Reconciliation NSW is the peak body for reconciliation in NSW. Our members include First Nations and non-Indigenous people working together to advance reconciliation in their communities. The vision of Reconciliation NSW is to create a reconciled, just and equitable community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians in NSW. We work to support, educate and inspire the people of NSW to engage in reconciliation.

Reconciliation NSW believes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold a unique place as the First Peoples of this land.

Reconciliation means recognising the dispossession, persecution and oppression experienced by NSW First Peoples because of Australia’s colonisation.

Reconciliation supports the calls over many decades by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to move past Australia’s colonial legacy by being recognised and heard in their own countries, and with the right and capacity to practice self-determination.

Reconciliation cannot only be symbolic. For reconciliation to be achieved there needs to be a series of real, practical outcomes in relation to the ongoing racism and systemic disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Reconciliation involves acknowledging and accepting our true shared histories and valuing and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as a proud part of a shared national identity.

Reconciliation means building relationships of trust and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, rights and experiences. In a reconciled Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures are supported to thrive and always treated with dignity and respect.

The reconciliation movement has always been, and must continue to be, a ‘people’s movement’. In the years since the organisation was founded, the idea of reconciliation has been contested and debated, and has evolved significantly because of these discussions. Reconciliation NSW is committed to ongoing evolution and consultation, ensuring that any notion of reconciliation that we promote is one that reflects the current interests and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across NSW.