In 2009 the Government of Australia declared its support for the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Office of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement endorses the declaration and in particular Article 15 (1) recognising that Indigenous Peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations and strives to ensure that these rights are appropriately reflected in education and public information.
Observing the Articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ‘as a standard of achievement to be pursued in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect’, the Office of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement recognises Indigenous Peoples as sovereign peoples with rights to the affirmation of their cultural, spiritual and social development. In recognising and practicing these rights, we aim for excellence in our governance, teaching, research, student support and community service to provide meaningful outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples’ engagement with Flinders University.
To achieve our aims, we are guided by and apply important values at every possible opportunity – in our work, in our relationships, in our working environment and with our Communities for whom our effort is conducted and is relevant.
The name Yunggorendi (now used by Yunggorendi Student Engagement), was given to us by Kaurna people, traditional owners of the lands and waters on which the Bedford Park campus of Flinders University is situated. The values by which we conduct our affairs are framed from our name and core purpose – ‘to impart knowledge, to communicate, to inform’ in and through higher education:
- Respect - for First Nations Peoples’ knowledge systems.
- Commitment - to ourselves and others to explore and define the depths of knowledge locally and globally, to enable us to re-enrich ourselves, to know who we are, to know where we came from and to claim our place in the future.
- Empowerment – of the descendants of Indigenous Australian people to claim and develop their cultural heritage and to broaden and enhance their knowledge base so as to be able to face with confidence and dignity the challenges of the future.
- Reciprocity - as a guiding principle of sovereignty, reconciliation and nation-building.
- Inclusiveness - of the aspirations of our students, staff and Communities for the purposes of positive transformation of Indigenous social, political and economic life and well-being.
- Collaboration – in culturally safe environments to serve the needs of Indigenous peoples, their Communities and the broader community.
- Interconnectedness – by recognising that our collective future involves connectedness, relatedness and synergies, where sharing and trust are critical to pathways by which knowledge and understanding within, between and across communities of interest can be fostered.
- Integrity - through transparency, commitment and high standards.
- Generosity of spirit – through a desire to share joy, knowledge and insights with others.
- Creativity – by drawing upon human and non-human spirit, emotion, intellect and physical capability to find solutions, seize upon opportunities and create gifts for the world.
