Australian Sporting Network: Joint Reconciliation Statement

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) encourages us to acknowledge the past, practice truth-telling, and pave the way for a future built on mutual respect, equality and understanding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Every Australian stands to gain from a sporting culture that embraces our shared histories, actively promotes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their vibrant living cultures, and honours their accomplishments.

Sport holds a profound capacity to advance reconciliation and reduce inequality. We acknowledge that through collaborative efforts, sport can significantly enhance their contribution to the reconciliation process.

This NRW, the theme is Now More Than Ever.

It serves as a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is an enduring commitment for all Australians.

Now More Than Ever underscores the challenges persistent in Australia’s reconciliation journey and should encourage us all to strengthen our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Since 2021 Australian Sport leaders – the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Commonwealth Games Australia, and the National Institute Network – has come together to issue a collective statement outlining its shared commitment to taking substantive steps in advancing reconciliation efforts.

Building upon the Networks 2022 commitment to reconciliation through the Connection to Country Statement, in April 2024, Australia’s High Performance (HP) system released the 2032+ Strategy’s Connection to Country Action Plan.

This document was developed by the Strategy’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group to provide practical advice to HP organisations to establish comprehensive programs to enhance their Connection to Country.

Our aspiration is that the HP System will come to be characterised by environments and people that are connected to and deliberately include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their cultures, histories, and communities. Our people will have learnt from storytelling, be culturally aware, behave with integrity, and be accountable to enhance their Connection to Country.

We commit to reviewing our progress and sharing this year-on-year.Unified in purpose, we commit to taking bold and substantial strides toward persistent reconciliation. As a collective force within the Australian sporting sector, our actions aim to enrich the experiences of all involved in sports, which will strengthen and uplift all Australian communities.