Since I last wrote to you on referendum night, there has been plenty of armchair analysis about the result and what it means. Speculation from people on the sidelines, much of it sensationalised to get people to click through.
What none of it has captured: What you all achieved. The power, energy and momentum of the campaign on the ground. I haven’t seen a piece that properly shares what it was like in local communities across the country – how so many Australians walked together to support recognition and a better future, many campaigning for the first time.
So, let’s talk about it. Join us on Monday 6 November for a virtual Town Hall [1] to celebrate all we achieved, debrief the campaign and discuss what might be next.
The outcome was not what we were hoping for. When I wrote to you on referendum night, I encouraged everyone to take the time to rest and heal before finding a way to recommit to continuing the work towards First Nations justice.
This is because the work cannot stop here, and the result doesn’t take away from everything we achieved along the way.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians walked with us, making the movement for Indigenous recognition one the largest in our country’s history. Millions more wrote Yes on 14 October. Together, we brought Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recognition and justice to the forefront of
the national conversation.
I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts on what we achieved, how we shaped the national conversation and some of the ways we can keep progressing this at our virtual Town Hall on Monday 6 November. Will we see you there? [2]
You may have started seeing statements from Indigenous leaders, communities and organisations in recent days. They show that the discussion of where to go next has started but will be ongoing. Our communities and our leaders need time to consider where we are and to map the way forward.
Give us the time we need to reflect and discuss. But be ready to join us on the next part of the journey towards truth and justice when pathways become clear.
In the meantime, there is a lot you can do locally.
It has been incredible to see so many local Yes groups coming together over the past fortnight to care for each other, celebrate what you all achieved in your community, and discuss how you can continue to make a difference in your area.
Keep having these conversations. Keep speaking with your friends and finding ways to show up to help achieve better outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Sign up to the mailing lists of local Indigenous-run organisations that have been doing the hard yards for decades. Engage in the campaigns they are working on and, if you’re in the position to, donate regularly to support their work.
Let’s keep the conversation going – knowing that with each step we take, things get better. Change takes time, but this is worth fighting for.
Thank you for everything,
Dean Parkin
Campaign Director, Yes23
_To RSVP for our virtual Town Hall, head to
https://events.humanitix.com/yes23 -thankyou [3]_
Yes23 · Australia
Authorised by Dean Parkin, L6 110 Walker St, North Sydney, NSW [5]
[1] https://www.yes23.com.au/r?u=XZnJEfWgpaRPTtLvAGg6KiUEizs8V1MW1eHyxGx-aqY7X809SQFxf0FenJma47O-&e=5fca32ce14d17520f589334e45e6a599&utm_source=fromtheheart&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=debrief_town_halls&n=1
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[3] https://www.yes23.com.au/r?u=XZnJEfWgpaRPTtLvAGg6KiUEizs8V1MW1eHyxGx-aqY7X809SQFxf0FenJma47O-&e=5fca32ce14d17520f589334e45e6a599&utm_source=fromtheheart&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=debrief_town_halls&n=3
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Russell Jennings
Secretary
secretary@sjasc.org.au
https://sjasc.org.au/
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The Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast acknowledge the Yuin People as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we live and work. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.