OUR VISION FOR RECONCILIATION

The Welfare Rights Centre’s office is located on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and we pay our respects to the Gadigal People and their Elders, past and present.

We declare our commitment to Reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. We acknowledge and recognise the ancestral connection between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the land, which is a sovereignty that co-exists with the sovereignty of the Crown.

As a Statewide service provider, we extend our acknowledgement to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living on and off Country throughout New South Wales.

The Welfare Rights Centre acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have endured injustice and dispossession, that this continues into the present and that the law has played a role in perpetuating this injustice.

Our vision is for a fair, just and inclusive society, where everyone has the resources to meet their basic needs and to participate fully in society. Realising this vision means listening to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, providing our legal services in a way that is respectful, relevant and accessible, and advocating for law reform.

We heed the call to action contained in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We will walk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to redress injustice. We commit to Makarrata, to the coming together after a struggle.

This Reconciliation Action Plan sets out how the Welfare Rights Centre will realise its vision for Reconciliation and the actions we will take to develop partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We use the word “Reconciliation” but recognise that Australia is for the first time working towards a relationship based on truth, equality, peace and harmony.