Cultural Awareness and Comprehension Training Program: Australian Unity
Australian Unity
Who funded the project
Karabena Consulting was engaged to implement our 'Living Libraries' cultural awareness and training program. This comprehensive initiative, developed by KCT and implemented in partnership with Karen Milward Consulting Services, included two half-day training sessions followed by visits to community agencies, designed to contextualise the learnings through real-life experiences. Each community organisation received a payment for hosting Australian Unity staff during these visits.
The 'Living Libraries' program aimed to embed participants' experiences of reconciliation within community contexts, thereby strengthening Australian Unity's reconciliation narrative. The first two half-day sessions were held at Abbotsford Convent and began with a smoking ceremony, Wayapa practice, a Totem exercise, and cultural awareness training. The second day included the '50 questions' exercise and training on incorporating Indigenous methodologies into management and decision-making strategies.
The final component of the project involved Australian Unity staff visiting various agencies to meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people delivering services to young people, those at risk of homelessness, the Kinaway Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, and Bubup Wilam. A final debriefing session at the Kinaway offices facilitated reflection on their experiences, and Karabena Consulting showcased a video summarising the entire program.
Summary
The primary purpose of this project was to:
Learn and Connect: Understand key concepts underpinning the current policy context in Victoria and the emerging direction of the relationship between First Peoples and the State.
Identify Care for Country: Explore what it means for Australian Unity to care for Country, underpinned by just and respectful engagement with self-determining First Peoples.
Culturally Confident Integration: Facilitate increased cultural confidence and competence, and integrate reconciliation and care for Country through executive work, decision-making processes, and customer commitments.
Project Aims
Our methodology integrated quantitative and qualitative approaches. Key elements included:
Welcome to Country: Includes a Smoking Ceremony, Wayapa on the Water, and discussions on Aboriginal Victoria.
Caring for Country Panel: Elders in Residence will guide the understanding of caring for Country principles.
First Nations Philosophies: Understanding Aboriginal leadership strategies and their implications on health and wellbeing.
Collaboration: Collaborative planning for the integration of learning into Australian Unity’s corporate planning and strategy.
Methodologies
Outputs
The key outputs for this project were:
A report on the consultation findings for Australian Unity
An evaluation report
Cultural Immersion Experiences
A video of people sharing their experiences of the journey.
This comprehensive program was designed to capture both quantitative data through scaled and closed questions, and qualitative insights through open-ended questions. Participants' feedback will be instrumental in assessing the impact of the Living Libraries program, identifying areas for improvement and shaping future iterations. By including sections such as the general experience, specific session reflections and overall feedback, the evaluation ensures a thorough understanding of participants' experiences. Additionally, the Yarning Circle final session plan, with its emphasis on reflection and connection, provides a meaningful conclusion to the program, reinforcing the program's goals of unity, growth and ongoing reconciliation.
Project Outcomes
#PracticalReconciliation
#Insightful
#Reflectivetime
#Inclusivity
#Connection
#Impactful
#Reconciliation
#Growth
#Unity