Documents of ReconciliationDocuments of Reconciliation > Policy > Briefing Paper > May 2000Council must report on its work and its recommendations to the government, and to the nation as a whole, in the year 2000. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991 ceases to be in force on 1 January 2001, the date of the centenary of Federation and the start of the new millennium. From 15 September to 1 October 2000 Australia will be hosting the Sydney Olympics. During this time the eyes of the world will be upon the nation and it is expected that this will include a significant interest in Australia's immigration and Indigenous affairs policies, particularly as the year 2000 is to be the International Year of Indigenous Sovereignty. May 2000 is exactly 3 years after the historic Australian Reconciliation Convention in Melbourne and the Council has already identified this as a suitable date to convene a major follow-up event to report progress on national documents of reconciliation and launch its proposed documents to representatives of Indigenous communities and the wider Australian community. Council's proposals would evolve from a comprehensive round of consultations (see Developing the Content) and would be circulated for widespread discussion before the Corroboree 2000. There are potential benefits for all stakeholders if an acceptable outcome is achieved: the Government and the nation could benefit significantly at a time when its attitudes will be under particular international and domestic scrutiny. For Indigenous people, in particular, the centenary of Federation and the Sydney Olympics may be the best opportunity to address those issues which were ignored at Federation.
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