National Reconciliation Week 2024
The 2024 National Reconciliation Week theme, Now More Than Ever, reminds us that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will – and must – continue.
It is a call to action post the referendum result in October last year, to remind organisations like ours, who work with First Nations communities, that we all have an important role to play in working towards reconciliation.
At SVA, we have a vision of a reconciled Australia in which First Nations people are valued as the First Peoples of the land and as holders of significant knowledge. We aspire to a nation that not only guarantees equal rights and opportunities for all Australians, but values First Nations peoples as a core part of Australian society. This requires institutional, policy, service and funding change – guided by First Nations peoples and their pursuit for self-determination and self-governance.
We are working to realise this vision through our organisation-wide First Nations Strategy and Practice Area, our Practice Principles, Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan, and the newly created First Nations Council. The First Nations Council will provide leadership, cultural knowledge and sector expertise to inform best practice across all areas of SVA.
We remain firm in our commitment to walk alongside First Nations peoples to build an equitable Australia.