It’s time to RECOGNISE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia’s Constitution and ensure there's no place for racial discrimination in it. It’s the right thing to do.
The AFL and Telstra are taking the opportunity to promote themselves by "hosting" Australia's official "Recognise" campaign.
Aboriginal elder Patrick Dodson has said that it's far more important to get the wording and the process right than to set a date for Australia to go to a referendum on recognising Indigenous Australians. Mr Dodson also took the opportunity to dismiss criticism by some people that the move for inclusion in the Constitution comes at the expense of addressing other problems such as incarceration rates and health issues.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-12/recognition-referendum-date-discussed-but-is-it/5963736
On the other hand, some groups such as the Aboriginal Provisional Government are saying proposed changes to the Constitution are nothing but tokenism and paternalism, and the major Government parties will not deal with the fundamental issues of land, reparations and self-determination.
While updating an archaic and offensive Australian Constitution is a move toward respecting the first Australians, especially for future generations to come, it is not really necessary to have the self-aggrandisement and fan-fare the Government bodies are touting to go with it - like a gourmet breakfast for top government officers at a King's Park restaurant to celebrate the W.A. Launch of the "Recognise" campaign.
Also, the neon and shadowed red "R" symbol for this campaign looks more like the R Rating Symbol for Restricted movies or like a sport's jerseys Letter ---- it brings to mind flames and shadows - and that is what this prelude to the change proposed for 2017 may bring. The Aboriginal and indigenous people's SPIRIT must be recognised, by way of a simple and genuine process for a fully collaborative proposal for a change to the Australian Constitution, AND urgently, by respect for Aboriginal people's connections to LAND and a hands-on Indigenous based task-force of all ages to address the issues that need attention, in order to restore Aboriginal dignity and culture.
The Aboriginal Provisional Government (APG) and the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) today issued a statement calling on Aboriginal people to unite on the call for self-determination, which would affect all aspects of Indigenous policy.
They state constitutional reform is nothing but “tokenism” and “paternalism”.
“Both the Coalition and Labor party refuse to deal with the fundamental issues of land, reparations and self-determination,” the groups say.
- See more at: https://newmatilda.com/2015/06/15/aboriginal-and-party-leaders-discuss-recognise-campaign-activists-call-more-radical#sthash.0G71HQdR.dpufThe Aboriginal Provisional Government (APG) and the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) today issued a statement calling on Aboriginal people to unite on the call for self-determination, which would affect all aspects of Indigenous policy.
They state constitutional reform is nothing but “tokenism” and “paternalism”.
“Both the Coalition and Labor party refuse to deal with the fundamental issues of land, reparations and self-determination,” the groups say.
- See more at: https://newmatilda.com/2015/06/15/aboriginal-and-party-leaders-discuss-recognise-campaign-activists-call-more-radical#sthash.0G71HQdR.dpufThe Aboriginal Provisional Government (APG) and the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) today issued a statement calling on Aboriginal people to unite on the call for self-determination, which would affect all aspects of Indigenous policy.
They state constitutional reform is nothing but “tokenism” and “paternalism”.
“Both the Coalition and Labor party refuse to deal with the fundamental issues of land, reparations and self-determination,” the groups say.
- See more at: https://newmatilda.com/2015/06/15/aboriginal-and-party-leaders-discuss-recognise-campaign-activists-call-more-radical#sthash.0G71HQdR.dpufAboriginal Provisional Government (APG) and the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) today issued a statement calling on Aboriginal people to unite on the call for self-determination, which would affect all aspects of Indigenous policy.
They state constitutional reform is nothing but “tokenism” and “paternalism”.
“Both the Coalition and Labor party refuse to deal with the fundamental issues of land, reparations and self-determination,” the groups say.
- See more at: https://newmatilda.com/2015/06/15/aboriginal-and-party-leaders-discuss-recognise-campaign-activists-call-more-radical#sthash.0G71HQdR.dpuf