News from Australia, 20/21 July.

Senator Lidia Thorpe's Blak Sovereign Movement (BSM) has released her own pamphlet criticizing both the Yes and No campaigns in the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament in Australia.

Do not be bullied by the Yes campaign and do not be intimidated by the racists. Do not let yourself be emotionally blackmailed. There are many good reasons to say No.

The BSM urges Australians to vote against the referendum, claiming that the Voice is "cheap window dressing" and a distraction from the real issues of truth-telling and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty.

The BSM argues that the Voice is powerless and would acquit the government of its continued crimes against Indigenous people.

They also criticize the government for ignoring other areas of reform and allowing worsening rates of suicide, incarceration, and out-of-home care for Indigenous children.

The BSM rejects the fear mongering from the No camp and claims that the proposed constitutional change is worded to ensure parliamentary supremacy and maintain the powerlessness of the Voice.

The BSM also criticizes the process that led to the Uluru Statement From the Heart, claiming it was top-down and did not represent the diverse views of First Nations communities.

2. The inaugural Ron Hurley Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Queensland College of Art, took place last night to honor the legacy of Ron Hurley, the first Aboriginal graduate of the Queensland College of Art and a respected figure in Indigenous communities.

The lecture featured a talk by prominent artist Gordon Hookey, who discussed both Ron Hurley's legacy and his own career, followed by a panel discussion led by Ron's daughter, Angelina Hurley, with emerging artists reflecting on the influence of those who came before them.

3. - Labor members have called on the Albanese government to withdraw from the AUKUS partnership, ahead of high-level talks between Australian and US ministers.

And, in a joint statement on Wednesday, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed they will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Conservatives vs Progressives: A Battle For Hearts & Minds

Australia and the world are in the midst of a tussle on the political and cultural stages. Conservatives vs progressives: A battle for hearts and minds. Those in the previously unassailable dominant cohort, white folk in the main, are being told that they have something to lose by their political leaders. Meanwhile, those growing minority groups and the lefty liberals want more progress on human rights and economic equality for all. The hardline right are playing culture wars by bandying about terms like ‘woke’ and ‘political correctness’ to attract more support from those on their side who have been economically left behind.

Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com

An Australian Struggle Between The Past & Hope For A Better Future

The truth is that these folks haven’t been short changed by progressive policies but by big business and their corporate masters. However, many people just don’t want to believe the bleeding obvious and prefer to buy more baloney from those they feel more comfortable with. The conservative side employ smoke and mirrors to whip up bogey men and women for their supporters to vilify. LGBTQI folk, especially kids, are prime targets for those who think that these people should not exist. Folk with different coloured skin and from foreign backgrounds are perennial targets for conservatives and their culture wars. Refugees and boat people! Women who have been short changed by society for millennia and still do not have equity in terms of same pay for same job in many sectors remain neglected in the halls of power. People with a disability are stuck in a time warp here in Australia, where their lives are shunned from the economic wellbeing enjoyed by the rest of the nation. First Nation’s Australians are not recognised as such by the constitution and continue to suffer accordingly.

No vs Yes: The Referendum Vote for An Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Peter Dutton doesn’t want Australia to be re-racialised, whatever that means. Denial of the endemic racism in this country is a favourite of white Australians. Aborigines are okay if they know their place at the bottom of the heap and they keep their traps shuts. Adam Goodes! Stan Grant! Racism? Nothing to see here, according to Peter Dutton, the Liberal and National parties, and ordinary Australians. A vote yes for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament is, according to Dutton, something that will split the fabric of the nation. What if that fabric has been one of quiet moral neglect and general indifference to the plight of generations of Aboriginal people. Trouble in Alice Springs with Indigenous youth, Peter Dutton says, send in the army. Ever heard of a ‘cry for help’ in psychological terms? No, it’s a law and order issue for the leader of the conservative opposition in Australia. Their 10 years in government did little to improve the welfare of Indigenous Australians. Apparently, that is okay and what the conservatives want for the ongoing future of Australia.

Photo by Zakaria HANIF on Pexels.com The Conservative No vs the Progressive Yes Conservatives vs progressives: A battle for hearts and minds is in full swing. The truth is that Australia has never properly recognised its First Nation’s people, rather it has swept them under a rug of normalised neglect and indifference. Racism has remained in the hearts and homes and workplaces around the country. Conservative leaders rarely call it out for what it is and play to it for the votes it brings to their candidates. The Indigenous Voice to Parliament campaign emerging out of the Uluru Statement from the Heart is opening up this can of worms long buried. Peter Dutton may see this as a bad thing but no real healing can occur without first exposing and then cleaning the wound. Conservatives vs progressives: A battle for hearts and minds of Australians. It is analogous to a family with a history of abuse in denial about it. There are those that wish to put it behind them without owning the problem. John Howard. Peter Dutton. These folk lack the awareness to understand that whatever you resist persists. We, as a nation, have to muster the moral courage to face the dark truth of our past and where that has left First Nation’s Australians.

