Our Reconciliation Action Plan
8/2/2023
We’re committed to listening and learning from First Nations peoples to support reconciliation in Australia. Since 2019, we have partnered with First Nations organisation, Children’s Ground and donated $92,204 (and counting!), but it’s time for us to do more.
This month we launched our own Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), joining a network of over 2,400 organisations in taking meaningful action to advance reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
We’re on a journey of reflection and we’re here to take you with us. Here’s how we’re taking positive steps towards reconciling our nation. But first, let’s get into what reconciliation is about.
Who Is Reconciliation Australia?
Established in 2001, Reconciliation Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that is the leading body for driving and implementing reconciliation across Australia. At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.
Reconciliation is an ongoing journey. While generations of Australians have fought hard for meaningful change, unequal opportunity for First Nations peoples is still widespread. It’s going to take the same (if not more) effort from all Australians, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to live a quality life not determined by racial background.
We want to be involved and take important steps forward in the national reconciliation movement, and here’s how Reconciliation Australia is helping us.
What Is A Reconciliation Action Plan?
Reconciliation Australia provides a framework that assists businesses to continuously develop their reconciliation commitments. This is called a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
There are four different types of RAPs that an organisation can develop: Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. Each type is designed to suit each organisation at different stages of its reconciliation journey.
We’re starting with Reflect. This RAP is the starting point for all businesses, providing clear guidance on developing reconciliation initiatives.
Our RAP sets out our goals for the next 18 months based on the core pillars of Relationships, Respect, Opportunities, and Governance.
Why Is Our Reconciliation Plan So Important To Us?
As an Australian-born business, our RAP is an important step in working towards a better future. We know that just acknowledging First Nations peoples is not enough.
Reconciliation for us means being authentic and aligning our actions with our core values to create meaningful connections between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and all Australians for a prosperous future, free from inequality.
Featured throughout our RAP, you’ll find the beautiful artwork “Nungalgiri Gwong Gubunga” created by Bundjalung artist Brad Turner, which was showcased on our Hornbill 2 sneakers in 2022. Brad first began his art practice as a way for himself and his daughter to learn more about their people, their culture and their traditions.
We’re committed to reflecting, learning, and transforming our goals and identity as we incorporate pillars of reconciliation into our business plan.
Our RAP
To drive change within our company, we chose four Bared values to act as the foundations of developing our RAP.
Question everything
Question the status quo and change it for the better.
Be empowered and empower
Feel confident to make the right call to improve our practices and mindset.
Think planet
Embrace the triple bottom line: balancing profit, people, and planet.
Let’s get real
To be authentic and act with integrity.
The initial stage of our RAP talks about using our sphere of influence. As a company, our sphere expands to suppliers, boards, charity partners, customers and our broader Bared community. We also have over 175 employees who each have their own sphere of influence. By developing a RAP, we can use this influence to advance the goals of reconciliation.
We intend to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander procurement and employment opportunities and to improve our processes to ensure our workplace is culturally safe and respectful. We also aim to provide opportunities for our staff to learn and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
View our full RAP here.
We Support Reconciliation
We want to support the voice and ambition of First Nation peoples. There is so much we can learn from the world's oldest living culture and we are committed to doing so. We can’t wait to share our reconciliation achievements throughout the year. Stay tuned!
