What does reconciliation look like for multicultural communities?

“The conversation about reconciliation is for us,” Reconciliation Australia board member Rana Hussain says.

Each year, Australia welcomes thousands of multicultural migrants, with many settling in and calling it home. But some may be unaware of Australia’s Indigenous history, spanning more than 65,000 years.

Maria Dimopoulos, CEO of the Settlement Council of Australia, says it’s important for new migrants to know that “for the first peoples of this country, this remains a source of pain”.

Reconciliation is about building and strengthening relationships between First Nations peoples and other Australians, about understanding the history of Australia’s colonisation.

For multicultural communities, asking questions or understanding their role in reconciliation can seem unclear. Hussain says “it’s not an alien conversation, it’s actually our responsibility”.

“To meet Traditional Owners on their land, on their terms and say, ‘Okay, we’re here to be allies. How do we walk with you?’”

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