REAIE advocates for the rights of all citizens, and acknowledges that for many First Nations and other Australians, January 26th is felt as a day of sorrow; a day of invasion and the first acts of dispossession.
As January 26th marks the date of the arrival of the first fleet in 1788, the pain of colonisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is acknowledged. As we grow and mature as a nation, and consider the full history of the country, we must question the impact this date has on First Nations Peoples. REAIE is committed to work towards a reconciled Australia and recognises the ongoing trauma the choice of January 26 as a day to celebrate. REAIE advocates to find a date which embraces the contribution every Australian makes to our contemporary and dynamic nation, leading from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have practiced culture continually for more than 65,000 years, and including those who have lived here for generations, and those who have come more recently from all corners of the globe, to call Australia home.
