Organisations are being encouraged to apply for up to $10,000 in grants as part of the Queensland Government’s Truth, Healing and Reconciliation grants program.
Minister for Child Safety Di Farmer said the grants were released today (31 May) to mark the 20th anniversary of the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions (the Forde Inquiry) during an event held at the Gallery of Modern Art in South Brisbane.
“This grants program is part of the government’s implementation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse,” she said.
“The Royal Commission exposed the truth of what happened to too many children, and importantly, the profound impact it has had on victims and survivors.
“These grants are one way we are helping to support victims and survivors to heal. The Royal Commission was a start point, not an end point – there is still more to do.”
Ms Farmer said the grants program was about recognising the profound harm caused by institutional abuse and continuing the conversation across Queensland communities.
“We’re looking for applications from individuals and organisations for projects which will help bring about truth, healing, or reconciliation.
“Grants could be given for any number of things – perhaps creating some kind of memorial to honour victims, or setting up a group for survivors to support each other.
“Perhaps it’s undertaking a research project, or creating some kind of art, or holding an event with a guest speaker to raise awareness at your local school.
“We’ve deliberately made the grants program broad so that we can consider as many kinds of applications as possible.
“What is absolutely crucial though is that they must be centred around victims and survivors.
“We want to provide opportunities for meaningful connections with people with lived experience of institutional child abuse and to promote cultural change in how we respond to survivors and protect children today.”
Chair of the Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Taskforce Bob Atkinson AO APM welcomed the grants, and said the initiative would help keep important conversations happening throughout the community.
“At the conclusion of the five year Royal Commission in December 2017, an important aspect was that the momentum that had been established in terms of the safety and protection of children must be maintained,” he said.
“The establishment of the Taskforce and today’s announcement of the grants programme are important, valuable and practical initiatives in terms of maintaining that momentum.”
Ms Farmer said funding was available for activities between September and December 2019 that partnered with people with a lived experience and recognise truth, healing and reconciliation as an ongoing process.
“Activities must also raise awareness of institutional child abuse and its impact.
“Victims and survivors live with the impacts of what happened to them for their entire lives.
“We have to keep this conversation going, and we have to keep finding ways we can support victims and survivors and help them find the truth, justice and reconciliation they need to rebuild their lives.”
Grants of up to $10,000 are available for individual organisations, and funds of up to $15,000 are available for joint applications.
