Adelaide personnel gather to 'hold onto hope' for reconciliation journey
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- 3 min read
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
The Salvation Army in Adelaide yesterday launched National Reconciliation Week with events at Ingle Farm Corps and Divisional Headquarters (DHQ).
The All In for Reconciliation Breakfast at Ingle Farm was hosted by the Youth Engagement team, with Youth Engagement Manager Celeste Lewis and Youth Participation Lead Zoe Lewis organising for the group to watch a portion of the National Reconciliation Week Breakfast held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, as well as short addresses by Social Mission State Manager Michelle McGeachie and Divisional Commander Captain Scott Frame.
Later in the day, the DHQ Reconciliation Event was hosted by Maria Anderson, Divisional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Coordinator SA/NT. Staff and personnel from across the division gathered for a Reconciliation service and morning tea. The Acknowledgement of Country was given by Executive Assistant Meredith Watson.
Maria spoke of two men who, despite coming from different backgrounds, represented similar hearts for justice, compassion and humanity – William Booth and William Cooper. She reflected on the three things William Booth believed in: soup, soap and salvation.
“That's all it was,” she said. “In Alice Springs, this is exactly what I witnessed. Soup, soap and salvation with the work that we were doing at the Waterhole.
“And I went, ‘wow, this is how simple it is’. Meeting people's practical needs while also bringing hope, dignity and love. He dedicated his life to standing beside those society often overlooked.”
She then spoke of how William Cooper, a proud Yorta Yorta man, grew up during a time when Aboriginal people experienced discrimination, dispossession and control over their lives. She then told of how Cooper became one of Australia’s strongest Aboriginal advocates for justice and equality.
“As he grew older, he saw the unfair treatment Aboriginal people faced and refused to stay silent. He organised petitions calling for Aboriginal representatives to be in parliament, to talk about equal rights and better treatment for First Nations people. At a time when Aboriginal voices were rarely heard, William Cooper stood with courage and dignity,” Maria said.
Maria said one of Cooper’s most remarkable acts was leading a protest against the persecution of Jewish people in 1938.
“Even while his own people were suffering injustice, he stood up for others experiencing oppression. This showed the depth of his compassion and humanity.
“Although these two men lived in different worlds, they shared so much in common. Both saw suffering around them and choose not to walk away from it. Both believed each person had value and dignity, both challenge injustice and inspired people to care for others in a practical and meaningful way.
“These stories remind us that reconciliation is not about words. It's about action. It's about listening deeply, walking together, sharing, standing for truth and caring for one another with respect and compassion. So may we continue to build bridges of understanding, learn from one another and create a future where all people can walk together in unity and hope.”
Captain Scott Frame spoke at the DHQ service about how if The Salvation Army and its people were going to do the reconciliation journey really well, they were going to honour history, hear people’s hearts and hold onto hope.
“Those three things really mean a lot to me,” he said.
He spoke about the challenges of honouring history in a nation where many people did not want to acknowledge the harms which had been done toward Indigenous Australians, and how yarning circles could make a huge difference in enabling people from all backgrounds to hear each other’s voices and perspectives. He honoured the resilience of Indigenous Australians who had faced so much grief and loss both in the past and in recent times, and how they demonstrated how to keep going when it felt like nothing would change. He also spoke of the power of being “little agents of change” who, instead of doing anything magnificent, simply made small choices to foster reconciliation in their lives and roles.
“What do we do?” Scott asked the crowd. “We hold onto hope. We keep believing that something can be different, and that we can be part of seeing that happen. I urge all of you to continue to be on that journey and to hold onto hope, because we can't rely on governments and big answers out there. We've got to rely on the good-heartedness of all of the people of this nation to bring this about, and I have that hope in my heart and that sense that it can make a difference.”
