Reconciliation Action Plans are about taking good intent and turning it into action.
The Black Lives Matter protests which have erupted throughout the globe have caused lots of Australians to rethink the problems affecting Indigenous communities.
The health, wealth and employment gaps between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the inhabitants are well known, however the protests created new urgency to do something about them.
In July, the Australian authorities unveiled new Close the Hole targets together with reducing Indigenous incarceration rates.
For organisations that feel the urgency act there is one apparent solution – a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
In 2006, Reconciliation Australia introduced RAPs as a way for organisations to incorporate strategic reconciliation initiatives as part of their enterprise plans. The intention of a RAP is to create meaningful opportunities on your organisation to actively help and recognise Indigenous Australians. Like many initiatives, reconciliation is a process that can evolve as you and your organisation begin to take action.
RAPs are broken down into 4 maturity levels that replicate the place organisations are of their reconciliation journey. They’re: Mirror, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. Every has a corresponding RAP type organisations can pursue. For example, the Innovate stage is for organisations that already understand the place they can improve on Indigenous points and have begun taking action to actively address them.
The first step for all organisations is to find out its maturity level. “Contact the RAP crew at Reconciliation Australia and find out which stage you’ll start at,” says Anthony. “The RAP group will send you a template that may define what it is advisable do. There are some basic compulsory actions required by Reconciliation Australia similar to celebrating nationwide Reconciliation Day and increasing knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. After that, it’s in regards to the modifications you possibly can make.”
Because lots of organisations will start at the Mirror stage, this guide will outline the pillars it’s essential to set up to start your reconciliation journey.
Research
This is where it all begins.
It will possibly assist to look into why RAPs are so vital as well as the current issues facing Indigenous people. Reports akin to Close the Gap can provide context to your RAP and may enable you with the subsequent step.
Safe help
A part of a successful RAP is establishing assist for reconciliation initiatives across your complete organisation. In most cases this needs to start on the top.
“Most frequently I find that if people are presented with the info, they beautiful quickly get on board with desirous to be a part of the reconciliation movement,”
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three per cent of the population. They can’t do the heavy lifting in terms of change and infrastructure change, societal change, or altering attitudes.
“RAPs are a way of stepping in and making significant change.”
Over 1,000 organisations have formalised RAPs, and their implementation has had a real impact on improving employee understanding of Indigenous issues, the Reconciliation Australia 2018 RAP Impact report found. This can have a move-on effect. It makes workers more engaged with their community and they typically choose to donate to, or volunteer with, Indigenous organisations as a result.
A RAP also solidifies your organisation’s commitment to creating a culturally safe work setting, which expands your recruiting pool by making your workplace a more attractive employer to Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander employees.
Set up a working group
The subsequent step is to form a working group that can oversee your complete RAP process. This group will have to be made up of various representatives from all sectors of your organisation.
The group is in command of planning and implementing the RAP, so it might want to encompass members who’ve some actual energy to make changes within the organisation, and members who understand it from a coverage and tradition perspective.
Lastly, for the RAP to be really successful, you’ll want involvement from members who work with prospects or shoppers, so that individuals outside your organisation understand you are trying to make a difference.
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