Reframing Reconciliation in Tasmania

Reframing Reconciliation in Tasmania

Since commencing in the role of CEO of Reconciliation Tasmania two years ago, Pauline has sought to redefine reconciliation so that it more effectively supports the aspirations of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, who have consistently said that the meaning, purpose and approach to reconciliation in Tasmania needs to change.

Reconciliation in Tasmania calls for its own approach. Here, the language of reconciliation can act as a barrier to essential relational work, because it implies a return to positive relationships that have never existed. Tasmania's history of violence, discrimination and denial, and the limited redress and recognition offered to date, mean that reconciliation must first respond to this context before it can move forward.

Pauline will speak to what she has learnt in shaping this response, including a short history of how reconciliation has been framed globally and in Australia, the many faces reconciliation can take and what comes next. This is an opportunity to hear a candid reflection on the challenges and possibilities of reconciliation in Tasmania today, and to join the conversation about where to from here.

Pauline Cook has been active in campaigning for Aboriginal cultural and legal rights and social justice outcomes since her university student years, as a volunteer with the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement in Adelaide.

With a degree in anthropology and postgraduate research in this field, Pauline has spent several decades working with First Nations communities to support land rights processes and other self-determining initiatives. This has informed her fierce commitment to driving change through place-based, ground-up responses with community showing the way forward.

She has extensive experience in not-for-profit sector management and believes that relationships based on respect and reciprocity are at the core of all genuine engagements. As the CEO of Reconciliation Tasmania, Pauline is committed to challenging the status quo through working with Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the wider community in the pursuit of truth, reparation, and the systemic changes needed to build a more just and equitable society.

This event is hosted by the Kingborough Reconciliation Action Group (KRAG) is a local reconciliation action group bringing together people who are interested in advancing reconciliation by nurturing knowledge, awareness, empathy, and respect for First Peoples.

A small cash donation towards running the event is appreciated. We will have a cash tin and an electronic square reader available on the night.