Earlier this year Diageo launched its Reconciliation Action Plan. The company says, " Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that reminds us that while generations of Australians have fought hard for meaningful change, future gains are likely to take just as much, if not more, effort."
Diageo says that through its Reconciliation Action Plan, Reflect, the business and its people "seek to harness a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their stories, and their connection to the places in which we operate. Through this lens of understanding, we hope to lay the foundation for more meaningful and long-term relationships, and actions in the future."
The actions Diageo has committed to in the RAP include:
- engagement with local community
- create opportunities for local employees to learn and engage with reconciliation and its meaning
- ensure representation and acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in our physical and virtual workspaces, and
- identify ways to engage and attract First Nations people with meaningful employment within our industry.
Pictured above is an artwork commissioned by Diageo Australia and created by local Indigenous-owned business, Dalmarri. Named Darunga Mudang, and meaning "Celebrate Life", it features Diageo's three main sites in Australia – Bundaberg Rum Distillery (top green circle), Huntingwood Packaging and Distribution (middle grey circle), and Sydney HQ (bottom blue circle) – and symbolises the company's journey towards reconciliation and its central purpose to celebrate life, every day, everywhere.
Diageo's RAP document was also designed by Little Rocket, an Indigenous-owned creative agency based in Melbourne, Australia.