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Why RAP? Implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan

The discussion article, written by Samantha Rich explores the Reconciliation Action Plan, a formal agreement based on the template provided by Reconciliation Australia with actionable goals. In this discussion, Samantha Rich explains the significant benefits of companies undertaking RAPs to formalise their commitment to strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. The article further explores the significant benefits of a RAP for architectural practice and what to watch out for when implementing one.

Wellington Project-Country, Spirit and Belonging, The Wiradjuri in Wellington Valley

Country, Spirit and Belonging: The Wiradjuri in Wellington Valley is a sixty-four-page newspaper–styled publication that centres on the history and community of Wellington, New South Wales and features contributions by and perspectives on the local Aboriginal community. The paper, an effort to record the historical narratives of the area, covers colonisation, reconciliation, complexities of cross-cultural engagement, censorship and community relationships

Walanga Wingara Mura Design Principles

A written document published by the University of Sydney. The document informs how institutions belong to Country and how they should approach designing and building on Country by outlining the principles three directives: Engaged Enquiry, Community of Practice and Mutual Accountability.

What is cultural safety and how do we design for it?

An article written by Dr Danièle Hromek exploring cultural safety in the built environment. The article explores the concept from a First Nations perspective and why it is imperative that designers understand cultural safety and consider it from project conception onwards.

White Fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism

White Fragility: Why is it so hard for white people to talk about racism? written by Dr Robin DiAngelo, explores the racialized victimhood white people experience when their assumptions about race are challenged and how this serves to maintain racial inequality. Dr Robin DiAngelo explores how the defensive moves and counterproductive reactions which are characterised as white fragility prevents meaningful cross-racial dialogue and protects racial inequality.

Valuing “Under the House”: Women’s Knowledge and the Architectural History of the Stumped Queensland House

The paper offers a gendered reading of the uses of “under the house” in the raised Queensland house and in contrast to emphasised material and climatic narratives, highlights the value women placed on the everyday use of interstitial housing space under the Queensland house “between the stumps” and beneath the floorboards. There is emphasis on the socio-cultural importance women placed on these informal housing spaces for domestic activities. The paper draws on Australian textual records, re-considers women’s occupation and the implications of this as a rereading of Queensland’s “vernacular” architecture.

Towards an Aboriginal Knowledge Place: Cultural Practices as a Pathway to Wellness in the Context of a Tertiary Hospital

The journal article, Towards an Aboriginal Knowledge Place: Cultural Practices as a Pathway to Wellness in the Context of a Tertiary Hospital, discusses the health of the Indigenous community in comparison to the non-Indigenous. In light of dire statistics, the article proposes a new framework in urban hospitals for Aboriginal young people and their families, embedding culture into assessment, formulation and treatment.

Transforming public housing in a federal context

The report focuses on public housing reform within multi-provider systems and complex governmental settings. It considers how four federated governments (United States (US), Canada, Germany and Austria) have managed the transformation of their social housing system so as to inform Australian approaches.

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