The Australian Dream Reconciliation Quotes

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Chosen Prompt: Explain how reconciliation has evolved over time and what are the current challenges in achieving meaningful reconciliation. The Australian Dream is a documentary released in 2019 directed by Daniel Gordon and written by Stan Grant, an Australian journalist, commentator and author. It centres around Adam Goodes, a former professional AFL player and prominent advocate for Indigenous Australians. A key topic within the documentary is reconciliation, which is about building and strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Goodes’ story allows him to underscore not only the prevalence of discrimination against Indigenous Australians, but also the need for societal reform through reconciliation. This …show more content…

Furthermore, as a well-known public figure with a large influence, his stories act as a catalyst towards encouraging others to speak up about racial vilification. For example, in 2014 Goodes was nominated for Australian of the Year, a title he only accepted because “it would be a fantastic platform to talk about racism on a national level”. He stated that “I believe racism is a community issue, which we all need to address and that is why racism stops with me.” This makes his strong resolve towards ending racism known and also serves as a call to action, emphasising how racism is a collective issue that everybody must play a role in stopping. Nova Peris echoes this idea, saying “We’ve got an inherent responsibility and we’re gonna talk about the past, we’re gonna talk about the intergenerational trauma that’s passed down, we’re gonna talk about the pain.” This usage of anaphora (“we’re gonna”) further cements this idea that racism is a problem that everyone must work together to solve by openly addressing it and facing uncomfortable truths. Goodes’ impact can be summarised by a quote by Stan Grant, stating “What’s been remarkable about this story, is that a new space has been opened up. I can feel it. I hear it everywhere. There’s a space to find each other. And Adam helped create that space.” The “new space” he refers to metaphorically symbolises how Goodes’ actions have helped break stigma around speaking up against discrimination and allowed for it to be something people can openly discuss and communicate about. Therefore, Goodes’ strong public stances against racism promote societal reform and reconciliation through more open conservation of racism and challenging discriminatory

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