GSA acknowledges and pays respect to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work. We acknowledge and pay respect to all Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their ongoing connections and care of lands, waters, sky and communities for at least 60,000 years. We pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present. As an organisation made up of graduate students and professional staff, we are privileged to work and learn every day with First Nations colleagues and partners.
In acknowledging and paying respect we have a duty to look inwards; to understand the true history of Australia’s past and the ongoing inequities and injustices perpetuated by our history of colonisation and genocide.
GSA has committed to undertake our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), with the intention of continuing this work well into the future.
GSA is following the five interrelated dimensions of reconciliation as outlined by Reconciliation Australia to develop our RAP and participate in reconciliation work.
- Race Relations
- Equality and Equity
- Institutional Integrity
- Unity
- Historical Acceptance
GSA commits to undertaking the work of reconciliation through meaningful engagement with First Nations graduate students, as well as truth-telling and leaning for non-Indigenous graduate students.
If you would like to be involved in this work, or if you would like to find out more, please contact GSA’s Policy and Advocacy team at policy_advocacy@gsa.unimelb.edu.au