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Adrian Fisk and his team at KPMG have been
involved with The Glen via secondments since
early 2013. Adrian also supports The Glen as an
adviser to its board. He reflected that the Jawun
partnership allowed for long-term
community
investment
. ‘We saw the benefit of using
secondments and continuing to support a key
organisation over the long term, not just six weeks.’
For many organisations, their commitment to
CSR is reflected in a
Reconciliation Action Plan
(RAP), a tool to help translate good intentions
towards reconciliation into action. In providing
a framework for organisations to engage with
Indigenous communities on the ground, Jawun
helps corporates and government agencies convert
their RAP ideals into tangible activities. Cameron
Roan, Partner at KPMG, explained:
The Jawun program makes our RAP very real.
A RAP is written on a piece of paper, but how
do you make it real? Jawun is an organisation
that KPMG has a strong connection with, and it
means we can articulate what we have actually
done, what value we have added to community.
Jawun is one of the initiatives to showcase
the impact we’re making in Australia, which is
directly aligned to our purpose which is to inspire
confidence and empower change.
Jodie Symes, Community Engagement Consultant
at Allens, said the Jawun program illustrates to
employees the genuine and tangible commitment
of the firm towards reconciliation:
At induction, all staff are told about our RAP and
that includes the Jawun program. We invariably
have a lot of lawyers asking about Jawun. They
tend to come in with an interest in social justice—
they want to know they’re coming to work for a
place that actually has a real commitment, rather
than just paying lip service.
Siobhan Toohill, Group Head of Sustainability at
Westpac, said Jawun enabled the organisation to
convert Westpac’s RAP goals into real, pragmatic
efforts: ‘Jawun is a flagship engagement program
for Westpac, accelerating the progress of
reconciliation throughout our business.’
Enhances stakeholder relations
Broaden organisational networks
Connection into communities
Touch points for clients
The Jawun partnership model facilitates real
and powerful connections between partner
organisations. Through living and working in
community, secondees form strong relationships
with Indigenous organisations and leaders, which
are often sustained long after the secondment
ends. Through Jawun’s Executive Visit program,
senior corporate and government executives
are given the opportunity to engage with and
Burraluba Yura Ngurra Workers Hostel in Halls Creek, East Kimberley, 2014.
Photo: David Rennie
44 JAWUN
2015 LEARNINGS AND INSIGHTS