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Change The Date


Content Warning – post mentions colonial violence.


Photo credit: Tamara Watt


For First Nation’s community and an increasing number of non-First Nation’s Australians, the 26th of January is a day of mourning. The day marks the beginning of the colonisation of Australia – the beginning of frontier wars and widespread massacres of indigenous peoples, and the loss of sovereign rights to their land and severing of cultural and spiritual connection to country.


When we learn of the atrocities behind what this day truly represents and commemorates, it’s baffling to consider why we still celebrate it at all, particularly in a time where work is being done to move towards healing, acknowledgment and reconciliation.


The unwillingness from the government to change the date is a difficult thing to understand.


We need to be strong allies along this journey. We need to be the kind of people who stand up and speak up to make our collective message louder and clearer until it can no longer be ignored. Learning about the true and painful history of Australia is a crucial part of being an ally, of being an Australian.


There are many avenues of learning you can take, and a plethora of resources available to begin this journey. I’ve included some links below to…



And our upcoming Wyndham Building Blocks Allies in Community Leadership program. ‘A journey of cultural sharing, understanding and reconciliation’: https://www.hothouseprojects.org/courses-1


Please consider joining us.


 
 
 

Comentários


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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia, especially the lands of the Kulin Nations whose countries surround the city of Naarm (Melbourne, Australia), where we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

 

We recognise their sovereignty and continuing connection to land, waters and culture, and the importance of the current and ongoing dialogue for Treaty and a Voice to parliament. We recognise the sorrow this struggle brings and admire their strength to continue. We are appalled by the impact of our colonial past but see that all of us have benefited from this dispossession.

 

We give our commitment to being good allies towards the achievement of justice and healing. This includes honouring the work and ways of knowing of First Nations people with whom we collaborate.

We publicly acknowledge the grief, loss, sadness and vulnerability of survivors and victims of family, private & gender-based violence. In recognition we commemorate children, young people, adults and older adults surviving and those who have died as a result of such violence. Please take 30 seconds of quiet contemplation for change and reflect on HOPE, COURAGE and HEALING for victims, our community and ourselves.

Thank you Güler Altunbas for these words. See www.shrineforus.com

E: info@hothouseprojects.org     P. 0437 747 600

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