The Uluru Statement from the Heart
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation to the Australian people from First Nations Australians. It asks Australians to walk together to build a better future by establishing a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution, and the establishment of a Makarrata Commission for the purpose of treaty making and truth-telling.
We encourage you to explore it as a starting point for understanding where did the call for a Voice To Parliament come from.
Videos
What is the Voice to Parliament?
In this animation by Together, Yes learn more about what the Voice is, and how it will make a positive and practical difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's lives. Voice over for the short animation was provided by Leanne Miller AM, proud Yorta Yorta woman and community advocate. It also features a short clip of academic Prof. Marcia Langton AO, speaking at the announcement of the referendum question on 23 March 2023 at Parliament House. Animation by Mari Frith (2023).
Together, Yes | JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Together, Yes is a nation-wide "kitchen table conversations" campaign in support of constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Meet some of the people who are stepping up to take part in a movement for Yes. Want to get involved? Visit: togetheryes.com.au
'Women For Yes' Launch - Opening Remarks by Hon Linda Burney MP
Opening remarks from Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians, at the ‘Women For Yes’ campaign launch (Sunday 13 August 2023, Athenaeum Theatre, Naarm).
In this speech, Minister Burney gives thanks to supporters of the Voice proposal, reminding listeners that this referendum will be won conversation by conversation.
What do you tell your grandchildren?
Marcia Langton, Dr. Jackie Huggins, and Emily Carter explain why the Voice is so important to their grandchildren's future. Learn more: www.togetheryes.com.au Follow: @togetheryes_ on YouTube or www.instagram.com/togetheryes_ Special thanks to Marcia Langton, Dr. Jackie Huggins, and Emily Carter for sharing their stories. Video by Gregory Erdstein, made possible thanks to The Wood Foundation and The Felton Bequest.
Articles
Australia’s constitution is not a sacred document. Without change it will ossify
“Constitutional renewal defines many of the most successful nations which have jettisoned foundational flaws.” Julianne Schulz discusses the power of constitutional change.
Yes vote ‘absolutely in line with Liberal values’, leader of movement says in Tamworth
Kate Carnell seeks to reassure Liberal and National voters ‘it’s fine to vote yes’ in referendum despite position of federal parties. She said Australia spends a lot of money on Indigenous policy for “pretty ordinary outcomes” and Liberals believe taxpayer money should be spent efficiently.
Launch of the YES Campaign - The Prime Minister of Australia
For many years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have advocated for Constitutional Recognition through a Voice.
Our Government – along with every single State and Territory Government - has committed to it.
Legal experts have endorsed it.
People on all sides of the Parliament have backed it.
Faith groups and sporting codes and local councils and businesses and unions have embraced it.
An army of volunteers from every part of this great nation are throwing all their energy behind it.
Now, my fellow Australians, you can vote for it.
Mary-Rose MacColl: Ostriches
Excerpt: “Those who’ve read my book For a Girl know I am a mother who grieves a lost child, a girl I named Ruth and relinquished for adoption when I was a teenager. Ruth was born in a relationship where power was unequal, in a culture and nation that wanted it that way, and she remains in my heart in a kind of twilight, affecting everything I do.
The cost to me and my family of the decision I made has been lifelong, and I tell you this not so I can beat my chest but so that if you don’t understand it already, you will know that when children are gone even in this way, given away by someone with too little agency or too young to know better, it’s like dropping a nuclear bomb in a family. The radiation is worst at the centre of the blast, and it reaches out from there, harming everyone it touches.”
Read more on why Mary-Rose MacColl is voting YES, and how her experiences have informed her opinion.
Books
The Voice to Parliament Handbook & Webinar with Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien
The Voice to Parliament Handbook by Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and acclaimed journalist Kerry O’Brien is a clear, concise and simple guide for the millions of Australians who have expressed support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but who want to better understand what a Voice to Parliament actually means.
Our Voices From The Heart by Professor Megan Davis and Patricia Anderson AO
The authorised story of the community campaign that changed Australia. A behind-the-scenes book about the Uluru Statement From The Heart, from the co-chairs of the Uluru Dialogue, Professor Megan Davis and Patricia Anderson, AO.
Australia finds itself standing on the edge of a 60,000-year-old precipice. The Uluru Statement From The Heart respectfully asks for First Nations people to finally be given a Voice - but what path led us here?
The story of the twelve Regional Dialogues and the Uluru National Constitutional Convention has never been told. It is a yarn borne from centuries of struggle, full of vision, determination and courage. These community gatherings, led and attended by fifteen hundred everyday First Peoples, represent the largest ever consultation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in history. The unanimous result was the Uluru Statement From The Heart, and its call for Voice and Makarrata.
Our Voices From The Heart is the official celebration of the grassroots campaign that guided us to this inspiring moment in Australia's history. It is a profound call to action for the nation, but is also an offering of peace and unity that recognises the past and reconciles it with the truth.
Filled with powerful never-before-seen photography and helpful information to share with friends and family alike, this book charts the world's oldest living civilisation's ongoing fight for constitutional recognition and is destined to become a treasured keepsake for years to come.
It's time, Australia. History is calling.