SANE'S INNOVATE RAP - What does reconciliation look like in our community?

[rav3n]

Hey Forumites!!✨

A few weeks ago, the SANE Team attended a conference where @RachSANECEO shared SANE’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which now we get to share with you! You can check out our Journey to Reconciliation, and read all about SANE’s Innovate RAP.

To summarise, our goal for the next 3 years is to:

1. End mental health inequality through systemic change
2. Eliminate stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion

We recognise the deep and lasting impact colonisation has had—and continues to have—on the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. With many of the people we support living in regional, rural, and remote areas, developing an Innovate RAP is a meaningful step in advancing our vision and strengthening our commitment to genuine reconciliation. 

We want our forums community involved in this step with us – we want you all to reflect on what reconciliation and closing the gap looks like for you.

Here’s our 2 questions to the forums community:

1. What does reconciliation mean or look like to you? Show us by sharing photos or artworks (make sure to follow the guidelines when posting), or feel free to create your own artwork!
   
   As seen on the RAP (and presented below), ‘Heal the People’ by Kelly Marie Taylor is an artwork that incorporates symbols to express her journey. We’ve copied below some symbols you can use when creating your own art piece (and feel free to google some more symbols).

2. What’s one way you’re thinking about engaging with reconciliation moving forward? Feel free to also share meaningful ways you’ve engaged in the past and what you’ve learnt from those experiences.

We look forward to seeing everyone’s contributions 💖

[rav3n]

Refer to the post above - i'm tagging some members and community guides to get this started, everyone is welcome to join, feel free to tag others!

@Ru-bee @tyme @AuntGlow @Jynx @RiverSeal @0ddsidian @ArraDreaming @Oaktree @Till23 @StanD @Alisse @Anastasia @AussieRecharger @balance37 @Boo13 @BPDSurvivor @CrazyChick @defaultusername @Eve7 @Faith-and-Hope @HelloKitty1981 @Judi9877 @MDT @outlander @pinklollipop15 @Shaz51 @Snowie @Zoe7 @Blackbird11 @Asgard @Appleblossom @8ppleTree @Ilovepenguins @LilMapleLeaf @MayaBird07 @MermaidHair @Mich_1989 @Minkie-Rose @MissMuffet @OM108 @Peace4now @puzzlingdino @sheba30 @SkySeeker22 @Tranquil_Atoms @Dreamy @Blackcloud @creative_writer @MJG017 @MissinTooth @avant-garde @ENKELI @Glisten + more!

[Oaktree]

@rav3n 

I can’t speak for others but I have found our SANE community to be pretty inclusive. Personally I haven’t felt other’d. Maybe people in the community don’t realise I am Indigenous? I don’t know? I feel accepted here

[Appleblossom]

I have walked with indigenous since the 1960s in orphanages and my father also lived with indigenous people as brothers under the same roof … and communicated RESPECT… I also have Paid the Rent, so it’s nothing new for me… always been on the margins. I know its new for some people.

://https://images.app.goo.gl/aVDmLYPjt85yuzUm8 images.app.goo.gl/aVDmLYPjt85yuzUm8 

I knew Trevor in the 1980-90s.

for reconciliation week at church I organised … an Our Father by Tija peoples.

we also need to be careful not to overly demonise people by skin colour or ethnicity, at all (Eg reverse racism ) and accept that many people also cared. 

[rav3n]

i'm really glad to hear that @Oaktree thank you for sharing 💙

i do have a question for you, just my own curiousity - do you have a symbol that resonates with you (like the art symbols mentioned above)? at the conference we looked into a couple symbols and animals, i really liked the Bunjil one. 

[MissinTooth]

@rav3n I'm going to try and answer this, but it's been a big day and my brain is kinda of sluggish. 

Reconciliation...through my studies, I've learnt a great deal about the importance of incorporating community, elders and a holistic view of mental health into the care and supports of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I've done a little bit of study on how difficult it is for Aboriginal people to access relevant health care, due to the fact that modern health care isn't flexible in accepting and incorporating their traditions and cultural practices when it comes to providing supports or care. Something like connecting to country, or including the voice of community elders, even having a deeper understanding of culture can help practitioners to better cater to their needs. 

I would like to learn more - to engage and collaborate with community and with community elders to better meet the needs of the children with Aboriginal heritage, that I teach. 

[Faith-and-Hope]

Morning everyone 👋

I can’t say much.  My daughter is very sick, and my attention belongs with her right now.

I was born overseas of parents who were born on Countries here in Australia, but they were not of those Countries.   I grew up in towns on Countries as we moved around, knowing that I was also not of those Countries, but I and my parents had no Country of our own to “return” to, because our own ethnic and cultural backgrounds were a mixture from Central Europe.  

That meant there were peoples here (Australia) before us, and that was to be respected and appreciated.  As a child I was too young to understand the violent political history of colonisation, but I do now.  

I feel it is strange to try to lead reconciliation.  It seems pertinent to respect, hold space, and learn from the peoples who are of the first peoples here, as they reconcile their own languages, cultures and heritages, and endeavour to heal as their own nations.  

After that will come a time of trying to work out how we all fit together,  which will require great humility, patience, tolerance and respect.  Trying to put ourselves into each other’s shoes is a part of that, rather than deciding what each other’s needs or feelings should be.  People are people.  The ways of caring are empathy, humility, respect, gratitude, and leaving space for each other.  Trying to stand in that place.

♥️🙏😔

[rav3n]

that's so fair! @Captain24 if you'd like, feel free to read the Journey to Reconciliation link above  - i'd love to hear your thoughts for q2 (no pressure ofc!)✨

[rav3n]

@Appleblossom that artwork is really beautiful, thanks so much for sharing! i also love how you've got your church involved too. i hear you about not wanting to demonise people based on their ethnicity/skin colour - as long as we all come in with open minds and hearts, we can all learn and grow from each other 💙