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On 27 May 2020, Australia marks the third anniversary of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a statement made by Indigenous Australians directly to the Australian people as a whole. It was endorsed by a gathering of 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders following a four-day First Nations National Constitutional Convention held at Uluru, which in turn followed a consultation process that was unprecedented in Australian history for its scale.
The Statement calls for:
- a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the form of an advisory body on policy affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to be enshrined in the Australian constitution.
- a Makarrata Commission to oversee agreement-making between the Australian government and Indigenous people.
- a truth and reconciliation process to be facilitated by the Makarrata Commission.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the elected national representative body of the Australian Jewish community, has a long and proud history of supporting the quest of Indigenous Australians for recognition, reconciliation and justice. We believe that the proposals put forward by the Uluru Statement from the Heart are just, reasonable and achievable.
Bringing the Statement’s vision to fruition is important to all Australians. For Indigenous Australians it would mean the vindication of the truth of their story and the beginning of justice. For all other Australians it would mean at long last addressing the most important item of unfinished business in our national history.
The First Nations of Australia, who have inhabited the Australian continent for more than 50,000 years, have endured much suffering since the advent of European settlement. Yet they continue to show great dignity, patience, tenacity and generosity of spirit, appealing to all that is noble and decent in our society and inviting us to walk with them on the road to truth-telling and healing.
We are honoured to accept the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and pledge to work with First Nations, Federal and State politicians, local and city authorities, religious, ethnic and civil society organisations, business leaders and our fellow citizens in moving together towards a shared future, which in every way lives up to our own robust, distinctively Australian, standards of fairness.
Contact
Peter Wertheim | Co-CEO
ph: 02 8353 8505 | m: 0408 160 904 | fax 02 9361 588
e: pwertheim@ecaj.org.au| www.ecaj.org.au
