On 14 October 2023, more than six million Australians said ‘Yes’ to walking together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for a better future.
In the wake of the referendum, the Allies for Uluru continue to stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. As a coalition of civil society organisations, corporations and community groups, we are committed to demonstrating our full and unwavering support for the core principles of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. That is…
We recommit to actively pursuing the establishment of representative voices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples;
We recommit to supporting sovereign to sovereign agreement-making and treaty negotiations between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Australian governments; and
We recommit to actively pursuing a national truth-telling process, as a vehicle for healing.
We will not be fair-weather allies, we will not turn back, and we will not hesitate in continuing to fight for justice and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), self-determination is the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to be in control of decision-making that affects their lives. We recognise that this self-determination must be catalysed by the transfer of funding and decision making to Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. As Allies, we will also seek to embody Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative voices in our own structures and programs.
As Allies, we must incubate our hope for a better future, yet more than this, we must join our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in building the future that we desire. We will do this by continuing to advocate for the rights and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Where we see pockets of hope or progress – nationally, regionally and locally – we will add our voices to those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, organisations and communities.
We call on all Australian governments and opposition parties to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to lay the foundation for a more fair and truthful relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. We believe that this will deliver a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, one based on justice and self-determination. In turn, we believe that this will deliver a better future for all Australians.
The Allies for Uluru reaffirm that the way forward for our nation lies in accepting the generous invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and actively working together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to build our shared vision for a mature, just and equal Australia.
Signed,
The Fred Hollows Foundation
ANTAR
Oxfam Australia
Australian Council of Social Services
Settlement Services International
Perinatal Wellbeing Centre
Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health
University of Divinity
Sydney Peace Foundation
Health Voyage Ltd
HIPA International Pty Ltd
Koala Action Inc.
UnitingCare Australia
Australian Conservation Foundation
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Australian Lawyers Alliance
Uniting Church in Australia Assembly
Uniting Church in Australia – Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
Shoalhaven Alliance for Yes23
SEARCH Foundation
Health Justice Australia
Beyond Blue
ANTaR ACT
Public Health Association of Australia
Mental Health Australia
Sacred Heart Mission
Reconciliation NSW
IWDA
Palliative Care Australia
Cerebral Palsy Alliance
The Wilderness Society
Edmund Rice Centre for Justice
Dataspace Insight Pty Ltd
The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council
Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Speaking Up For You
ANTaR Queensland
West Australian Council of Social Service
Catholic Social Services Australia
Infoxchange
WWF-Australia
Save the Children Australia/54 reasons
Voice from the Heart Alliance
Women’s Reconciliation Network
Wynnum Manly Yes Group
Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace
Cohealth
Consumers of Mental Health WA
One World Centre
Tearfund
Australian Democracy Network
Aboriginal Education Coordinator – NSW Teachers Federation
Benarrawa Community Development Association
SGS Economics and Planning
Indigenous Eye Health Unit, The University of Melbourne
Mission Australia
ANTaR Victoria