Photo by Kelly on Pexels.com Family is important to most Australians, perhaps the most important thing. Families give their offspring an economic leg up wherever possible. If generations of your family were hamstrung by institutionalised racism over many decades where would that put you on the ladder of material wealth and power? Like the vast majority of Aboriginal people you would be far from the first rank. Your family’s wealth and prospects would not be up there with the Murdoch’s, Turnbull’s, Abbott’s, Morrison’s, Porter’s, and their ilk. The economic reality of a couple of centuries of determined neglect, hate, fear, and disenfranchisement is, often, poverty, incarceration, alcoholism, disease, and premature death. These things linger and are handed down from generation to generation, as low expectations become the norm.

There are still many white Australians who cross the street to avoid close contact with their dark skinned compatriots. Too many prefer not to live anywhere near their Indigenous brothers and sisters. Lots of ordinary Aussies listen to the racist news reports from Sky News Australia and read the right wing opinion pieces published in Murdoch’s monopoly of newspapers around the nation. They have had to be cajoled by sporting bodies not to abuse champion Aboriginal footballers from the sidelines. A determined section of fans troll these players on social media, seemingly, without fear of prosecution by any Australian authorities. Racism is the vilification crime that Australians will not acknowledge and the powers that be do not do anything to stamp out. It walks and talks among us like the elephant in the room. There is a battle going for the hearts and minds of Australians between the forces of conservatism and those wishing to see progress being made. The upcoming referendum vote for an Indigenous voice to parliament is an opportunity to begin a process of recognition, and, perhaps, healing. What side of history will you be on? Robert Sudha Hamilton ©Midas Word Read the full article

Uluru in Northern Territory, Australia

Another must-see attraction in Australia is Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, located in the Northern Territory. Uluru is a large sandstone rock formation that rises up from the surrounding desert and is sacred to the local Anangu people. The rock is famous for its rich red color, which changes with the shifting sunlight throughout the day. Visitors can take a guided tour to learn about the geology and cultural significance of the site, or explore the area on foot along one of the many hiking trails. The area around Uluru is also home to other stunning natural features, such as the nearby Kata Tjuta rock formations and the Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. A visit to Uluru is a unique and unforgettable experience, offering a glimpse into Australia's ancient and awe-inspiring landscape.

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Always was, always will be. Thinking, especially of all First Nations people, today. I will always be grateful for Australia for welcoming my family when they migrated, here, all those years ago & giving the family opportunities they wouldn't have had back in Sri Lanka, but while feeling grateful for that, I also acknowlege the immense damage colonization has done (& continues to do) in the past 200 odd years in Australia & the harm of celebrating the day the invasion began. The 26th of January is a day of mourning, not of celebrating genocide and we should all support First Nations people in this very simple fact. Many people migrate to "the lucky country", every single day, but just because it may give a better life than other countries, doesn't mean we don't have a long way to go. A very simple way of making this country fairer & truly better is to LISTEN to First Nations people, to truly support them, not just today but every day. - and remember to support the Voice for Parliment when the referendum comes. Australia's First Nations people are the oldest surviving community on Earth, even with the British's attempts which wiped out approx 90% of their population within 10 years after the invasion. Please give them the respect they deserve - and the space to grieve; today & every day. Visit this link (or click BLM Australia in my bio) for ways to support Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xabcfdcX9dRNblOtR8UC0mA50aP0G18g_hSIpyTKJ4s/mobilebasic #WhiteAustraliaHasABlackHistory #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #InvasionDay #DayOfMourning #LandBack [ID: yellow text on a pink background, reading "Always was, Always will be."] Posted @withregram • @paranormalwines We stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on Invasion Day and every day. January 26 is a day of mourning and reflection. We celebrate the strength, resilience and survival of the oldest continuing culture on earth. We are closed. #alwayswasalwayswillbe #whiteaustraliahasablackhistory #invasionday #changethedate #treaty #firstnationsvoice #ulurustatement (at Naarm) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2pCkYyzEw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

This is the #face of someone who’s #primeminister is NOT #scomo anymore. #australia #election2022 #ulurustatement #future #climateaction #letsgo #creatrixzbd #thenowooguru https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd1yzSyJ182/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Vote Yes - Paul Keating #voteyes #voicetoparliament from Maritime Union of Australia on Vimeo.

On October 14, Australians will vote on the establishment of a constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

The body would be independent and would offer advice to the government on matters that affect First Nations Australians. It would have no ability to veto government decisions nor would it oversee funding.

The Yes campaign argues First Nations Australians need a specific body to advocate their needs to parliament because they face serious and unique challenges which have not been solved despite decades of attempts.

