australians deserve to have equal life opportunities, and that genuine reconciliation will only exist when indigenous disadvantage has been eliminated. Many steps have been made along the road to reconciliation as a result of the positive responses of individuals, groups and governments in Australia.The government has addressed the challenges of reconciliation through constitutional means, common law and legislation. The move towards reconciliation started with a landmark amendment to the Australian Constitution was a result of the overwhelmingly supported 1967 referendum. Since then there have been several events addressing the challenges of reconciliation.In 1991, the formal process for reconciliation began, with the Australian parliament passing an act for ...view middle of the document...

Across the country large numbers also took part in marches in their cities and towns.The significant Mabo Decision of 1992 brought in the concept of Native Title and overturned the doctrine of terra nullius. It recognised the land rights of Indignous people, as well as their existence when Europeans first arrived in Australia. The Keating government proposed a three-stage response to the high Court’s Mabo Decision. In the first stage the Mabo decision was made part of Australian law by becoming an Act of Parliament, the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). The second stage involved the establishment of the Indigenous Land Corporation. The third stage involved CAR and ATSIC finding out the non-land aspirations of Indigenous Australians. There has been little action to implement the recommendations made from this report.The political divisions, which followed the Mabo Decision, led to the establishment of many citizen groups including the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR). ANTaR is an independent network of organizations who support reconcilaiton and justice for Indigenous Australians. ANTaR initiated the “Sea of Hands” in which over 250000 Australians have signed plastic hands, calling for justice and more rights given to Indigenous Australians. The “Sea of Hands” was established in 1997, following a proposal from the Howard Government to change the Native title Act 1993.BibliographyWebsitesAntarhttp://www.antar.org.au/content/blogcategory/15/273/American Indian Current Statushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_StatesThe treaty of Waitangihttp://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/treaty/the-treaty-in-briefAsia-Pacific Regret but no apology for aborigineshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/430512.stmNational Sorry Dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Sorry_DayNunavuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NunavutFinal Report of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliationhttp://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/car/2000/16/contents.htmInquiry into the Progress Towards National Reconciliation – Submission from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSIC)www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/completed_inquiries/2002-04/reconciliation/submissions/sub71.doc