AEGN

The Voice to Parliament

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a critical step towards reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by supporting all three elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart: Voice, Treaty and Truth.

AEGN statement

The AEGN says Yes to a Voice to Parliament

The Uluru Statement, the culmination of years of regional dialogues around the country, generously invited us all to walk together with First Nations people “in a movement of the Australian people for a better future”.

The Statement calls for a First Nations Voice to Parliament to be enshrined in the constitution. The referendum on the Voice will be held on 14 October 2023.

Voting Yes to the First Nations Voice is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move forward as a nation towards greater equity, justice and unity and to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say about policies that affect them.

The AEGN responds to this invitation with a resounding YES!
For the AEGN, achieving justice for First Nations people in Australia goes hand-in-hand with achieving our vision of a future where people and nature thrive.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have managed their lands for tens of thousands of years to protect Country and culture. Today, First Nations people own and manage Country that covers more than half of Australia, representing some of the most diverse and intact landscapes on Earth. Cultural land management also plays a critical role in sequestering carbon and addressing climate change.

We acknowledge the pain and anguish the debate around the Voice is causing for First Nations communities. Our thoughts are with you.

We know that AEGN members and many in philanthropy are already supporting organisations campaigning for writing ‘Yes’ in the referendum and getting personally involved by volunteering their time and having conversations in their networks to shift hearts and minds. We commend you for your efforts.

We urge you to do all you can and to consider how you can continue your support beyond the referendum, which is one critical step towards a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have achieved justice and equity, and are fully empowered and recognised.

How philanthropy can get involved

Polling shows the Voice continues to receive overwhelming Indigenous support. Two polls from 2023 confirm that 80 per cent and 83 per cent of Indigenous people support the Voice, which is also backed by Indigenous peak bodies.

The philanthropic sector, too, is strongly supportive of the Voice and the yes campaign, including Philanthropy Australia and many foundations and donors, including AEGN members.

More broadly, the Voice to Parliament is supported by corporate Australia, including eight of the top ten ASX-listed firms, Business Council of Australia and Australian Institute of Company Directors, church and faith groups, unions, multicultural communities, community organisations and peak bodies of all the major sporting codes.

Give philanthropic funding

Fund organisations working on the “Yes” vote and implementation of the Uluru Statement.

Members are encouraged to share organisations that they are funding via the AEGN Project Clearinghouse. You may wish to consider funding for the Yes vote and Uluru Statement in addition to your usual funding to avoid redirecting funding from other important ongoing programs.

There are many funding opportunities and you will want to do your own research but here are a few examples:

Australian Communities Foundation Voices for Impact

AEGN member the Australian Communities Foundation is running a Voices for Impact Program that encourages philanthropic funding of organisations advocating for a Yes vote.  These include: 

You can watch a video recording of each of these organisations speaking about their work at the ACF Voices for Impact launch event held in April.

Climate 200 Community Voice Fund

Following extensive consultation and encouragement from Climate 200’s community to activate its fundraising network and training skills to empower grassroots efforts, the community democracy organisation established a dedicated fund to support community groups campaigning for ‘Yes’.

Climate 200 has already raised $325,000 into its Community Voice fund to support grassroots community groups campaigning for ‘Yes’. 18 grants have been approved to date, and new applications continue to roll in.

There is demand for at least another $175,000 to help another 6–12 communities with on-the-ground voter persuasion.

You can find out more about the pledge on the AEGN Project Clearinghouse.  

GetUp Australia

With 1 in every 20 Australians being members of GetUp!, the #WriteYes campaign is amplifying key YES messages, along with other YES campaign actions.

GetUp! is led by Larissa Baldwin Roberts, a respected Widjabul Wia-bul/Bundjalung leader. Larissa has dedicated her life to First Nations justice and climate action. She co-founded the highly respected SEED, Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network, and was one of four members of the steering committee of Passing the Message Stick.

You can find out more about the pledge on the AEGN Project Clearinghouse.  

Indigenous Law Centre

The referendum on the Voice is our opportunity to actualise the gift of the Uluru Statement from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to Australia. It needs support – including in the form of financial support.

Guided by the Uluru Statement, the Voice is crucial to First Nations self determination, essential in caring for country and addressing climate change as in health, education and economic participation.

You can find out more about the pledge on the AEGN Project Clearinghouse.  

It’s Not A Race Ltd

F YES is a collective of content creators who say YES to this referendum for the Voice to Parliament.

Donate today to help us make content to overcome misinformation about the Voice and help it spread to everyone who needs to see it.

You can find out more about the pledge on the AEGN Project Clearinghouse.  

Philanthropy Pledge for the Yes campaign

A group of philanthropists have developed a pledge campaign to raise $20 million for work to promote and support the “Yes” vote. These include the Paul Ramsay Foundation, The Myer Foundation and the Snow Foundation, as well as other AEGN members and philanthropists.  The pledge is well on the way to reaching the goal but contributions are still needed.   You can find out more about the pledge on the AEGN Project Clearinghouse.  

