Dean Parkin is from the Quandamooka peoples of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) in Queensland. Dean was closely involved in the process that resulted in the historic Uluru Statement from the Heart and continues to advocate for constitutional and structural reform as Director of From the Heart. Image: From the Heart Dean will be a key […]
With the widespread acceptance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land comes the simple proposition that we must change the date—the 26th of January is not an inclusive day of celebration for all Australians. And yet the controversy rages. There are many different views around the date of […]
Every year on the 26th of January we celebrate what it means to be Australian. It’s a day when we welcome new Australians into the fold through citizenship ceremonies and we get together for barbecues, that most inexplicably Australian of meals. We mark the day in a myriad of ways and yet we continue to […]
Have you considered the diversity of books in your early childhood service and explored the messages the books present? Work by Associate Professor Helen Caple and Dr Ping Tian highlight this (in the blog below). Their analysis of award-winning children’s books in Australia found a staggering representational dominance–over the last 20 years non-white people made up […]
The power of Stan Grant as a storyteller and journalist was palpable in the Four Corners episode ‘I Can’t Breath’ that aired on ABC TV last night (13 July 2020). The program explores an Australian perspective on the Black Lives Matter movement and why this is a critical moment in history. It was 25 May […]
How can early childhood settings incorporate reconciliation through everyday learning? ECA caught up with preschool teacher and educational leader, ADAM DUNCAN, to hear his views on reconciliation. In the lead up to last year’s ECA Reconciliation Symposium, Adam shared his thoughts with ECA on how educators can achieve change towards reconciliation. He expanded on these ideas […]
Cultural competence and reconciliation are recurrent topics in our line of work. But when it comes to putting these into practice, we’re often faced with more questions than answers. I’d like to put forth my perspective and hopefully it might help my colleagues in taking the first step towards their reconciliation journey. As the director […]
This section showcases snapshot examples of the reconciliation journey undertaken by a number of services across Australia. They are all unique, but share common embedded practice strategies that have enabled the children, families, educators and community members to work together in supporting reconciliation. The key strategies are highlighted to signpost the range and breadth of […]
When a popular children’s picture book came under the spotlight at ECA’s 2018 Reconciliation Symposium in May, it was ‘reconciliation in action’: a chance to express and hear strong, conflicting views, to listen, learn and rethink. For ECA, it triggered reflection and a search for more perspectives. An important and expanding part of ECA’s work […]
National Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June) is a time for all Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, share that knowledge and help us grow as a nation. This year’s theme—‘Don’t keep history a mystery’—makes it personal, inviting each of us to learn more. ECA’s commitment to Reconciliation deepens […]
