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National Reconciliation Week 2023 Breakfast

Thank you for being part of this landmark National Reconciliation Week event.

If you are enagaging with social media today the week’s hashtags are:

#NRW2023 #BeAVoice #Reconciliation

More info about National Reconciliation Week.

Program

8:00 Welcome to Country: Paul Girrawah House
Welcome and event overview: MC John Paul Janke
Be a Voice for Generations: Our time is now: Address from Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine

8:30 Djinama Yilaga Choir
Walawaani – by Shakeela Uta
From Little Things Big Things Grow – by Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly
Our Way – written by Djinama Yiliga, music by Dr Lou Bennett.

8:40 Hot breakfast served

9:10 Panel discussion: Narelda Jacobs with panelists Aunty Geraldine Atkinson, Craig Foster and Semara Jose.

10:00 Djinama Yilaga Choir closing
Yana Yana Yana – written by South Coast Yuin Choir music by Dr Lou Bennett
Ulladulla – written by Maria Walker music by Dr Lou Bennett
Take me Back – written and melody by Cheryl Davison.
10:10 Event close

Today's voices

Paul Girrawah House

Paul Girrawah House has multiple First Nation ancestries from the South-East Canberra region, including the Ngambri-Ngurmal (Walgalu), Pajong (Gundungurra), Wallabollooa (Ngunnawal) and Erambie/Brungle (Wiradyuri) family groups.

John Paul Janke

John Paul Janke is from Wuthathi Country on Eastern Cape York Peninsula and from Mer (Murray) Island in Zenadth Kes; the Torres Strait. He has worked as a journalist and media specialist in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs for nearly three decades.

Karen Mundine

Karen Mundine is from the Bundjalung Nation of northern NSW. As CEO of Reconciliation Australia, she brings to the role more than 25 years’ experience leading community engagement, public advocacy, communications and social marketing campaigns.

Djinama Yilaga

The Djinama Yilaga Choir is an intergenerational Yuin choir, establish in 2019 and led by renowned Walbunga/Ngarigo artist, Cheryl Davison. Djinama Yilaga perform songs in Dhurga language.

Narelda Jacobs

Narelda Jacobs is a Whadjuk Noongar journalist, presenter and commentator. Her career at Network 10 has spanned more than two decades, starting in the Perth newsroom in 2000 before heading to Sydney in January 2020 to co-host Studio 10 and present 10 News First Perth.

Aunty Geraldine Atkinson

Geraldine Atkinson is a proud Bangerang/Wiradjuri woman and Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. She was elected to the Assembly in November 2019 as a candidate from the North East Region.

Craig Foster

Former Socceroo, Broadcaster, Adjunct Professor, Sport & Social Responsibility, Author, Human Rights Activist Craig works across a vast range of social programs including indigenous rights and self-determination and refugee advocacy.

Semara Jose

Semara Jose is a proud Gudjula, Eastern-Kuku Yalanji and Darnley Island woman, born and raised in Cairns – Gimuy. She is the co-founder and chairperson for Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation.

AUSLAN Interpreters

We acknowledge and thank today’s AUSLAN interpreters Zane Hema and Tiana C.

About the flowers

Today’s floral arrangements have been provided by Jameson Flowers and will be donated to participants of the Gulaga Program after this morning’s breakfast.

Gulaga employs Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers and aims to provide better engagement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and their families to access the services that will best meet their needs.

Acknowledgement

Reconciliation Australia acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have since passed away.

Get in touch

Old Parliament House
King George Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600
PO box 4773, Kingston ACT 2604
Ph: 02 6153 4400

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Paul Girrawah House

Paul acknowledges his diverse First Nation history, he particularly identifies as a descendant of Onyong aka Jindoomang from Weereewaa (Lake George) and Henry ‘Black Harry’ Williams from Namadgi who were both multilingual, essentially Walgalu-Ngunnawal-Wiradjuri speaking warriors and Ngunnawal–Wallaballooa man William Lane aka ‘Billy the Bull’ - Murrjinille.

