bankmecu's Vision for Reconciliation
bankmecu aims to become the pre-eminent responsible banking brand in Australia. Furthermore, bankmecu has made a commitment through a Sustainability Covenant with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria to pursue employee diversity.
To strengthen these endeavours, bankmecu wishes to pursue reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and other Australians through a partnership approach and a true spirit of cooperation. As a national organisation, we cannot have an appropriately diverse and representative workforce without the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and cannot contribute to diminishing inequality unless we commit to nation building through reconciliation.
We believe participating in the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program is the most appropriate way to pursue our contribution to the reconciliation process. bankmecu will identify and address those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues that align with our business niche of banking and financial literacy.
Our vision for reconciliation is for bankmecu to contribute to increasing awareness about reconciliation, while building our own capacity and that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities, and ultimately contribute to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
bankmecu's Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
bankmecu's RAP has been developed in collaboration with Reconciliation Australia (RA) to provide tangible actions for advancing the national effort to close the life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and other Australians. The RAP identifies clear actions and realistic targets to guide bankmecu in contributing to ‘closing the gap'.
bankmecu's RAP follows the guiding principles outlined by Reconciliation Australia. These guiding principles are:
- Relationships - building good relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Respect - building respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributions to Australia
- Opportunities - working to ensure equal opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
RAP Working Group
A Working Group has been formed within bankmecu to develop bankmecu's RAP. The RAP Working Group consists of representatives from across bankmecu, including representation from General Management. The RAP Working Group consults quarterly, and as needed, with external Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders in order to ensure the most effective and culturally appropriate implementation of RAP actions.
Our external Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders include organisations who are able to provide:
- educational material and information about events aiming to raise awareness amongst staff; and
- potential candidates for employment in bankmecu's traineeship program.
In addition, bankmecu's internal staff sustainability reference group ‘Footprints' will champion cultural awareness within the workplace. Footprints is made up of representatives from all Departments and regional areas within which bankmecu operates.
Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander with an interest in bankmecu's RAP?
To help us understand our stakeholders in reconciliation, please let us know if you are a staff member or customer of bankmecu with an Indigenous background, or if you have a particular interest in the reconciliation process. For further information contact Nikki Jordan, Email: nikki.jordan@bankmecu.com.au Phone: 03 9854 4658.
Download the mecu Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2010 (481KB PDF)