Hi folks,
Welcome to my two reflections from Friday 28 and Friday 21 June.
For Friday 21st June, my reflection continues our focus on the space between National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. “Now more than ever we will keep the fire burning”. Today also picks up the theme of Solstice – our longest night in Australia.
Cultivating Resilience and Hope
To keep the fire burning, now more than ever we need to cultivate collective cultures of resilience and hope. The solstice represents nature’s turning point that can offer us collective cultures of hope. We’ve made it through the longest night. From now on, every day gets longer and every night becomes shorter. The solstice represents a pivot point and changing seasons.
Pivot Points: Personal, Collective, and Systemic Personal Reflection and Goals
Pivot points can be personal, collective, or at a broad system level. At a personal level, I encourage you to re-visit your New Year commitments. Take a look at what you determined to be your goals and the pathways you’ve made since then. Use the natural pivot point of the solstice to re-connect you with your path through the year. This time I encourage you to ask yourself, how am I using this time to keep the fires burning to address right relations with First Nations in Australia?
Collective Wisdom and Natural Harmony
At a collective level, I recently heard one of my colleagues share wisdom about paying more attention to the natural environment and living in relationship to the country. This means thinking seasonally according to the natural environment, and not according to the imposed calendar determining start and end dates. We can use the natural pivot point of the solstice to collectively acknowledge our mid-point, carry any hardships together, and look towards the changes coming. Let’s encourage each other that now is the time to make changes in our relationship with the natural environment. Let’s explore what we can do to live more attuned with First Nations seasonal perspectives.
Broad Systemic Change and Our Role
At a broader systemic level, earlier this year (during the 21 Ways in 21 Days series) we reflected on the idea of embracing ourselves as being the “current pivotal generations in shaping Australia”. We can embrace holding ourselves as generations who have practiced coming through the longest nights and pressing on towards the changing seasons. We can take the despairs and hopes of our current times and now more than ever, keep the fire burning for improved and lasting change. I encourage you to join with me, and many others, in making our generations pivotal in our national relationships between the First Peoples and all the peoples of this land.
Be encouraged and encourage others.
Mark YP
