Yarning Circles at CES Cairns
Our staff have respectfully kicked off their shoes and opened their hearts and minds to participate in Yarning Circles as part of National Reconciliation Week.
The Yarning Circles are a traditional cultural activity that has been carried out by the first Australians for 60,000 years. This week, staff at CES Cairns are having honest conversations through Yarning Circles to discuss issues in an inclusive and collaborative manner.
Each participant took their turn to speak with an equal voice and REALLY be listened to about what Reconciliation means to each of them. Questions considered were:
- Why is reconciliation important?
- What does reconciliation mean for me?
- What’s my part to play?
The conversations were deep and thoughtful, and a moving experience for those involved.
The mat on which they were sitting also had significant meaning. It brings people together, at the same level, and is symbolic in a way that passes through the lives of the community. Many significant traditional rituals are done on a mat including marriage.
The Theme
This year’s theme for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is Grounded in Truth Walk Together with Courage.
One of our guiding principles in strategic directions 2016 – 2019 is being courageous and encountering the possibilities to engage in dialogue. This year’s theme is about us as an organisation to be brave, bold and have honest conversations about our nation’s history, our shared history.
Our Catholic Social teachings teach us that we are made in the image and likeness of God and we each have a God-given dignity. Treating others with respect and fairness is at the core of human dignity.
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ histories, cultures and spiritualities and commit to reconciliation through words and actions.
Catholic Education is committed to reconciliation, ensuring all school communities are committed to providing a culturally safe space to engage in respectful relationships based on principles of justice, equity, consultation, democracy and respect for human dignity.
The RAP Working Group has developed a draft and is currently out for consultation prior to sending to Reconciliation Australia for its first iteration.
The RAP is everybody’s business across the organisation.
For more information, go to Reconciliation Australia.
