National Reconciliation Week 2021 - a call for action

National Reconciliation Week is held in Australia annually from 27th May until 3rd June. 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia’s formal reconciliation process. The timing Reconciliation Week is significant in commemorating the reconciliation journey.

The theme for Reconciliation Week 2021 is “more than a word, reconciliation takes action.” This powerful theme emphasises that reconciliation requires meaningful reflection, dialogue and impactful action. Belgravia Foundation acknowledges that reconciliation isn’t just a term or concept, it is a journey for all Australians. 

Belgravia Foundation and Belgravia Leisure used this time to encourage all to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and explore how we can help achieve reconciliation in Australia. Reconciliation Australia have compiled a helpful resource that highlights 20 actions you can take to improve your knowledge, support respect and advocate for equity. Click here to find our more.

While Reconciliation Week is a great time for education and reflection, the 2021 theme of “more than a word, reconciliation takes action” recognises the importance of moving beyond thinking and talking about reconciliation, and on to taking substantive action.

Supporting First Nations businesses is a way for leisure and recreation facilities to contribute to reconciliation. Belgravia Foundation encourages the leisure and recreation sector to look for opportunities to contribute to the success of First Nations businesses, and to build connections with those businesses and non-Indigenous patrons and staff.

For example, while lockdown cut its plans short, on the first day of Reconciliation Week the MOVE café at Ascot Vale Leisure Centre sold food from Pawa Catering. Pawa Catering was established by Aboriginal woman Niyoka Bundle and her husband, head chef Vincent Manning, from the Isle of Man. Pawa means ‘to cook’ in the language of the Gunditjmara people.

And now is also the time to start planning for NAIDOC Week, with a 2021 theme of ‘Heal Country!’, this is a time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of First Nations peoples, and a great opportunity to promote awareness and inclusion in our communities.