SaveOurSBS.org applauds the approach that SBS is taking in Indigenous affairs. The broadcaster is leading the way in promoting the stories of Indigenous Australians.
SBS has acted to increase awareness of the contribution of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities to Australian society and building capacity to learn from and serve Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Recently, SBS launched the Second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). It builds on the unique content that SBS has demonstrated in its commitment to telling Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander stories. Through a series of objectives and action plans, the Second Reconciliation Plan will foster stronger relationships for all Australians.
SBS already airs the only Indigenous current affairs program, Living Black, on Australian television. Other SBS programs featuring Indigenous peoples include First Australians. That was a documentary series that covered Indigenous history for the first time.
The actions in SBS’s first RAP were implemented by members of SBS’s first Reconciliation Action Plan Committee. That Committee consisted of 27 members, including Aboriginal & Torres Strait employees, which enabled the development of wording for SBS staff to deliver Acknowledgement of Country and the acknowledgement of the traditional custodians. This also helped SBS staff to engage in Indigenous culture through the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week celebrations. That is held in July each year.
The Committee determined that SBS could better realise its potential by taking a long-term approach that encapsulates what SBS is uniquely positioned to offer in the reconciliation process. Reconciliation Australia’s principles of respect, relationships and opportunities were used to formulate these ideas and actions.
The actions are set out under each set of objectives, with each action signposted with Reconciliation Australia’s key elements to indicate its contribution to the principles of relationships, respect and opportunities. SBS outlines that establishing and maintaining relationships and partnerships with Indigenous peoples are crucial to being a reconciliation leader. SBS is encouraging recognition and respect for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities, by creating opportunities to broadcast stories of Indigenous communities, through encouraging business systems that are more inclusive.
In order to track progress and reporting of this plan, the Committee will make annual progress reports as well as a final report.
Further details can be found as a PDF document on the SBS website at Second Reconciliation Action Plan.
