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Respecting our Culture - Indigenous Accreditation Program | | Category: | Policy/Strategy | | | Sub Category: | Policy/Strategy | | Place: | | | State/Country: | Australia | | Subject Matter: | | Cultural Heritage | Economic Development | Tourism | | Summary Information: | | | The Respecting Our Culture (ROC) tourism development initiative was launched at the International Ecotourism Conference on 25 October 2002 in Cairns, Queensland. ROC has been developed and designed by Aboriginal Tourism Australia (ATA). ROC was the result of a comprehensive consultation program which was supported by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR). Additional support was provided by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), the Victor Smorgon Foundation, and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR). ROC encourages the tourism industry to operate in ways that respect and reinforce Indigenous cultural heritage and the living cultures of Indigenous communities. | | Detailed Information: | | | The ROC Indigenous Accreditation Program is an opportunity for the greater involvement of Indigenous communities in the tourism industry, not only by way of control of the tourism industry, but also by way of development opportunities for Indigenous communities. Some control over the content and direction of Indigenous culture in tourism is needed due to the potential harm that can be caused by misrepresentation or over-exploitation of Indigenous culture.
The guiding principles of ROC are stated to be:
· Acknowledgement of Indigenous people’s ownership of their cultural heritage;
· The need for a new partnership which recognises the Indigenous contribution to Australia’s identity;
· The need for greater opportunity for employment and training at the local community level;
· Recognition of the importance of enterprise development fitting with Indigenous social, family, community systems and values; and
· The capacity of cultural education to contribute to the Reconciliation process. | |
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