Australia has been taking a few serious steps towards its treatment of aboriginal people and trying to make amends and find common grounds for everyone to co-exist in peace. They have starts a workshop and The ‘Culture and Identity’ Workshop will be aiming to instill confidence and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and provides strategies for combatting feelings of shame.
Wavell Heights State High School student Ebony stated that the workshop allowed her to connect with her peers over their shared culture. “Coming to the Beyond the Broncos workshops gets me out of my comfort zone and get to know everyone a little bit more. It’s nice to be in a safe space like this,” she said.
Similarly, Wavell student Reese made the comment that she loved feeling safe and supported during the workshop. Ali Brigginshaw and Scott Prince headed to the Cavendish Road Workshop, where students gave rave reviews.
Jack said he very much enjoyed gaining a deeper understanding of Aboriginal history and Torres Strait Islander history. He further went on to make the comment that “I didn’t know about Stolen Wages, and I’m glad the Ambassadors spoke about the QATSIF Scholarships because I didn’t know about that either, so I’ll definitely be looking into it,”
Scott Prince made the comment that the workshop is a great opportunity for Mentoring students to become more confident in their culture and their own identity. “We have seen how Beyond the Broncos programs benefit students, and this workshop really dives into how students can be proud of their culture and who they are,” he said.
These workshops would really help the younger generation to get in touch with their ancestors and be proud of who they are. This would also help greatly in the development of peace within the country. There has been so much underlying tension because of the treatment of aborigines in Australia that this is a great first step to take.
