002. Australia voted NO to a voice to parliament, now what?
How to come together and create a shared vision for change.
Australia has voted NO to the enshrinement to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution at the 2023 referendum, after what I would consider the largest mobilisation of Australian’s to address Indigenous issues that I’ve seen in my lifetime. So what happens now: how can we advocate for a formal recognition of Australia’s Indigenous history, and how can we better work to close the gap moving forward?
The recent Australian referendum regarding the Indigenous voice to Parliament undoubtedly leaves many of us feeling like we've encountered a significant setback. It's important to begin by looking back at what transpired without passing judgment. We need to analyse the outcome and understand why Australians voted the way they did, examining various demographics, mobilisation efforts, and misinformation campaigns. This knowledge should inform our path forward. Despite the "no" vote, the referendum marked the largest mobilisation of the general public on an Indigenous issue in recent memory. This momentum, instead of being perceived as a failure, offers an opportunity to mobilise and motivate non-Indigenous people to take action. So, how can we sustain this momentum and drive change?
Creating a Shared Vision:
When I run workshops with HCN for people working across the social change space, we use a simple framework for change that helps us to create a tangible vision for the future and a roadmap for how we might get there. So we begin with the big picture vision: what do we want the future of Australia to look like? Building a shared vision is a crucial step, and it's something we often work on when collaborating with organisations and groups in the social change space. Techniques like the LEGO Serious Play methodology, diary entries from the future, visual representations, and vision boards can help create a tangible vision.
To maximise success, we want our vision for the future to be as inclusive as possible, which means listening to and understanding the perspectives of people on each side of the political spectrum. It's crucial to develop a vision that resonates with diverse perspectives, avoiding divisive "us versus them" mentalities. Instead of labeling people as progressive or conservative, Indigenous or non-Indigenous, we should aim for a vision that aligns with various viewpoints. A shared vision can drive collective action, uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Here are some ideas drawing upon the various views towards the referendum:
United Australia, not a divide; one → this means we don’t ignore indigenous issues, but the mainstream is engaged on these issues that are recognised as shared issues.
Treaty → the progressive no was driven by the need for treaty before voice
Indigenous wisdom at the centre → the voice sought to offer a platform for indigenous people to have a say about the issues that affect them, to have more agency and autonomy rather than being passive recipients of policy and programs
More grassroots funding → people were critical of the referendum campaigning encroaching on funding for indigenous community services and projects,
Higher degree of accountability → as an advisory body, the voice to parliament was criticised as not having enough accountability built in, which risked the voices being ignored as they often are by politicians who don’t always serve their constituents best interests
(Re)Writing Our Story
In order for this vision to really motivate and mobilise as many people as possible, we need people to 'buy in' to this story that we have made about the future. People need to see themselves as part of this story, and see the stories we are telling about history as part of our shared history, and this means we may have to (re)write our collective story about what it means to be Australian.
One of the first steps in rewriting our collective story of what it means to be Australian is recognising and embracing Indigenous history and knowledge. Indigenous history is not separate from Australian history; it's our shared history. Learning about the true history of Australia and engaging with Indigenous knowledge systems is vital. Podcasts like "Frontier War Stories," the docuseries "The Australian Wars," and books such as "Killing for Country" are valuable resources to explore.
Place-based learning offers a profound way to understand Indigenous culture and history. Experiencing Indigenous culture firsthand, ideally with guidance from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, can be transformative, which is why we are so grateful to partner with platforms like Get Your Guide, to help our community of changemakers engage in these experiences at home, or while travelling.
Developing a Theory of Change
The first step to creating meaningful change is to make sure you understand the issues you’re working to tackle thoroughly. We saw how easy it was for misinformation and disinformation to spread throughout the lead up to the referendum, because so many people didn’t have a proper understanding of the issue. So I encourage you to try this exercise yourself, and if you can think of examples that you might put in these different examples of desired change, than it means you probably don’t understand the issue as well as you should. And that’s okay— it just means you need to spend a bit of time really learning and listening to experts and those with lived experience.
Now we can take our simple social change framework, and start thinking about what this might translate to in reality. If you're not familiar with the framework, you can learn about it here.
What might we see within each of these categories if we were to achieve our vision for the future:
Informal Individual/Collective change
Increased public awareness and understanding of Aboriginal cultures and histories through grassroots educational initiatives, storytelling, and cultural exchange programs.
Recognition of our Indigenous history and culture as Australia’s shared history and culture
A greater number of non-Indigenous people engaging in respectful conversations about reconciliation.
Increased participation in and support for cultural events and celebrations, such as NAIDOC Week.
Formal Individual/Collective change
Implementation of inclusive and culturally sensitive education curricula in schools to teach Aboriginal history and perspectives.
The formation of grassroots community support networks that promote cultural exchange and understanding.
Cultural competency training and resources in workplaces and public institutions to reduce racism and promote inclusion.
Affirmative action programs to increase the representation of Aboriginal Australians in leadership roles and decision-making positions.
Formal Systemic Change
Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
Legal reforms to address historical injustices, including compensation for the Stolen Generations and comprehensive land rights recognition.
The development and implementation of comprehensive Indigenous land rights and self-determination policies.
Comprehensive healthcare and education policies that prioritise Aboriginal health and educational outcomes, closing the existing gaps.
Informal Systemic Change
Development of community-driven initiatives to address local challenges, such as programs focused on health and well-being, economic opportunities, and land management.
Initiatives aimed at reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal Australians in the criminal justice system and improving health and social outcomes.
Strengthening of cultural preservation efforts, including language revitalisation and the protection of sacred sites.
While it's essential to consider what you, as an individual, can do, this is a collective effort. Indigenous voices should lead the way, and our role as allies is to support, not to lead. Consider what actions are already being taken in your community and how you can contribute your skills and knowledge to those initiatives. The first rule is to listen to what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want, where and how they need support, and start there. Another suggestion would be to pick whichever of these speak to you. If you don’t have a lot of experience in the social change space, and you don’t know as much about Australia’s history and you want to start conversations about Aboriginal history as our shared Australian history, you would start by learning about that history. Maybe you could read books written by Indigenous Australians, and watch documentaries and listen to podcasts about that history. Maybe the idea of treaty fires you up, so you could look at the Indigenous activism groups that are campaigning for treaty, and see how you could volunteer and support these organisations as an ally. Maybe the idea of closing the gaps in the criminal justice system is something you’re passionate about, and you could look into organisations working to raise the age of criminal responsibility or those offering programs for youth offenders to connect to country rather than get locked up, and you could look into how you might be able to support them.
Listen to the full episode
Moving forward after the Australian "Voice to Parliament" referendum requires us to create a shared vision that appeals to diverse perspectives, develop a solid theory of change, and engage in collective action. By embracing Indigenous history, culture, and knowledge, we can rewrite our collective story and work together to build a more inclusive and equitable future for all Australians. Failure to plan is a plan to fail, so let's plan for a better future and drive meaningful change.
Click here to read the episode transcript.