Walk Together Project
"As two ancient civilisations, we have so much in common and so much to learn from each other."
Coinciding with National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) has launched a new project to increase the community’s understanding of, and support for, Aboriginal self-determination and empowerment.
The first step of the Walk Together Project will be a survey of JCCV affiliates to provide an overview of the current understanding of and engagement with Indigenous communities and peoples, including identifying those organisations that are developing or have adopted Reconciliation Action Plans.
The findings will then assist in identifying ways Jewish community organisations can engage with First Nations organisations in a supportive and collaborative relationship.
The project will be undertaken with Karen Milward, a Yorta Yorta woman with 20 years of experience working with Aboriginal communities and organisations.
Milward said she is “excited to be working on this project, as it is a very important step in understanding the progress the JCCV’s 52 affiliates have made in their reconciliation journey”.
“This project will identify the lessons learnt from both the Jewish communal organisations and their partnerships with Aboriginal communities including organisations and networks, which will inform a positive way forward for reconciliation between our two communities in the future in Victoria,” she said.
In future stages of Walk Together, it is envisaged that a greater number of Jewish organisations will partner with Indigenous organisations to achieve agreed upon objectives.
JCCV president Daniel Aghion said, “The Jewish community has so much to thank the Indigenous community for as we are new arrivals on their ancient land. As two ancient civilisations, we have so much in common and so much to learn from each other.”
He said he hopes the project will allow the two communities “to partner together in a meaningful way and to help both our communities”.
Stand Up CEO Courtney Winter-Peters said the theme of this year’s NAIDOC week, ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’, “speaks to the heart of what we do”.
“We are about educating, inspiring and mobilising the Jewish community to take action in relation to social justice,” she said.
Stand Up recently facilitated a group of year 10 students in the King David School Derech leadership program, which included a 12-week journey to broaden the context of what it means to be a leader through the lens of First Nations justice and truth-telling.
The survey of current initiatives underway in the Jewish community will be sent to all JCCV affiliate organisations in July. All affiliates are encouraged to participate in the survey.
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