Invisibility and the Politics of Reconciliation in Australia: Keeping Conflict in View

Abstract

Is reconciliation a process of masking conflict in order for it to be eradicated from the view, consciousness and responsibility of the state? Why do we focus on solutions rather than managing and embracing the issues that generate ‘conflict’? This article draws on the politics of reconciliation debates in Australia to highlight the dangers that emanate from political efforts to bring about reconciliation merely as a mode of conflict resolution. We contend that an uncritical advocacy of reconciliation risks losing sight of the centrality of conflict to the maintenance of identity and contestation around racial and cultural inequalities. We ground this in a discussion of the experiences of societies like South Africa and Northern Ireland. The implications of a conflict-free approach to reconciliation for Australia are profound because it neglects the experiences and concerns of Indigenous people. A conflict-free approach to reconciliation ignores the conflict inherent in Australian society due to the experience of structural injustice and Indigenous inequality. Alternatively, a political narrative that keeps conflict in view potentially provides greater legitimacy and is more successful in highlighting inequalities around race and identity than approaches focused on harmonious social and racial relations. These concerns are addressed through a discussion of contemporary debates on ‘changing’ and ‘reforming’ the Australian constitution to ‘recognize’ Indigenous Australians.