Reconciliation Action Plans
As architects and designers, you are built environment experts and need to be culturally competent in understanding what it means to build on the land a client presents to you. All land in Australia has historical and indigenous significance, and it’s up to you to know how to sensitively manage this process.
A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a way companies can formalize their commitment to strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. It is a formal agreement, or blueprint, based on a template provided by Reconciliation Australia with actionable goals under the pillars of respect, relationships, opportunities and governance.
It is a stepped process that cannot be achieved overnight, it requires a long-term commitment, allowing for genuine learning, growth and education over many years. This ensures that the process is active and actually provides a platform for Indigenous history, culture and peoples to be uplifted in our built environment and beyond.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in implementing in your practice, Samantha Rich recently wrote an extensive and very helpful article on ArchitectureAU about, where to start, what to watch out for and why a RAP might be right for you.
Why RAP? Implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan by Samantha Rich.
Has your practice thought about implementing a RAP and if you have, wow have you found the process?