Paul was born at the old Canberra hospital in the centre of his ancestral country and strongly acknowledges his First Nation matriarch ancestors, in particular his mother Dr Aunty Matilda House-Williams and grandmother, Ms Pearl Simpson-Wedge.

Paul completed a Bachelor of Community Management from Macquarie University, and Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage and Management from CSU.

Paul provided the Welcome to Country for the 47th Opening of Federal Parliament in 2022. Paul is Board Director, Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council, Member Indigenous Reference Group, National Museum of Australia and Australian Government Voice Referendum Engagement Group.  

Paul works on country with the ANU, First Nations Portfolio as a Senior Community Engagement Officer

John Paul Janke

John Paul Janke is from Wuthathi Country on Eastern Cape York Peninsula and from Mer (Murray) Island in Zenadth Kes; the Torres Strait.

He is the co-owner of Rork Projects, a national Indigenous construction company servicing the corporate and government sectors.

He is also the co-host of SBS/NITV’s flagship Indigenous news and current affairs show ‘The Point’, host of NITV’s annual Jan 26 programming and is a guest host of SBS’ INSIGHT program.
He is also a radio presenter on ABC Radio Canberra.

He has previously worked as a journalist and media specialist in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs for nearly three decades.

John Paul is Deputy Chair of the National Museum of Australia’s Indigenous Reference Group and a Member of the National Basketball League (NBL) RAP Working Group.

He has previously sat on the Diversity Council of Australia’s Expert Advisory Panel, was the Deputy Chair of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, an Ambassador for the Mayi Kuwayu Study and was the Co-Chair of the National NAIDOC Committee.

Karen Mundine

CEO

Karen Mundine is from the Bundjalung Nation of northern NSW. As the CEO at Reconciliation Australia, Ms Mundine brings to the role more than 25 years’ experience leading community engagement, public advocacy, communications and social marketing campaigns. An architect of the landmark Australian Reconciliation Barometer, Ms Mundine works with governments, the business sector and civil society to advocate for change and is currently a member of the Australian Government’s Referendum Engagement Group.

Over the course of her career, she has been instrumental in some of Australia’s watershed national events including the Apology to the Stolen Generations, Centenary of Federation commemorations, Corroboree 2000 and the 1997 and 2021 Australian Reconciliation Conventions.

Ms Mundine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and was the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Australian UTS Alumni Award. In 2023 she was declared the National Winner of the Australian Awards for Excellence in Women’s Leadership.

She is a Company Director of Gondwana Choirs, Sydney Festival, the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC), and Australians for Constitutional Recognition, and is a Member of Chief Executive Women.

Previous roles include: Director, Mary Mackillop Foundation; Deputy Chief Executive and General Manager Communication and Engagement, Reconciliation Australia; Senior Consultant, CPR Communications; and senior public affairs and communications roles with federal government departments including Prime Minister and Cabinet, Communications IT & the Arts, Health and Ageing, and Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Djinima Yilaga Choir

The Djinama Yilaga Choir is an intergenerational Yuin choir, establish in 2019 and led by renowned Walbunga/Ngarigo artist, Cheryl Davison.

Djinama Yilaga perform songs in Dhurga language.

Yuin people were often multi-lingual, speaking and understanding languages of neighbouring and visiting groups. Dhurga was spoken and understood by many within the 13 tribes of the Yuin Nation. It was the dominant tongue of the Walbunga people of the Broulee region and the Brindja Yuin people of Moruya.

The choir emerged as a mechanism to revitalise language through song, following a unique pedagogy established by Westpac scholar, Dr Lou Bennett AM. The community led project, supported by Dr Lou Bennett was initially funded by the National Museum of Australia and Four Winds,Bermagui.

The choir members are based on the NSW South Coast in Bega, Bermagui, Wallaga Lake and other communities.

The choir has just returned from a series of performances in Poland; they sang yesterdat at ACT Reconciliation Day, and on Saturday at the Cootamundra Girls Sorry Day in Sydney.

Narelda Jacons

Narelda is currently a co-host of Studio 10 and presenter of the one-hour national news bulletin 10 News First: Midday.

