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Reconciliation, Social Justice, the Constitution and a Treaty

Reconciliation
The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was set up in 1991 by unanimous agreement of the Federal Parliament to encourage co-operation and improve harmony between indigenous and non indigenous Australians. It has indigenous and non indigenous members from a range of backgrounds. Two themes underlie its work:

• how history has shaped relationships between indigenous and non indigenous Australians, and
• respect for each other’s cultures.

'Sorry' etched in the sky by a plane over Sydney Harbour Bridge, May 2000, when almost 250,000 marched for reconciliation in the first of a series of marches that have taken place across Australia. click image for full size (images may take some time to download) Photo from Black, White + Pink.

Reconciliation was originally identified as a key national objective for the centenary of Federation in 2001, with the aim of achieving a formal statement of reconciliation by then.

On 27 May 2000 the Council presented a Declaration for Reconciliation and proposals for future action to the Governor General, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries at Corroboree 2000. On 29 May an estimated 250,000 people marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge to show their support for reconciliation.

The Reconciliation Council’s mandate expires at the end of this year and its future is unclear. Some Aboriginal people think that the main emphasis should now be on a treaty; others believe that focus on a treaty is premature.

Social justice
Indigenous peoples have 15 - 20 years lower life expectancy than non indigenous Australians, suffer higher rates of infant mortality, have higher unemployment rates and are over-represented in custody and arrest figures. These figures suggest that Governments have not provided the same levels of public service to indigenous people as to other citizens.

Social justice is about indigenous peoples having:

• as people, basic human rights
• as citizens, minimum acceptable standards of pubic services, and
• as indigenous peoples, special rights relating to land, law and customs

Constitutional amendment and a treaty

Indigenous people want their status and rights defined and recognised in a lasting way which will not allow State or Federal Governments to backtrack on them. Two possible ways of doing this are:

• amendment of the 1901 Australian Constitution and for
• a Treaty between indigenous peoples and the Australian Government

At present, there is no acknowledgement in the Constitution of the special status and rights of indigenous people. If Australia decided to become a Republic, the Constitution would have to be amended, and this would offer the opportunity for change in other areas.

The idea of a treaty was supported in principle by Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1989, but is opposed by the present Government under John Howard..

It has been suggested that a treaty might include Aboriginal representation in Parliament, reparation and compensation for cultural dispossession, appropriate use of indigenous customary law and an independent economic base.

Further reading and links:

• see the Law, deaths in custody, sentencing and violence section and Reconciliation section of links in the information pages of this website
  
  
  
• there are also more clippings covering these issues in the press clippings section of the news pages
  
  
  
• There are over 800 documents on this website.

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read about:

• Native Title
• Aboriginal History and Heritage
• Aboriginal Identity and Culture
• Australia's Human Rights record
• The Stolen Generations

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