Lunch Time Chat at St James Ethics Centre

Wednesday February 16th 2000

Last year we talked about changing the format of the conversations to be a little more ‘topic’ focussed and we have now put that process in place.

The conversationalists both familiar and new agreed on "Reconciliation" as the theme for our next few gatherings.

What comes to your mind when that word is mentioned?

We talked about reconciliation with our first peoples and the implications of the word in relation to them. We also talked of reconciliation and its meaning in a much broader sense. That would need to include a whole range of ‘otherness’ in our community.

Rich and poor, young and old, alienated political viewpoints and so forth.

We noted the absence of aboriginal people in the conversation process and the inherent difficulty that poses in helping us to confront or even understand the issues at close quarters.

Perhaps many racial flare-ups happen because we simply don’t talk to each other. Would that include unreconciled families and other members of our community too?

It was suggested that we need to learn and teach mediation skills and we would be served to sit with each other and learn to understand our differences and discover our similarities. To do this we need to talk to each other.

(A bit like a ‘conversation’ really. NW)

A couple of questions that might help us carry the subject forward were: "What are the internal blocks that stop people (Like John Howard?) from entering into the reconciliation process?"

"What would it take to develop/generate the political will to enter into the process?"

There is no doubt that many people are either unable or unwilling to enter into the reconciliation process in so many parts of our community. This has left some of us at least with a sense that we are fractured as a society and this leads to even further alienation and lack of community sensitivity and participation.

Learning the skills and purposes of reconciliation may well be an excellent starting point to help us build a livable 21^st Century, a future that we would really like to leave to the care of our children.

If you would like to explore the reconciliation process, make a contribution or learn more, do come and join us.

For more information call Noel on 9819 7914

The next conversation at St James Ethics Centre will be on Wed March 15^th.