This morning, I met with my co-members on the FRSA Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, which includes FRSA Board Directors, Cheryl Orr (Chair), Graeme Westaway and Felicity Williams, and FRSA’s Manager of Policy and Research, Robyn Clough. At the end of Reconciliation Week, it was certainly a fit and apt time for us to meet as the Working Group to discuss ideas and aspirations for our next Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – Innovate. As an organisation with a Board of Governance our RAP provides a roadmap to keep us on track and accountable for our reconciliation commitments and our vision for an Australia in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities are safe, recognised, respected and valued.
Looking back on our last RAP, FRSA is proud of our efforts in promoting and highlighting the outstanding work with and involving First Nations people through the FRSA network. It is also great to see the ways in which our membership has been celebrating National Reconciliation Week in the member news section of this eBulletin.
If you were at the FRSA Conference in May this year I hope you managed to catch the keynote presentation from National Commissioner Lil Gordon, Acting National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. What a passionate, energetic and aspirational advocate she is for ensuring better futures and outcomes for First Nations young ones. Part of her message was also one of Reconciliation and journeying with mainstream organisations and we look forward to continuing to walk that path.
The Conference! There has been overwhelming feedback from our Conference delegates that this year delivered the best conference yet! My sincere thanks to Stuart McMinn for his warm Welcome to Country and for helping us to embed First Nations culturally appropriate and sensitive activities throughout the Conference. It was a bit of a coup to secure the new Minister for Social Services, the Hon Tanya Plibersek in her first 6 or 7 days in office and it was heartening to hear her say that in being appointed the Minister for Social Services she felt ‘she had come home’. What an amazing start! We were able to feature outstanding keynote speakers such as Commissioner Gordon; Professor Sharon Bessell, DSS Deputy Secretary; Letitia Hope, Judge Thomas Altobelli; the Hon John Faulks; and NSW Australian of the Year finalist, Kath Koschel, as well as deliver an aspirational and inspirational young people’s panel featuring Victorian Flanagan as Moderator with Greg Kennedy, Kimeaka Bermingham, Lachlan Hobman and Rachel Perinparajah. And, of course, I must mention the 70 concurrent sessions including 5 symposiums featuring and showcasing the exceptional work in the sector. Looking back, no wonder we were all exhausted by the end! I have been delighted to hear sector CEOs and managers consistently telling me their staff have returned to work after conference reinvigorated, inspired and motivated – so, in my eyes, a success all round!
At the moment we are working hard behind the scenes to deliver as much of the Conference content as we can to you in the form of session slides, photos and videos of the keynote speakers and panels. This is a bit of a work in progress that we are adding to each day so, please be sure to keep coming back to the Conference website to stay up to date. And – don’t miss the write up.
