Multicultural Australia for the Voice – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

The Voice referendum transcends political and cultural divides. That is why our communities are uniting to support the referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition. Multicultural community organisations must take a leadership position in raising awareness on the importance of enshrining a First Nations Voice into the Australian Constitution.

Last week the Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia attended the launch of the Voice to Parliament YES campaign in Adelaide. It was a wonderful gathering of community groups, civil society, unions, business, academia, and most importantly, First Nations leaders and campaigners.

They all gathered with a unifying mission to encourage all Australians to vote YES to an Aboriginal and Torres Islander Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution.

This is about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples in the Constitution, by guaranteeing them a Voice in their own affairs. It is about ensuring Indigenous communities have a better say in laws and policies made about them. It is about respect.

Later this year, Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia will vote in this history making referendum. As multicultural communities, we have an important role to play in raising awareness and rallying support in solidarity with Indigenous peoples.

As migrants and refugees, many of us understand the importance of recognition and belonging. We know what it is like to feel excluded. And we understand the importance of having a voice in issues facing our communities. Many of us feel great empathy for this cause, and we want to see Indigenous communities treated more fairly.

Visit Multicultural Australia for the Voice Website

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	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.