Radio Australia Today Editorial

Reconciliation. It Starts Today.

27 May 2008

Today is the start of Reconciliation Week here in Australia.

This is when we devote at least a couple of minutes to thinking about the original inhabitants of this country, and how we can become reconciled.

This time of goodwill is also a reminder of what we don’t have.

We don’t have health equity between black and white.

We lack health resources for our aboriginal community.

A much larger percentage of the aboriginal community is in jail compared to the rest of the community.

Aboriginal babies are 7 times less likely to survive than babies in the rest of society.

Aboriginal people live twenty years shorter lives on average than they rest of society.

Aboriginal people are Australia’s most disadvantaged, and the truth is that they are disadvantaged simply by their race.

Aboriginal society is a gentle, caring and giving society. Any child born in an indigenous community instantly becomes a child of the whole clan. They can have dozens of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. It is a warm society leached by dislocation and good intentions of people who had no idea of how aboriginal society works.

At least Reconciliation Week can give us some way to connect.

If you are an Australian, why not spend a few minutes this week to think about why things have gone so pear-shaped.

- Phil