Strong voice, collective responsibility

Then, in the course of the last two hundred years, you find yourself forcefully displaced from the same land, incarcerated and invisible.

For way too long, Australian Indigenous history has been whitewashed and side-tracked.

For way too long, Indigenous Australians' ways of living have been undermined and subsequently lost.

For way too long, First Nations people have been under-represented in our political system.

But now, the tide of history is changing.

As part of the Australian Government's commitment to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Australia will participate in a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution.

This is a crucial step towards reconciliation, recognising the importance of First Nations history and addressing injustices of the past.

Universities play a crucial role in progressing ideas and inspiring changes for the better. That's why UOW is committed to encouraging debate and discussion.

As a centre of higher education, we have the resources, expertise and platform to conduct research, promote critical thinking and engage with the broader community on important issues.

This year we are delighted to welcome our highest number of First Nations students ever, thanks to the passionate work of Woolyungah.

More importantly we are seeing these students graduate and going on to live their best lives.

For National Reconciliation Week (NRW) at the end of May, alongside our fantastic team at Woolyungah Indigenous Centre, we have prepared a daily program of engaging, educational and honest discussions around the Voice referendum.

As this year's theme is "Be a Voice for Generations", we will not shy away from tough conversations and embrace respectful dialogue, trying to foster the changes needed for a better and fairer future for everyone in Australia.

UOW and community leaders will come together and discuss why non-Indigenous Australians should not fear a First Nations' Voice to Parliament while debunking some of the myths that have circulated during this campaign.

Another UOW conversation will be led by Wiradjuri man Geoff Scott, one of the original signatories of the Uluru Statement, who will introduce the history of referendums and the Australian Constitution within a deeper context of what the Voice to Parliament will look and feel like for general Australia.

We'll also have a Community Day filled with music, dance and arts, where we will come together to learn, reflect on our shared history and celebrate the achievements and contributions of our First Nations peoples.

Last year, we launched the UOW Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2022-2024, which provides a united approach to equity and inclusiveness in learning, teaching and working environments.

As this plan continues to challenge and drive our journey towards reconciliation, I'm proud of the steps we have already taken as an organisation, from embedding local Indigenous cultural ceremony in our graduations to offering a wide range of scholarships and fellowships for First Nations students and scholars. But these are just the first steps.

Being a voice for reconciliation shows in tangible ways in our everyday lives, in the ways we talk about Indigenous Australia, the projects and people we support and also - how we vote.

I am thankful to our First Nations colleagues for supporting us on our journey to truth-telling and reconciliation.

I hope that when the Referendum time comes, we'll all be coming together as a collective community to use our strong voice advocating action for positive change while embracing our democratic society.