Tim Goodwin
Tim Goodwin is a 23-year-old member of the Yuin nation, an Aboriginal nation that occupies the south east coast of NSW. Tim is in his final year of an Arts/Law degree at the Australian National University.
He attended the 5th World Indigenous Youth Conference in 1998, was a member of the National Youth Roundtable in 2000, a member of the International Youth Parliament 2000, and a member of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Group from 2001-2002. Tim returned as a member of the Indigenous Reference Group, and a facilitator for the Indigenous Rights action area, for the International Youth Parliament 2004.
Tim is currently an Indigenous Education Ambassador for the Department of Education, Science and Training and was an Ambassador for the Australian Republican Movement in 2004. In May 2002 Tim was one of two youth members of the Australian Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly's Special Session on Children held in New York.
In 2003 Tim was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to Indigenous youth.
Tim is the Deputy Chair of the National Indigenous Youth Movement of Australia, serving on the Movement's Circle and Executive.
What a reconciled Australia looks like to me.
"... a new partnership based on justice and equity..."
It is appropriate to begin writing about what a reconciled Australia looks like to me by quoting Paul Keating's Redfern Park Address delivered in December 1992. More then outlining a number of essential ingredients for true reconciliation, the quote captures both a recognition of the past and a hope for the future. It promotes both the symbolic and the practical, and the importance of relationships. Significantly, it does not attempt to pretend to be a continuation of anything achieved thus far, or of a return to a time when justice and equity existed. What we embark on, what we attempt to achieve, what we aim for in this country, at this critical junction, will be new.
The above is the essence of what a reconciled Australia will look like for me. It is however important to outline some tangible elements of a reconciled Australia to give life to this essence.
Reconciliation is based on the unreliable premise that Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are in an equal position to move forward together. This is obviously not the case when we examine the horrendous statistics of Indigenous disadvantage.
Therefore, at its most basic level, a reconciled Australia will be a place where the capacity of Indigenous Australians has been built to such an extent that we no longer have to discuss "Indigenous capacity-building". Rather, Indigenous people will be fully-functioning members of Australian society, where their health, education, employment, and other key social and economic indicators are similar or better then the national indicators of the wider population. To achieve this I believe there must be some important foundations.
First, the 'unfinished business' of colonisation must be dealt with. To this end, there must be a treaty or other document, with constitutional or at least semi-constitutional status, that outlines how the relationship with First Nations peoples and the Commonwealth is to be negotiated and sustained. This will provide a framework for cultural recognition in the landscape of Australian society, the resolution of historical wrongs (or at least a process for doing so), the codification of Indigenous land rights, and the incorporation of the rights under the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Second, with a treaty or document as a foundation, a National Indigenous Representative Body will exist that truly reflects self-determination regarding Indigenous policy development, advocacy, funding, capacity development, governance training, and economic development. This Body will have at its core the involvement of young people and efforts for their development. This will ensure legacies continue and succession planning is paramount.
Third, more tangibly, a comprehensive Indigenous history curriculum, negotiated with Indigenous people, will be taught as a compulsory subject at both primary and secondary levels. This will help the country to create lasting connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Finally, the need for specialised services for Indigenous people will be less obvious. While such services will still exist, Indigenous people will have an equitable choice to access mainstream services that are culturally appropriate, employ Indigenous people, and promote Indigenous ways of knowing to all clients rather than specific client bases. This will further be facilitated by the fact that in a reconciled Australia Indigenous disadvantage no longer exists.
While this answer may seem utopian, the question posed is utopian in nature. We must not underestimate the challenge ahead, but we also must not allow that to overwhelm our attempts to create a better future. The above is only a snapshot of a reconciled Australia; much more detail will need to be achieved. But with integrity, forethought, vision, healthy cynicism and a dose of naive courage, it can be a reality.
Tim Goodwin