#Yes23 #Yes23au #voicetoparliament #VoteYes #VoteYesAustralia #UnionsForYes #ulurustatement #IndigenousVoice #VoiceToParliament #maritimeunionau #voteyes

“Remember how shit the marriage equality vote was for us queers; having our humanity publicly debated, and hate speech not only permitted but actively platformed by mainstream media and institutions (including a stellar performance by UTAS, who allowed an “it’s ok to say no” event hosted on campus by Cory Bernardi- not that I’m bitter or anything)? Yeah, that sucked.Imagine having to relive that debate. Every. Single. Year.We shouldn’t still have to be having this conversation.” -  Jax Ewin

The Oils and First Nations collaborators wrapped up @womadelaide @adelaidefestival at Rodney King Park with the live performance of the brilliant Makarrata project. Just brilliant. #womadelaide #adlfest #ulurustatement (at WOMADelaide) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKQ-7nDyG0/?igshid=14qx4p93o43vx

#ThrowbackThursday #bigvolcano #tumbulgum #tweedshire #faithbandler #ulurustatement #statementfromtheheart #Repost @tweedregionalmuseum • • • • • • 📸 This historic photo includes Community Leaders: Zane Corowa, Nasuven Enares, Wally Mussing, Lerou Leichhardt and Faith Bandler at the CWA Hall Coolangatta, c. 1950s. Their collective and individual activism led to increased rights for Aboriginal and South Sea Islander people. And so, their legacies and family names exemplify an integral part of Tweed’s history. Like the Faith Mussing Bandler Park in Tumbulgum, named in honour of Dr Faith Bandler OAM who spent much of her life fighting for justice ✊🏾 🇻🇺 Dr Bandler cited stories of her father, Peter Mussing’s harrowing experience as a slave labourer as motivation for her activism, “My father was taken from his Island, which is the Island of Ambryn, that makes up the eighty-odd Islands of the nation of Vanuatu, at a very young age. He was about twelve or thirteen in the year 1883, and he was forcibly taken with other men and women and brought to Mackay.” 🌺 Born Ida Lessing Faith Mussing in 1918, Faith was one of eight children raised in Tumbulgum and later Murwillumbah, where she attended high school. In World War II, Faith served in the Australian Women’s Land Army and worked on farms growing food to feed Australians fighting overseas. ☮️ Faith was actively involved in the peace movement of the 1950s. In 1956, she was instrumental in setting up the Australian Aboriginal Fellowship, which led the campaign to abolish the NSW state government-controlled Aborigines Welfare Board (originally as the Aborigines Protection Board). 🖤💛❤️ Dr Bandler was also instrumental in the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines & Torres Strait Islanders’ campaign for a national referendum to change the Constitution. Since helping to win the referendum, Faith actively supported Aboriginal Land Rights and reconciliation. In 1997 she was awarded a Human Rights Medal. Sources: NFSA & The Encyclopedia Of Women & Leadership in 20th Century Australia. #TweedRegionalMuseum #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe Shared via @bigvolcano on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CKBZIVuJHCm/?igshid=o4pueo9h50ld

Today’s prompt: “warm.” Today’s inspirational quote: “5 hours’ drive. 300 liters perspiration. 1,000,000 flies. That’s just on me.” — @ccotterrell, aka King of Instagram Captions, upon visiting Uluru in 2015 🚗 💦 ☀️ Tomorrow’s prompt: “cool.” #uluruStatement #peachtober20 (at Uluru, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGgppCwhjGs/?igshid=ul1x1a7im41z

Wishing everyone a Dignified, Commemorative and eventually Happy New #AustraliaDay, #notNewHolland,our #Ancientland with a #GoldenHorizon from Dreamtime into the future...! UluruSky Golden Horizon, 2018 #digital art #simonalexandercook #UluruSky #newflag proposal for new #australianflag #turquoisegreen #greenandgold #ochre #magnitudinal #southerncross #australiaday #ulurustatement #changethedate #changetheflag #vexillology (at Riverside Theatres)

I’m posting this in honour of the iconic Uluru Statement from the Heart

From Jessica Mauboy’s Facebook:

I am honoured to be on the cover with these incredible women @misstap @sam_harris for the @marieclaireau “It’s Time” Campaign💫 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still not recognised in the Australian constitution. It’s time for change.

Just as the chains are gone from Uluru, the same thing needs to happen with our constitution. We need to lift the barrier to move forward. For me, Indigenous constitutional recognition would mean freedom 🌟 MARIE Claire out Monday, 30th December xx

#ItsTime @ulurustatement @marieclaireau

Such an honour to wear this jersey at #rwc2019. Still so much work to be done, but so proud to be paying respect to 60,000 years of enduring Aboriginal culture. 📷: @stu_walmsley #rwc2019 #ulurustatement #voicetreatytruth https://ift.tt/2AFB6i5

By popular demand ... #auspol #ulurustatement #malcolmturnbull #politicalcartoon #fionakatauskas