2 Social Justice Commissioner’s foreword which inherently involve a lot of trust and unity of purpose. These two approaches to the world are arguably incompatible and inevitably, the Western system prioritises itself over our ways of being, knowing and doing. Our people mediate between our cultural obligations and those enforced by Western structures every day. We mediate in community, in the workplace. We mediate in our person-to-person interactions and with governments and their governing systems. We have relied on our whole‑of-life approach to mediation to prevent conflict and disputes – learning and growing from each other’s expertise. It is a particular strength of First Nations Australians. Our mediating expertise is grown from principles ingrained in our ways of knowing, being and doing. Inclusivity, reciprocity, connectedness, unity, collective obligation and responsibility, and shared leadership and decision-making. This connects us through the knowledge we learn, protect and share. The native title system has proved damaging to the spirit of our people and exhausted us. These stories are evidence of that. Our women and girls know the pathways for action to heal our spirit. They embody the strength we have always held at the core of our people. I proudly present this Report in my capacity as Social Justice Commissioner and as a product of our people’s commitment to connectedness and unity in the face of divisive systems. The voices of all the women who contributed to this Report form a united voice demanding genuine change. Australian Human Rights Commission 13