[Oe List ...] ICA Australasia Statement of Support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Wed Apr 26 05:32:12 PDT 2023

Thanks, Richard and Maria along with ICA colleagues for standing tall with the Indigenous People of Australia! 

Resilience! / Sherwood and Eunice

From: OE <oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net> On Behalf Of Richard and Maria Maguire via OE
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2023 5:32 AM
To: oe at lists.wedgeblade.net
Cc: Richard and Maria Maguire <richardandmaria at unfoldingfutures.net>
Subject: [Oe List ...] ICA Australasia Statement of Support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Dear international colleagues

We’d like to share a document with you (see below) that the Board of ICA Australasia created recently following an AGM decision. It joins efforts of other organisations to publicly stand up for a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous (Aboriginal) people in Australia and a Referendum later this year. Every citizen here will be privileged and obliged to vote on whether or not they want Aboriginal people to have a Voice to the federal Parliament and Government. It is expected that once the right of Indigenous people to be heard is constitutionally enshrined, they can be heard and involved in designing and implementing the programs that affect them. As also indicated by the analysis of past programs’ success or failure, this will achieve much better results to close the still huge gap between Aboriginal and Non-Indigenous people in Australia regarding life expectancy, housing, education, health, employment etc. 

The Referendum is seen as the essential first and significant step of implementing the “Uluru Statement from the Heart” of May 2017 on “Voice, Treaty and Truth” that you might have heard about and can get the text through google. There is still much to be done regarding facing the full history and overcoming racism and systemic violence in Australia and ICA is glad for this new development in the right direction. As you might have experienced, ICA’s normally do not make public statements like this, but the Members felt compelled to do so in this case. It also decided to share it with some of our international colleagues, since the history of colonialism is still present in many places around our world and needs wisdom and courage to address it from all sides and many of you have actually had assignments in Australia.

ICA in Australia has stood up for justice and rights of Indigenous people since its beginnings here in 1967-68 and worked on it in many places and through various efforts and activities. Members have continued to be involved in their various ways, in training, consulting, advocacy and research as well as active community engagement for reconciliation, justice and recently the Uluru campaigns.  In the face of some distractions and backlash we now encourage our members to share the ICA statement widely and get personally involved to support a historical opportunity to seriously change the dial and move towards a new future for all, with a variety of practical actions. Many of us are deeply moved by the sophistication, passion and heartfelt attention Aboriginal people have put into the Uluru Statement from the Heart and then developing fair, practical and legally sound suggestions for its implementation. Their commitment keeps us going when we get disturbed by outdated efforts of No campaigns, aiming to block a long overdue change towards Voice, Treaty and Truth.

We hope that you can find some encouragement in the Uluru Statement and our ICA Statement of support for your own work and location in whatever ways you might be confronted with such issues and interested in having an impact for a more just society. In case you’d like to find out more about background and current work on this these links might be useful: 

ulurustatement.org <https://ulurustatement.org/>  ,  Yes23.com.au <https://yes23.com.au/>  ,  voicefromtheheartalliance.com <https://voicefromtheheartalliance.com/>   (Robyn and Richard co-founded this group)

Best wishes in solidarity for a livable and just planet everywhere

Richard and Maria

Yes to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Referendum

Institute of Cultural Affairs Australasia

The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) wholeheartedly adds its voice of support to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament. 

Our members strongly believe it is high time that Indigenous people are heard concerning the policies and programs directly affecting their lives and communities. For too long programs to bridge the gap have failed because Indigenous people were not fully involved in deciding, designing, and carrying them out. This caused unnecessary ongoing pain and disempowerment for people that have already suffered beyond measure for more than two centuries. It also blocked access to their knowledge for surviving and thriving on this continent that all others can learn from at this time of breakdown and renewal. 

When the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA), started its activities in Australia in 1967-68 we publicly - radically at the time - stated that justice for Indigenous people was the underlying issue for Australia to resolve. For many years our members have worked on the ground with Aboriginal communities to catalyse their vision and action for their future. The ICA has remained a strong advocate for the full participation of Indigenous Australians and their struggle for justice. We believe it is now time for us to publicly record our support of the ‘Yes’ campaign for a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament. 

We experience the Uluru Statement from the Heart as a trustworthy breakthrough after decades of small improvements, along with stagnation and failures. After lengthy debates, the First Nations people gathered at Uluru to create it and offered it as a gift to the people of Australia, asking us to walk with them into the future. 

Following the12 Regional Dialogues the locally chosen representatives at Uluru declared that the Voice is the constitutional recognition they want, followed by Treaties and Truth telling, overseen by a Makarrata Commission. The Voice provides a way to directly communicate with Parliament and the Executive about what works best for Aboriginal communities. It is legally solid, also practical and fair, which is such an important value for Australians. 

It is encouraging that most Aboriginal people and organisations have said Yes to the Voice. This stance has overwhelming support from corporations, unions, NGO’s and many levels of government along with countless citizens, including those who have arrived more recently and want to learn about and respect the original inhabitants of their new country. 

A yes to the Uluru Statement and to the Voice to Parliament is a unique opportunity for an historical leap forward for the nation. It will enable further important steps to follow. Our members are committed to supporting a Yes and our colleagues from across the world will be glad that we along with many others in Australia set an example in the right direction. 

Let us celebrate that “we the people” are invited to have our conscience and purpose guide us when we are alone in the ballot box to record our vote in the Referendum: Do we want Indigenous people of this nation to have a Voice or not? Beyond all the chatter and fabricated confusion, it finally is that simple, yet also an awesome responsibility. Our Yes or No will co-decide the future for all of us and reshape our identity as Australians. The pain of a No would be unimaginable.

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