The theme for this year’s National Reconciliation Week, All In, calls on Australians to move beyond words and commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation through everyday actions.
Reflecting this commitment, Centacare teams have come together to reaffirm their dedication to reconciliation through a range of activities, creating opportunities to learn, connect and strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
Centacare’s Gold Coast Hub offers a place where Gold Coast families, children and adults can access a range of specialist services including family law counselling, family dispute resolution, family and relationship counselling and domestic and family violence support.
The team worked in partnership with First Nations Consultant Toni Janke to develop a book that was written and illustrated to support First Nations children attending counselling. Belonging is a storybook that helps children explore themes of identity, connection, family and belonging.
Area Manager Ximena Alvarez said the team have long been committed to ensuring the Hub is a welcoming and supportive space that delivers vital services in a culturally safe, sensitive and appropriate way.
“Reconciliation is about fostering respectful relationships and creating culturally safe services,” she said.
This project reflects the team’s broader commitment to listening to and learning from First Nations voices. Aunty Betty, a proud Elder from the Kamilaroi tribe of Moree, has been an important part of this journey.
“Aunty Betty has spent more than 50 years fostering community connections and advocating for a stronger future and has become an invaluable mentor for our team,” Ximena said.
“Her guidance has helped strengthen the culturally safe support we provide through initiatives such as our Yarning Circles, which create welcoming spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to connect, share experiences and build relationships.”
Invited by Aunty Betty, the team also attended a chapel service at Trinity College where the importance of reconciliation was discussed, reflecting on the role both community and education play in fostering understanding and respect.
Throughout the week, the Gold Coast team shared their individual aspirations for reconciliation using an All In reflection wall they created. Some shared the lessons they continue to learn and others, the practical actions they can take for lasting change.
Further north, at Centacare’s Kingaroy Neighbourhood Centre, National Reconciliation Week created opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations at their Floral Thursday event.
“We openly shared thoughts and reflections, with some members of our community speaking about their own experiences of racism in Australia in a safe and supportive space,” said Team Leader Lauren Schleger.
The Kingaroy Neighbourhood Centre community collaborated on a Sea of Hands artwork, sparking conversations about the changes in thoughts, beliefs and perspectives that help shape a more inclusive future.
“The artwork now serves as a visual reminder of the importance of continuing conversations that build understanding, respect and inclusion,” said Lauren.
Beyond National Reconciliation Week and alongside our partner organisations in the Archdiocese of Brisbane, our Reconciliation Action Plan guides our vision for reconciliation – to create communities in which there is mutual respect and deep solidarity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those of us with differing heritage. Together, we work towards healing the hurts and wrongs of the past and being present in a spirit of mercy, love, justice, forgiveness and peace.