Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians
MDA (Multicultural Development Australia) acknowledges the traditional custodians of all the lands on which we meet, work and live. We recognise that this land has always been Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and always will be.
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders – past, present and emerging – and recognise the immense cultural and linguistic strength and diversity that has existed on this land for tens of thousands of years.
Every day, we work to welcome new Australians from across the world. As we do this, we acknowledge the history and current realities of our First Nations people and understand our individual and collective responsibility towards the achievement of justice, equality and reconciliation.
The MDA community, and the multicultural communities we work closely with, realise that understanding the past helps us shape a better future for all. We commit to learning from the knowledge, traditions, stories, spirituality and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We, who come from many places, acknowledge the welcome offered to us by the traditional custodians of this land, the world’s oldest living culture. We express our desire for deeper connection with Australia’s First Nations people, as we learn to live on their land.
MDA respects and values Australia’s First Nations peoples’ enormous resilience, courage, determination and often unrecognised contributions to the country’s social and economic development. We walk together in solidarity, in the shared pain of the past and the shared hope for the future.
MDA
Since 1998, MDA has been dedicated to building a better future for all by promoting the benefits of a welcoming, inclusive and multicultural Queensland and Australia.
Today, as Australia’s longest serving contracted settlement provider, we work with refugees, migrants, people seeking asylum, international students and the wider community to provide essential settlement services and build belonging, independence and welcome. Our settlement approach is underpinned by deliberate location planning, highly skilled and professionally qualified staff, and strong relationships with partners and sub-contractors through the State and Commonwealth Settlement Planning mechanisms.
We know that to achieve prosperity for all Queenslanders we need to create opportunities for skills development, education, business and employment. Read more about MDA in our annual reports: