Interrogating Reconciliation: Historical and Philosophical Underpinnings of [Both-Ways] Cross-Cultural Education at Nungalinya College

The proposed PhD research investigates how cooperation between diverse cultural heritages can be fostered at Nungalinya College, an
educational institution supported by the three Christian churches dedicated to Indigenous Christian training through programs that
honour and integrate the cultural heritage and leadership roles of Indigenous communities across Australia. Addressing a gap in
scholarship on inter-faith conflict resolution, this study focuses on Nungalinya College as a key institution for promoting Indigenous
leadership and cultural preservation. How can Nungalinya College reconcile Indigenous knowledge and traditions with the values
established by its founding bodies to foster cooperation and resolve conflicts within its culturally diverse community?
To address this question, Study 1 investigates the pedagogical debates surrounding perceived methodological errors within the College’s
Community Organizing course of the 1990s, which was grounded in Marxist dialectical materialism and informed by Paulo Freire's
approach to critical pedagogy. Study 2 examines the cultural, ethical, and spiritual impacts of Alinsky’s confrontational methodology, which
underpinned Nungalinya’s Community Organizing philosophy and influenced the college’s institutional dynamics. Study 3 explores
alternative, non-confrontational frameworks for Nungalinya’s “bothways” approach, analysing how these frameworks might offer
reconciliatory pathways beyond dialectical methods. Each contributing to an understanding of the College’s approach to intercultural
education, spiritual reconciliation, and cooperative methodologies.
The research examines how the College has developed cooperative practices that interlink Indigenous traditions with Christian faith and
Western methodologies. Adopting a decolonizing methodology, the project contributes to truth-telling on Australian history and
acknowledges the ongoing impact of colonialism on Indigenous cultures and knowledge systems. The research foregrounds the voices and
experiences of the College’s stakeholders, as documented in archival records and publications, and engages them as consultants
throughout all research stages. It employs methods including document analysis and archival research, alongside Indigenous
methodologies such as “two-eyed seeing,” which bridges Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, and Dadirri, emphasizing deep
listening and connection to the land. The PhD inquiry as a whole aims to enhance understanding of how different cultural heritages and
cooperative norms can be reconciled and coexist. By examining Nungalinya College’s history, educational philosophy, teaching methods,
and curriculum, this research will reveal the impact of these factors on reconciling traditional Indigenous values with Christian faith and
Western paradigms. The insights gained are expected to benefit educators, policymakers, and activists in Indigenous contexts and to
strengthen relationships between Nungalinya College and Charles Darwin University.