It is the first anniversary of Orange Sky Australia’s ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), and we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our progress and reaffirm our ongoing commitment to celebrating culture, acknowledging our shared history and improving the health and social outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We acknowledge the inequities that continue to exist in Australia, and that organisations like ours should not have to implement a RAP to address them. However, we remain steadfast in our belief that we can make a difference, and we are committed to doing our part to deliver the objectives of our RAP as a tangible mechanism for driving change within our communities.
So, where are we at with our RAP outcomes?
We are proud to say that 88% of our deliverables are completed or remain are on track, and we are committed to addressing the 12% of tasks that are yet to be completed in the next year of our plan.
RAP Working Group Chairperson, Jo Senz commented on her pride in the Orange Sky team’s approach to progressing the deliverables.
“It has been a pleasure to see how earnestly and authentically our team have committed to reconciliation across all pillars of the organisation,” Jo said.
“From the outset, it has been important for our team to acknowledge that reconciliation touches all aspects of our work. We wanted our team to make a difference, not only in remote communities or for our friends, but in every place we operate and every person we work alongside,” Jo continued.
What have been the key highlights?
The expansion of our remote services has been a key highlight throughout the year. We have almost doubled our remote services since launching our RAP – now operating 12 services across Australia. Our new services include a further three in Northern Territory, three in Western Australia and one in Queensland. This growth is allowing us to reach more people in more places, and to provide support to communities that are often overlooked.
We have also made important progress in increasing the representation of First Nations people and voices in our community. 8% of our staff and 3% of our volunteers identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, as well as Dieri and Mithaka man, Keiron Lander, joining our board earlier this year.
Cultural learning is of significant importance for our friends on orange chairs to our staff throughout Australia. That is why we have provided several tailored cultural training opportunities for our staff, to ensure our team is equipped with the resources to facilitate safe and inclusive operations and policies.
For true reconciliation to exist, it is evident that there is much more work to be done. In the context of homelessness, the recent Census reported that one in five people experiencing homelessness identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ABS, 2021); considerably higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts. We recognise that reconciliation is an ongoing journey. One that must amplify the strength, voices and aspirations of our First Nations communities.
Orange Sky is committed to being open, honest and transparent about our progress while striving to make tangible change through our RAP. We would like to thank and acknowledge our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends, staff, board and committee members, volunteers, partners and supporters. Orange Sky community is strengthened by your voices and perspectives.
