The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) is excited to host Sheena Watt MP at The Greek Centre on Monday 28 August to speak on the upcoming Voice to Parliament Referendum.
As the 2023 Voice Referendum is fast approaching, the GCM would like to affirm its unequivocal support of constitutional recognition of the First Peoples of Australia.
As an organisation that represents migrants and the children of migrants, we have worked hard to advocate for the right to practise our language and culture as citizens of this country. We respect the rights of Indigenous people to do the same and acknowledge that constitutional change is required to enshrine their position as the First Peoples of Australia in the Australian Constitution through a Voice.
We acknowledge their ancient culture which is part of the history of this land, and we believe the constitution must recognise their continued presence in this country over 65,000 years, a country that we, our parents and grandparents adopted as our homeland.
We have observed the tireless efforts made by many indigenous and non-indigenous people to achieve constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The proposal in this Bill to constitutionally recognise Indigenous Australians through a Voice is a modest request and a positive step forward for our nation.
Our organisation which was founded on democratic principles, believes that the voice of the traditional owners of this land deserves a fair go. Currently the status quo for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with respect to life expectancy and quality of life is not good enough.
We can’t continue with policies and programs (some of which may have been well-intentioned) to address issues and expect a different result – we need to do something different. We believe Indigenous people are best placed to understand their own challenges.
We invite you to join us at The Greek Centre on Monday 28 August to hear Sheena Watt speak on why voting ‘yes’ is integral to progressing Australia’s propensity for reconciliation.
Register your attendance for Sheena Watt’s talk here: Trybooking
About Sheena Watt MP:
Sheena Watt is the first Aboriginal woman to serve as a Labor Member of Victoria’s Legislative Council. Having worked across various Aboriginal health organisations and as a Constitutional Change campaign manager for the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, she has extensive experience in Indigenous Affairs.
She has also served as an Executive Manager at AFL SportsReady and on the Board of Directors for some of the most important community organisations in Victoria. Sheena advocates tirelessly to break cycles of disadvantage, promote equality, and foster healthy, connected communities, drawing from her personal journey.
