Secondment establishes meaningful connections with remote communities
4 February 2022
One of the key objectives of our ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan is to increase understanding, value and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and rights through cultural learning.
In 2021, GESB participated in the Jawun Secondment Program. This professional development opportunity is offered to executive level public sector staff to advance cultural awareness and understanding with a six-week secondment in an Indigenous organisation. In Western Australia, participants are sent to locations in the East or West Kimberley region.
Our Key Account Manager, Brian Smith, spent his time in Broome with the Kimberley Land Council and the Yawuru People, who are the traditional owners of Broome and its surrounding areas.
‘I’ve been given the tools, understanding and cultural knowledge to put my professional and personal skills to use helping support these incredible communities.’
- Brian Smith
Partnering with Aboriginal organisations to create positive change
Jawun means ‘friend’ or ‘family’ in the language of the Kuku Yalanji people of Queensland and reflects the partnership focus of the national secondment program.
Fifty-eight people from around Australia participated in late 2021. Brian was one of seven participants assigned to the West Kimberley, alongside employees from Curtin University, Woodside, RAC and the WA Government.
Participants were introduced to a number of Indigenous-led organisations including the Kimberley Land Council, Nayamba Buru Yawuru and Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation and participated in a range of activities, including workshops, training and community experiences with locals in Broome and surrounding areas. This immersed them in the language, culture and histories of the Yawuru and Karrajarri peoples.
Attending several Annual General Meetings of local Indigenous organisations also gave the participants the opportunity to listen, learn and experience the challenges and opportunities for regional Aboriginal communities.
Jawun participants with Broome locals Wodj and Scott.
Skills transfer vital to organisational development
Brian was assigned to the Kimberley Land Council (KLC), an organisation established in 1978 to support Aboriginal groups in claiming native title and in long-term economic development.
Brian worked with the KLC’s Land and Sea Management Unit. He was tasked with helping the Sea and Land Management Unit develop their field manual, ensuring they meet their occupational health and safety, insurance, and governance requirements.
At the conclusion of the six-week program, he had constructed a Safety Management System for the unit to build on and ensure that their staff are working safely.
‘A Jawun secondment is a unique, intense and incredibly positive experience,’ Brian said. ‘It isn’t without its challenges, but they are all far outweighed by the good work you are doing, the networks you build and the friendships you make.’
‘The importance of the skills transfer offered by Jawun at the KLC and the various other Indigenous-led organisations is vital to the development and their long-term independence.’
Brian left Broome with the knowledge that his work engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was not over.
‘The challenging, thought-provoking and rewarding experiences have left a profound impression on me,’ he said.
Jawun participants at the end of their six-week secondment.
More information
- Read our 'Innovate ' Reconciliation Action Plan
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