Narelda is an NITV and SBS regular, co-hosting The Point, Going Places with Ernie Dingo and the network’s January 26 coverage.

She co-hosted Sydney Mardi Gras with SBS from 2019-2021 and has appeared on The Project, Insiders, Q+A and The Drum.

Narelda is a sought-after MC, moderator and speaker, appearing on stages and airwaves across Australia with Prime Ministers, international leaders and humanitarian advocates.

Narelda cohosts the podcast ‘456 Club’ and is a regular guest host for Mamamia Podcasts.

Narelda is passionate about promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and is on the board of the National Justice Project.

She is on Football Australia’s National Indigenous Advisory Group and is a Legacy ‘23 Ambassador for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Narelda is an ambassador of The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, Motor Neurone Disease Association WA, WA Aboriginal Leadership Institute, The Pinnacle Foundation and Deadly Science, and was a Rainbow Champion for Sydney World Pride 2023

Aunty Geraldine Atkinson

For over 40 years, Geraldine has been instrumental in driving government and policy reform in Aboriginal education. From starting in the field as an Aboriginal teacher’s aide in 1976, Geraldine moved forward to become the President of the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI), a role she has held since 1999.

In that role she represents the organisation on Koorie education matters across all education sectors: early childhood, school education, and post compulsory education and training.

Geraldine obtained a Bachelor of Education from Deakin University in 2013 and went on to obtain her Masters of Education in 2019. In early 2020, her leadership in Aboriginal education was further recognised with the awarding of a Deakin University Honorary Doctorate Award.

Beyond the field of education, Geraldine has been a strong voice in areas such as justice, reconciliation and family violence. Achievements in those areas include

Member of the Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum on the development of the StrongCulture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families: towards a safer future for Indigenous families and communities 10year plan (2008).
Signatory to Victorian Government’s Burra Lotjpa Dungaludga (“Senior Leaders Talking Strong”) – The Aboriginal Justice Agreement Phase 4 (2019).
Inducted in the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Role (2018).

“Treaty is about moving forward with an ever-strengthening voice, ensuring we take leadership in any decision-making that impacts on our communities, and always maintaining connection to, and integrity of, culture.”

Craig Foster

Following a decorated football career as Australia’s 419th Socceroo and 40th Captain, Craig Foster has become one of Australia’s most respected sportspeople as a broadcaster, social justice advocate and human rights campaigner. Craig is also the NSW Australian of the Year 2023.

Craig represented Australia in the junior National Team at age 15 in the first FIFA Under 16 World Cup in China, 1985 where he was selected in the FIFA Team of the Tournament. He would later go on to represent Australia at senior level on 29 occasions including as Captain.

Following retirement, he quickly became one of Australia’s most respected sports broadcasters with an 18-year, triple Logie-winning career with Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as part of The World Game (TWG) team which included five FIFA World Cups and four FIFA Women’s World Cups as well as the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League and domestic competitions. Today, Craig covers the UEFA Champions League for Stan Sport Australia.

Craig’s passionate commentary for the 2005 World Cup qualification playoff match against Uruguay at Australia Stadium, Sydney stands as one of the sport’s most iconic broadcast moments and, along with Australia’s Round of 16 match against Italy in 2006 and the Russia World Cup 2018, was celebrated with a Logie for Most Outstanding Sport Coverage.

Semara Jose

Semara is a proud Gudjula, Eastern-Kuku Yalanji and Darnley Island woman, born and raised in Cairns – Gimuy. She is the co-founder and chairperson for Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation.

With a passion for youth leadership development, she empowers young people to create change for themselves, their families and their communities.

Semara, is proudly the youngest board member at Wuchopperen Health Service, the co-chair of the inaugural King & Wood Mallesons Youth Voice Councill and a self-proclaimed “Deadly Dancer”.

Semara strives to leave a legacy of strength, action and “proppa good” humour for the next generations of empowered, deadly young leaders.

Acknowledgement of Country

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website contains images or names of people who have passed away.