Getting a 'fair go' for
Australia’s indigenous people
By John Telford
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Exploring
Perspectives Forum -
Ashfield, Sydney,
Australia
26 March, 2014 |
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R 1 Joacinta Tobin, Patricia Blackman, Lucille McKenna
R 2 Nicola Watson, Prof.George Williams, Peter Dixon
R 3 Helen Kearins
R 4 Participant, Jeff McMullan, Participant |
A key issue facing Australia is improving the health, wellbeing and employment opportunities for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples (or “First Peoples”) and this has to start with acknowledging past injustices.
The key parties in the national parliament have agreed to hold a constitutional referendum to acknowledge that the First Peoples had prior custodianship of the continent and to remove some racist clauses in the document.
Exploring Perspectives Forums
To educate the wider community on the issues to be addressed, a number of community groups are organizing “Explore Perspectives” forums. One such event was organized by the Women’s Reconciliation Network, a body founded by ICA member Elaine Telford, in partnership with ANTaR Inner West, and Marrickville Residents for Reconciliation. Another ICA member, Robyn Hutchinson, augmented the skills of this group.
This forum opened with a musical interlude by Aboriginal singer and story teller Jacinta Tobin of the Darug tribe. Patricia Blackman, an elder and member of the Ashfield Aboriginal Consultative Committee, and Mayor Lucille McKenna of the Ashfield Council, welcomed the audience.
Professor George Williams, a constitutional expert from the University of New South Wales, outlined why the constitution should be updated and its racist powers removed.
Join the conversation
There are Youtube links to the Constitution Recognition Forum, held in Ashfield, Sydney for you to watch, enjoy and learn from. This is in preparation for the forthcoming referendum related to Recognition in Australia’s Constitution of the continuous culture of the First Peoples on our planet - the Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples of Australia. Youtube link for Linda Burney’s very short and powerful call to the nation: http://youtu.be/rnj67xUBSuI
Youtube link for the full event - the presentations by the 4 speakers are fantastic -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiotkjWzK-Q
RECOGNISE website: www.recognise.org.au
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Nicole Watson, a member of the Birri- Gubba People and senior researcher at Jumbunna House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney, said there is a range of views on the issue within the Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander community. By John Telford Some accept constitutional reform as a pragmatic way forward while others believe it will make little practical difference and that a treaty should be the major focus of a campaign.
The general feeling as the discussion progressed was that both constitutional recognition and a treaty are needed, and are not mutually exclusive.
Muruwari woman Kirsten Gray, CEO of the New South Wales Reconciliation Council, then presented the “pro-constitutional change” position of the council and encouraged people to get involved.
Journalist and film maker Jeff McMullen wrapped up the discussion by highlighting the many things that constitutional recognition will not resolve and how far we have to go to have a just system in place.
John Telford is a member of ICA Australia
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