Yes23

Support listening, recognition, and better results. This referendum is about straightforward ideas and practical solutions:

  • Recognising and respecting 65,000 years of Indigenous culture for the first time in Australia’s 122-year-old constitution.
  • Listening to advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about matters that affect their lives, so governments make better decisions.
  • Protecting the Voice from politics and bureaucrats by putting it in the constitution, giving it the security it needs to provide meaningful and honest advice.
  • Over 80% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community support this proposal. It has been designed and agreed on by Indigenous leaders over many decades.

You can find out more about the pledge on the AEGN Project Clearinghouse.  

Get informed

Information sessions and useful websites

Find out more about the Voice to Parliament and how you can get involved in supporting the Yes campaign by attending philanthropy information sessions or reading further, including these useful websites:

  • Yes23  (led by Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition) — learn more about the Voice and why it is important, sign up for the Yes23 regular updates and volunteer to get involved in supporting the Yes campaign;
  • Uluru Dialogue (Indigenous Law Centre UNSW) – learn more about the Voice and the background to the Uluru Statement (including the history that led to and shaped the process and content) and sign up for regular updates and take action;
  • Passing the Message Stick – this two year research project distils the most effective messages to build public support for First Nations justice and self-determination.
  • Together Yes (Victorian Women’s Trust) – advice, support and resources to host kitchen table conversations on the Yes vote;
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, Australian Government — the latest updates about the Voice to Parliament; and 
  • Reconciliation Australia — information regarding the Voice to Parliament.  
Resources
  • Passing the Message Stick referendum resources — this multi-year First Nations-led research project is designed to shift public narrative in support of First Nations justice and self-determination. Find practical recommendations, example messages, the full 120-page report, conversation guide, recordings of the online briefings, upcoming events, social media tiles to share and more.
  • Keynote speech, the AEGN Annual Conference 2023 (video) — Larissa Baldwin-Roberts makes a compelling case for supporting the yes campaign on the Voice to Parliament (as well as listening respectfully to the progressive “no”) and the need to make powerful values-based arguments so the reason to support the Voice is clear.
  • Dr Charles Perkins Oration 2022 (video, ABC iView) — Larissa Baldwin-Roberts’ powerful oration on climate change, the referendum and the need for positive systemic change.
  • ‘An idea whose time has come’ (video) — in this powerful TED Talk, Dean Parkin explains the origins and meaning of the Uluru Statement From The Heart and how the Voice builds on decades of activism in pursuit of constitutional reform and self-determination.
  • 10 questions about the Voice to Parliament answered by the experts — The Conversation
Event recordings and presentations
  • Launch of Passing the Message Stick (Australian Progress, Dr Jackie Huggins and GetUp) Watch the event recording
  • The Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians, addresses the National Press Club of Australia (7 July 2023)
    Watch the event recording or read the transcript
  • First Nations leaders working towards the Voicehosted by Australian Communities Foundation (27 April 2023)
    Featuring Dr Jackie Huggins AM, FAHA, Rachel Perkins, Larissa Baldwin-Roberts and more. Watch the event recording 
  • Update on Voice to Parliament with Hon Linda Burney MP, hosted by Philanthropy Australia (5 April 2023)
    The Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians, provided an update on the referendum and was joined by Cobble Cobble woman Professor Megan Davis (Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous UNSW and a Professor of Law, UNSW Law) and Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman Rachel Perkins (Co-Chair, Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition) to discuss the role of philanthropy in the referendum.   Watch the event recording
  • ‘Reckoning with Australia’s settler colonial history’ on Radio National — Aboriginal legal experts, Megan Davis and Teela Reid, discuss how a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the constitution is the necessary first step to healing Australia’s history.

For the AEGN, achieving justice for First Nations people in Australia goes hand-in-hand with achieving our vision of a future where people and nature thrive.

Countdown to referendum — 14 October 2023

The referendum on the Voice to Parliament will take place on 14 October 2023. As we approach the critical last weeks of the Yes campaign, it’s now or never for stepping up and getting involved. In addition to funding, you may like to:

  • Volunteer for Yes23  
  • Volunteer for GetUp’s #WriteYes campaign 
  • Support your staff to volunteer during work hours (see ACOSS’ guidelines for an example policy)  
  • If relevant, advise grant partners that project timelines and reporting requirements can be amended to accommodate staff campaigning during work hours (Cass Goldie from ACOSS and Allies for Uluru advised that this would be helpful) 
  • Support First Nations staff impacted by the public debate, see NITV discussion and resources 
  • Share snippets from Larissa Baldwin-Roberts (CEO of GetUp!) and Millie Telford (First Nations Justice Director at Australian Progress, leading the First Nations Referendum Rapid Response Grants) on why writing “yes” matters 

‘Voice for community, culture, Country and climate’ 

Wednesday 27 September
1.00pm – 2.00pm AEST

AEGN member event (online)

Join Adrian Appo, Neane Carter and Ricky Archer for a discussion on why the Voice to Parliament is essential not only for equity, justice and unity but also for healthy Country and a safe climate. Please bring along any family members or others involved in your giving that are undecided.

Be a Voice for Generations

Fund this year’s First Nations Showcase projects