Jillian West gives us the whats, whys and hows of Reconciliation Action Plans - and the role of the board

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I’m speaking with Jillian West about what boards need to think about in doing their Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) and why they are important. We’ll also touch on cultural awareness for board members.

Jill is a proud Palawa woman from the Islands of Bass Strait and a proud Bunurong woman from Point Nepean, born in Victoria with a lengthy career supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in work, education, and support in their life journey.

Jill from Nomuckerlener has worked extensively in the Indigenous space for 20 years and is strongly committed to working alongside community organisations, developing partnerships, and building cultural capacity. She strives to give Aboriginal people a voice through mentoring employment and education with the aim of closing the gap. Jill's passion comes from her mother and father.

Jill's father is Japanangka Errol West, who left a legacy in the education field for Aboriginal people. He was known as the education warrior. Jill says 'I follow his footsteps, and everyday he walks alongside me in the Dreamtime. In his Thesis, he wrote “I first acknowledge the motivation to write, is the obligation I have to all my beautiful children. There are twelve living and some in the spiritual world and to them, I dedicate this thesis with the expectation that their lives overall will be richer than mine."

Bringing Them Home video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl82VMuuKI0

Reconciliation Australia https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/

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For more information about Helga Svendsen: https://www.helgasvendsen.com.au/

Interested in working with Helga? https://www.helgasvendsen.com.au/workwithme

Contact Helga: helga@helgasvendsen.com.au