Non-Indigenous Pathways to Reconciliation in Australia

Grant type

ARC Discovery

Researchers

• Professor Sarah Maddison (University of Melbourne)
• Tom Clark (Victoria University)
• Ravi de Costa (York University, Canada)

Description

Many consider the formal reconciliation process in Australia to have been a failure, yet the need for a more effective engagement between Indigenous and other Australians remains pressing. This project examined the Australian experience of reconciliation, asking how the process of reconciliation in Australia connects to the attitudes of non-Indigenous people in ways that may prompt their engagement with Indigenous needs and aspirations.

This project undertook original focus group research to explore non-Indigenous engagement with reconciliation in Australia. It considered ways to transform the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in light of debates about constitutional recognition and renewed calls for treaties with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.