Journey to Recognition

I’ve had the privilege over the last three weeks of taking part in various stages of the Journey to Recognition #jtorecognition, the journey being organised by the Recognise Campaign to promote the issue of constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution.

This has been real grassroots stuff that has resulted in fantastic connections with local communities along the way. I’ve been stunned by the generosity of these local communities to welcome us and engage in such genuine conversations about the issue of constitutional recognition.

And often it has been just the little things that have been so important. People stopping their cars to talk to us, some even offering money to the cause (this isn’t a fund raising journey) and there have been so many genuine conversations in local communities about the need to change our (non-indigenous) attitude to the issues facing the first Australians. Just yesterday, the people of Kaniva were fantastic. Now there’s a town that has got its act together! The level of community connectedness in Kaniva is absolutely stunning. If all local communities, whether city of country, were working to this standard, the world would be a different place.

The process of Constitutional Recognition will be just an initial but essential step in this. I intend to continue my commitment to both this Journey and the issue of Constitutional Recognition.