From our consultants in Broome and Townsville to our largest office in Melbourne, Nous staff across Australia are this week celebrating National Reconciliation Week as an opportunity to learn about and engage with our shared histories, cultures and achievements.

Tim Orton, founder and managing director of Nous Group, noted the importance of the theme for this year’s NRW, “Grounded in Truth: Walk Together with Courage”.

“This theme recognises that the goal of reconciliation is to foster positive relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the broader Australian community,” Tim said. “This journey must be grounded in a foundation of truth.”

To celebrate the week, each Nous office will engage with local activities. Nous is pleased to host Craig Ritchie, the head of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), who will deliver a presentation that will be transmitted across all offices. We are also excited to host acclaimed Torres Strait Island dance troupe Gerib Sik, which will present an interactive performance in our Melbourne office.

Nous’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group is active in all offices.

“Through our project work we are influencing policies affecting Indigenous people and communities at all levels,” said Cameron McBroom, a Consultant who is Wongai Yamatji from Western Australia. “Our ever-increasing work in Northern Australian communities gives us unique expertise in this space. We can see the benefits of our work on the ground and in people’s lives.”

“Nous is committed to implementing our recently refreshed Indigenous Employment Strategy to attract more talented employees to our workplace, and to benefit Nous by creating a more diverse workplace,” said Stephanie Milione, a Senior Consultant from Melbourne. “We seek to increase cultural understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and achievements in Nous.”

Nous has a long history of working collaboratively with Indigenous communities across Australia. Our RAP contains steps we are taking to:

• build relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities
• foster respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, cultures and history, inside and outside of Nous, and
• create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, through employment at Nous, associateships and purchasing goods and services from Aboriginal-owned businesses.

Our recent work includes developing a service delivery model with a remote community in Napranum, Queensland, a new Youth Engagement Strategy that connects with disengaged young people in the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia, and developing a roadmap for Indigenous health research across Australia.

In January Nous was honoured for its work supporting Indigenous interns by CareerTrackers, which gave Nous a Most Valued Partner Award for 2019. We also work in partnership with Indigenous Professional Services to deliver projects that empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

 Nous Principal Robert Griew and AIATSIS head Craig Ritchie spoke to Nous staff from Canberra.