Talking About The Voice

A local reconciliation group believes that awareness of the Uluru Statement from the Heart is dwindling and so will host an information session to discuss the proposal.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart was created at a national convention after a series of regional forums of Indigenous people. It outlines a path forward for recognising Indigenous Australians in the nation’s system of government.

The Blackwood Reconciliation Group will host an open community forum about the Uluru Statement from the Heart on Wednesday October 9.

Allen Edwards, a Kaurna, Kokotha man and Chairperson of the Blackwood Reconciliation Group (BRG) told Aboriginal Way that the group wanted to make sure that the Statement was not forgotten.

“We just want to bring the Statement to the fore and into peoples minds again”

“We feel that it hasn’t been really spoken about much lately and just want to remind people what it’s all about” he said.

The Uluru Statement is an important document and a crucial part of reconciliation, Mr Edwards said.

“It’s very important statement, to get a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in government and parliament”

“We’re working towards reconciliation and gaining a voice is a part of process” he said.

The event will be addressed by a panel comprising Chairperson APY Lands Executive Board Sally Scales, David Rathman AM, Executive Director of Reconciliation SA Shona Reid, BRG Chairperson Allen Edwards and the Mayor of Mitcham Heather Holmes-Ross.

All community members, not just those from Blackwood are invited along to the event.

The forum aims to collect information from the panel discussion and feedback from community members to inform further action.

“We don’t plan to just have the forum and leave it at that, we hope it will lead to further steps” Mr Edwards said.

Uluru Statement from the Heart

Community Information Forum

Wednesday 9 October, 7.30pm

Blackwood Community Centre

Young Street Blackwood

https://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/discover/whatson/events/blackwood-reconciliation-group-community-information-forum

SANTS acknowledges that the land on which our office is based is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and we respect their spiritual and cultural relationship with their country.