Anglicare Sydney is the latest organisation to further the cause of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, the 160 year old community organisation will launch its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) on the 30 May 2017.
“Anglicare’s Reconciliation Action Plan is an important way to set measurable goals and commit ourselves to achieving these outcomes with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” says Anglicare Sydney CEO, Grant Millard.
“We want to bring about real and lasting change in the way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians recognise the injustices of the past; to play our part in creating a future that is characterised by justice, dignity, opportunity and hope for all Australians.”
Since its inception in 2006, 658 organisations have come on board with a RAP, transforming the attitudes and behaviours of more than three million people in Australia.
In their biannual report, Reconciliation Australia found:
77% of RAP employees had high trust in their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, compared with 26% of people in the general community
5% of RAP employees believed that prejudice was high in their organisation, compared with 45% who believed it was high in the general community
71% of RAP employees were proud of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, compared with 57% of the general community
Anglicare Sydney has worked closely with Reconciliation Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to develop an action plan that will influence, not only the way they deliver programs, but their internal policies and procedures. The organisation that was established in 1856 has 3,800 staff, 2,500 volunteers in 115 locations and currently reaches more than 50,000 people in Sydney and the Illawarra.
“We want to see a nation where Australia’s first peoples are treated with dignity and respect, where due honour is given and systemic disadvantage addressed. The RAP is another step in Anglicare’s ongoing role towards reconciliation,” says Mr Millard.
Learn more about Anglicare's RAP.
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