Centacare has launched its Reconciliation Action Plan with a focus on cultural diversity and mutual respect.

The RAP encourages us to celebrate and embrace our cultural diversity by relating to one another through our similarities and talking openly about our differences.

Endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, the RAP was launched at Centacare’s service Expo, held yesterday at Morphettville Racecourse.

A charcoal portrait of acclaimed Aboriginal singer-songwriter, Archie Roach, by Ngarrindjeri artist, Damien Shen, was also installed at the event attended by more than 300 people.

Centacare purchased the drawing by silent auction at the National Reconciliation Week breakfast earlier this year, with proceeds of the sale donated to the Stolen Generations.

“Centacare is truly committed to reconciliation and I am very happy to launch our RAP and install this sketching which holds special meaning to us here,” Director Dale West said at the Expo.

The RAP’s front cover image is a painting by Ngarrindjeri artists and Centacare workers, Rosslyn Richards, Natasha Sumner, Lyn Lovegrove Niemz, and participants of the 2014 Family Relationships Services Australia Conference in Adelaide.

The artwork represents Ngarrindjeri fresh water source, the River Murray, Coorong.

At Centacare, we believe reconciliation should be a personal and value-based experience of all Australians, as we move towards respect for the lands, culture, heritage, languages and each other.

You can read the RAP here.

For more information about our Aboriginal Services, click here.