The 'Moving forward after the referendum on the Voice' webinar was proudly brought to you by the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention, the University of Western Australia, and the Brain and Mind Centre, at the University of Sydney.
It was proudly supported by the 'Right care, first time, where you live' Program.
There were over 350 registrations for this important discussion. The panellists are grateful to all the people who registered and joined us as one community, together, responding to this lost opportunity for our nation.
The discussion canvassed:
- How are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing the referendum outcome?
- What support will Indigenous people and communities need as they come to terms with the result?
- What does the Voice vote mean for trust, reciprocity and reconciliation in future?
- What does the Voice vote mean for recognition and justice in future?
One of the key messages to come out of the webinar was that now is the time for love and care of each other.
Professor Pat Dudgeon and Professor Jakelin Troy shared their experiences before, during and after the referendum. The hate, vitriol and division that they have seen amplified online and expressed in person has been most hurtful to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people while also doing great damage to our wider community .
The panel discussed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are grieving as are their allies and supporters. At this difficult time it is important for us to all remember that grief manifests itself in different ways and that we need to take time, reflect and respect each other’s differences.
Now is the time to hold space for people and allow them to share their feelings and process what has happened in a way that is most meaningful for them.
You can watch a full recording of the webinar here: https://youtu.be/OCEi3hgb2ug?si=_CplWYW14fFJXf3p