Stretch RAP marks one year of 'walking together' towards reconciliation
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
Today, the final day of National Reconciliation Week, marks Mabo Day. This day commemorates the life and work of Eddie Koiki Mabo, the courageous Torres Strait Islander man whose challenge to the High Court in 1992 led to the Native Title Act being passed in 1993. This day, and the week we have just had, act as a reminder to all Salvationists and Australians of the need to keep prioritising the journey toward reconciliation.
The Salvation Army’s Stretch RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) was launched one year ago during National Reconciliation Week 2025. Since then, Reconciliation Action Plan and Projects Manager Sue Hodges, along with other members of the Mission Portfolio and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministry Team, has rolled out a list of 127 deliverables for teams across The Salvation Army.
These deliverables are categorised according to relationships, respect, opportunities and governance, and are the responsibility of various members of leadership and department heads across the movement.
RAP progress
The first RAP deliverable to be completed in September 2025 was the launch of the RAP Applications, which is a place for Salvation Army personnel to register First Nations events, log progress on RAP commitments, capture and share local knowledge and undertake a Cultural Safety Checklist to ensure spaces are culturally safe.
In November, The Salvation Army also launched its Reconciliation Ally Guunung (Circle/Camp). These yarning circles provide a dedicated space for non-Indigenous personnel to continue learning, deepen allyship and actively contribute to the reconciliation journey. This now has 55 members and meets quarterly. The next meeting is on Thursday 9 July.
The Salvation Army has also established a RAP Working Group which consists of 14 members of senior leadership who meet quarterly to discuss the RAP progress according to the Terms of Reference.
Another commitment which is on track for 100 per cent completion by August 2027 is the reviewing and updating of cultural protocol resources to increase understanding of their purpose and significance, including Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country protocols. This has been led by Shirli Congoo, General Manager of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministry Team, and includes the following – a recently released, updated Acknowledgment of Country, filmed by the Salvos Studios team.
On Tuesday 19 May, Sue Hodges led a Yarning Circle with National Reconciliation Australia’s RAP Program Manager Gieta Seymour and Lynette Trau, RAP Officer, Development and Outreach at Reconciliation Australia. The Yarning Circle was timed to mark two important milestones – 25 years of Reconciliation, and 20 years of the Reconciliation Action Plan.
With 44 people registering to attend, 80 per cent of that number was present. This was the second yarning circle Sue facilitated this year, with the first occurring in March and featuring Katie Kiss, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.
There are four more yarning circles to come this year, with dates still to be finalised.
National Reconciliation Week
This National Reconciliation Week, every division and many corps have held their own events, with many hosting chapel services, morning teas, lunches or café gatherings. These included chapel services at Blackburn and Redfern offices, as well as a chapel service led by Divisional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Coordinator Maria Anderson at Divisional Headquarters in Adelaide.
Salvos Stores personnel with Sue Hodges (top right) and images from the Blackburn Reconciliation Week event. Images: Supplied
The Salvation Army’s Ringwood Corps from Victoria also recently appeared as part of a compilation of choirs across the nation singing Midnight Oil’s “Beds are Burning” to mark National Reconciliation Week. The corps were selected as part of 700 choir submissions, and can be seen at around the 2:50 mark in the video below.
A year on, Shirli Congoo has taken some time to reflect on the work that has happened so far, and the ways in which collaboration is driving the RAP’s progress within the movement.
Shirli's RAP reflection
Our team exists to walk alongside The Salvation Army in advancing reconciliation and growing cultural capability and confidence. Since the Stretch RAP was launched in 2026, we have seen a genuine desire – especially at the frontline – to engage more deeply, not only with the RAP, but also with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competency and Capability Framework (CCCF). This reflects a growing commitment to First Nations engagement, recruitment and retention, cultural learning and cultural safety.
Stretch RAPs invite organisations to move beyond intention into deeper action and accountability. We are encouraged by the way this is creating space across TSA for more honest conversations, stronger relationships, and a shared commitment to doing the work well.
Through the local mission delivery model, we walk alongside different parts of The Salvation Army that are seeking to live out holistic, integrated mission – supporting both spiritual and social transformation within communities.
The RAP includes a broad range of deliverables shared across many roles, functions, and leaders. Within this, our role is to support and enable, offering guidance, resources, and collaboration, while recognising that accountability sits across the organisation.
In our relationships across TSA, we contribute through cultural advice, advocacy, resource development and partnership. This helps strengthen culturally informed practice, deepen relationships, and support thoughtful, respectful decision-making beyond formal frameworks.
We are guided by cultural principles in how we show up – building trust, honouring First Nations voices and knowledge, and encouraging shared responsibility. This is lived out through topical Yarning Circles (online and face-to-face), On Country Cultural Immersions, National Working Groups, and the development of culturally grounded resources and learning.
This approach recognises that we do not carry all RAP and CCCF outcomes. Instead, we walk alongside others – supporting capability, encouraging consistency, and helping embed culturally informed ways of working across The Salvation Army.
The National Reconciliation Week theme, All In, reflects what we are seeing and what we are committed to: walking together, learning together, and taking shared responsibility for what comes next.
