Month of Awareness campaign launched to commemorate 3 year anniversary of Uluru Statement

May 22, 2020

26 May 2020 marks the third anniversary of the historic Uluru Statement from the Heart inviting all Australians to walk with First Nations peoples in a movement for a better future.

Ahead of the anniversary and National Reconciliation Week commencing on 27 May 2020, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) reiterates its support of the wishes expressed at the Constitutional Convention and Regional Dialogues in 2017 and the reforms sought in the Uluru Statement. 

Sonali Seneviratne, ALHR Indigenous Rights Co-Chair said, “ALHR supports the First Nations peoples’ call for the Federal Government to establish a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Australian Constitution and for a referendum, as a national priority”.

To commemorate the anniversary, Professor Megan Davis has personally invited all Australians to explore and engage with a social media campaign on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter called a ‘Month of Awareness’ to share news, stories and videos from the Uluru senior leadership and young leaders. The first video is presented by actress, Deborah Mailman. The links to this video and social media campaign are available below.

The theme of National Reconciliation Week is “In this together”. Seneviratne said, “We encourage every individual and business in the Australian community to take part in this Month of Awareness. Reconciliation Week is the perfect time to advocate for the reforms called for in the Uluru Statement.”

“Despite the challenges faced by the Uluru Dialogues, their work continues through the UNSW Indigenous Law Centre. We have not given up on the reforms. There is more work to be done and each time a business or individual backs the Uluru Statement it matters because it keeps the momentum going.”

“Australia must appropriately recognise the unique place of our First Nations peoples, historically, and in modern society. Our First Nations peoples have spoken and clearly expressed how they seek to be recognised. Australia must now act to make it a reality,” Seneviratne concluded.

Media Enquiries Contact: Matt Mitchell, ALHR media manager 0431 980 365.

Get Involved

Due to the pandemic restrictions, ceremonies and activities to commemorate significant events have not proceeded as planned. But it’s important to continue to reflect on our past, to learn and understand perspectives of our First Nations people, and to take actions to support reconciliation despite the pandemic. The silver lining is that many activities and events have moved online so that it does not matter where the event is hosted and anyone from anywhere can join.
We have identified some events and activities below. Please feel free to send us any others: indigenousrights@alhr.org.au
Endeavour Voyage Anniversary Exhibition: April to August 2020
29 April 2020 marked the 250th anniversary of the arrival of James Cook and the HMB Endeavour at Kamay (Botany Bay).
The National Museum of Australia launched a free online exhibition, “Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians” exploring the stories and legacies of the voyage along the east coast of Australia in 1770. The exhibition delves into the past, present and future of 8 Indigenous communities along the way. It was developed in collaboration with Indigenous communities and historians.
It is a significant body of work and contains stories, objects and multimedia for visitors to engage with, and content will continue to be posted until August 2020.
The exhibition can be viewed here:  https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/endeavour-voyage
 
Uluru Statement: Month of Awareness Campaign: May 2020

26 May 2020 marks the third anniversary of the historic Uluru Statement from the Heart inviting all Australians to walk with First Nations peoples in a movement for a better future.

 To commemorate the anniversary, Professor Megan Davis has personally invited all Australians to explore and engage with a social media campaign on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter called a ‘Month of Awareness’ to share news, stories and videos from the Uluru senior leadership and young leaders. The first video is presented by actress, Deborah Mailman. The links to this video and social media campaign will be available on ALHR’s website.

 
National Reconciliation Week: 27 May 2020 to 3 June 2020
The theme for this year’s National Reconciliation Week appears to have been prescient: In This Together.
Host a film screening
If your organisation has not organised an online event, or if you just want to watch a film with family and friends, you could host a screening of a film which can be accessed from Reconciliation Australia: https://www.sbs.com.au/learn/reconciliationfilmclub

Events

Your NRW of events could like something like this:

26 May 2020: IPS Management Consultant’s Reconciliation through COVID-19

27 May 2020: Breakfast – Pat Turner, NACCHO – Reconciliation SA

28 May 2020: Panel Discussion: Reconciliation Bridge Walks of 2000 

29 May 2020: Dance it Together: Deadly Musos Live in Concert

30 May 2020: 9pm ‘Bamay’, NITV

31 May 2020: The Point: Warwick Thornton is Here, NITV

1 June 2020: Virtual Reconciliation in the Park, Geelong Australia

2 June 2020: Warburdar Bununu: Water Shield, NITV

3 June 2020: Mabo: Life of an Island Man, SBS On Demand