Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation Australia is the non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to provide a continuing national focus for reconciliation. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. The Council had become inactive as there was only a limited political commitment to reconciliation from the government of John Howard.
In 1991, the Commonwealth Parliament voted unanimously to establish the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and a formal reconciliation process. Parliament had noted that there had been no formal process of reconciliation and that it was “most desirable that there be such a reconciliation” by the year 2001, marking the centenary of Federation.
It is funded from corporate and government partnerships as well as tax deductible donations from individual Australians.
It works with business, government and individual Australians to bring about change, identifying and promoting examples of reconciliation in action. They also independently monitor Australia’s progress towards reconciliation.
Directors
- Ms Jackie Huggins AM (Co-Chair), a woman of the Bidjara/Birri-Gubba Juru peoples
- Mr Mark Leibler AC (Co-Chair),senior partner in the Melbourne legal firm Arnold Bloch Leibler and a Jewish community leader
- Mr Campbell Anderson, council member of the Business Council of Australia since 1986
- The Hon Fred Chaney AO, Deputy President of the National Native Title Tribunal
- Professor Mick Dodson AM, member of the Yawuru peoples, Professor and Chairperson of the Australian National University's Institute for Indigenous Australia
- Mr Dick Estens, business leader involved in the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers’ Aboriginal Employment Strategy
- Ms Raymattja Marika-Mununggiritj from the Rirratjingu people in the Northern Territory
- Ms Shelley Reys, an Aboriginal woman of the Djiribul people, Managing Director of Arrilla – Aboriginal Training and Development
- Mr Jason Glanville, Director of Policy and Strategy