ABOUT US

This  website has been created by us to raise the awareness of Australians of  diverse cultural and linguistic  backgrounds about the Referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait  Islander Voice and to urge them to vote yes in the referendum.

We are undertaking this task as Western Australians of CaLD backgrounds and not in any organisational capacity.

According to Dean Parkin, director of the Yes Campaign,  “An Indigenous Voice to parliament means a more honest telling of  Australian history. Most Aussies  are proud of our vibrant and diverse nation, but Mr Parkin says there  is one glaring omission from the history of Australia as told by the  constitution — that this continent has been shaped by 65,000 years of  continuous cultural connection to the land by Indigenous  peoples. 

That omission has made it easier to overlook the structural barriers faced by Indigenous Australians and  to dismiss their ongoing contributions to Australia’s rich culture.” Click here for more information about the Yes Campaign.

As immigrants or people of immigrant background, it is undeniable that our forebears shared in the benefits  that accrued from the disenfranchising, dispossession etc of the Indigenous people. 

We  are acutely aware of the importance of a sense of belonging in the  context of our multiculturalism policy and if we whose forebears came  to Australia after 1988, don’t  support the aforementioned recognition of indigenous people, how can we  expect our issues and concerns to be taken seriously by politicians,  bureaucrats and other decision makers?

So, we urge you to join us as a Supporter (click on the become a supporter link) of this campaign and advocate  to your friends, family, colleagues and others to vote YES in the referendum.

We also welcome you to email us brief audio or video podcasts in English or other languages on why you will  be voting yes and urging others to do so too.

Thanks in advance for your support.
 

Helen Cattalini, Ramdas Sankaran  and Pius Joseph