MIAT NEWS

THE NATIONAL CONGESS OF AUSTRALIA’S FIRST PEOPLES

MIAT supports the work of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and encourages people to become Friends of the Congress. The application form to become a Friend is on line at: http://nationalcongress.com.au/friends-of-congress/

A BEAUTIFUL GRACE

It is the tradition of the Beecroft Forum to have a Grace said before each Dinner. This is the Grace given by Sarah Hogan, a student at Mount St Benedict College, before the Dinner where Dr Jackie Huggins was Guest Speaker:

God of all people, we remember those who were the first to walk on this ancient land of dreaming. We remember with gratitude their deep knowledge of the land and its mysterious ways. We remember with gratitude their care and their nurture of it. We remember with pain the actions of those who took possession of this land through violence, through destruction and devastation. We acknowledge with pain the legacy of dispossession, the profaning of the sacred, the diminishing of life and the failure to provide justice in this prosperous and privileged nation. We recognise the courage of these first people who have survived, who have gained strength and found voice and who now call us all into a partnership of reconciliation and recognition. As we share this meal tonight we give thanks for the gift of the land which provides us with the food to nourish us and the drink to sustain us. May our gathering allow each of us to take another step in ensuring that the prosperity we enjoy is shared generously with all people. Amen