ANTaR-ATSIC Treaty Community Seminar kit
ANTaR has produced a Treaty Community Seminar learning kit for reconciliation groups, schools and community groups. The kit is available for download here.
A media release about the kit is also available.
About the kit
The Treaty Community Seminar Program has been designed as a do-it-yourself learning kit for use by reconciliation groups, schools and other community groups interested in exploring the issues involved in a treaty process between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
This program is based on one developed by ATSIC for use in Indigenous communities. The ATSIC program is part of ATSIC's strategy to raise awareness and promote understanding of the issues involved in a treaty process. The program aims to provide a framework for discussion of these issues.
This seminar program has been adapted by ANTaR for use in the wider Australian community. The material is as much as possible identical to information being presented to Indigenous communities by ATSIC.
The seminar program is designed to be delivered by a Facilitator and can be presented in a number of different formats to suit the circumstances and available time of particular groups.
The kit includes:
- Facilitator's
Guide, including hand-outs [pdf - 541KB]
- Overhead projector slides
[pdf - 338KB]
Program contents
SESSION 1: TREATY COMMUNITY SEMINAR: BACKGROUND & OUTCOMES
SESSION 2: WHY IS
TREATY NEEDED? ·
Terra nullius and Indigenous responses ·
Treaty and sovereignty ·
Why we could have a treaty ·
What could be included in a treaty
SESSION 3: WHAT IS
A TREATY? ·
What would a treaty look like? ·
International Law treaties ·
Australian Law treaties ·
Considerations in treaty-making
SESSION 4: THE PROCESS
OF TREATY DEVELOPMENT ·
The importance of process ·
Treaty and the reconciliation process
Foreword to the Kit by ANTaR President and ATSIC Chairperson
On behalf of ANTaR and ATSIC, we are pleased to commend this Treaty Community Seminar kit to promote understanding and discussion about treaty in the Australian community.
Since the heady days of Corroboree 2000 and the hugely successful bridge walks, a great many Australians have been asking, 'What next for the reconciliation process?'
A key recommendation of the final report of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation called on the Commonwealth Parliament to enact legislation 'to put in place a process which will unite all Australians by way of an agreement or treaty, through which unresolved issues of reconciliation can be resolved'. Such an agreement or treaty would fundamentally change the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
In June 2000 the ATSIC Board of Commissioners agreed that the treaty concept should be further advanced because of its potential, through the settlement of unresolved issues, to bring about lasting positive changes to the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. At ATSIC's October 2000 meeting, the Board endorsed a broad strategy for progressing the treaty concept and approved the establishment of the National Treaty Support Group. An information package was developed to facilitate discussion of treaty within Indigenous communities.
ATSIC called on ANTaR to assist with an information and awareness strategy in the non-Indigenous community. ANTaR has produced this Treaty Community Seminar Program as one initiative in undertaking this role.
The materials in this kit have been based as closely as possible on the information included in the ATSIC package, and are designed to raise awareness and promote understanding of the issues involved in the treaty concept.
We hope this kit will be widely used by community groups across the country, and that it contributes to informed discussion on treaty among non-Indigenous Australians.
Phil Glendenning Geoff
Clark
ANTaR President ATSIC
Chairperson
Further information: See "Treaty" under Issues
and Library & Links
