DNC Committee of Management and Staff Support the Yes Vote

Soon the Federal Government will be taking a referendum to the people where we as Australians will be asked whether we approve a change to the Australian Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

Victoria is the first jurisdiction in Australia to action all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the Victorian Government supports the Federal Government’s position on establishing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

At its monthly meeting the DNC Committee of Management unanimously resolved to support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, with the support of DNC staff.  This decision was triggered by the release of a statement by the Board of Neighbourhood Houses Victoria (NHVic) supporting the Voice to Parliament.

The NHVic statement was wholeheartedly endorsed by the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart invites us to walk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the journey to a better Australia.

Neighbourhood Houses were started by women for the economic empowerment and safety of women. We are now a sector of more than 400 organisations at the heart of their communities, including eight Aboriginal-owned community organisations.

We have assisted every new wave of migrants to integrate; supported farming communities through drought; helped communities respond and rebuild from fire and flood.

We acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are one of the oldest, ongoing, living cultures who have adapted and honoured country, and are still here today.

We believe communities thrive when they control their own destiny.

We believe every community member has the right to be heard, and that people flourish when they have the autonomy and resources to reach their full potential.

The Uluru Statement makes this urgent request: to take action through Voice, Treaty and Truth.

In response, Neighbourhood Houses will do what we always do: actively listen, learn with an open heart, organise and act, while taking the lead from First Nations people.

We heed the call of the Uluru Statement for a ‘fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a hopeful future for [all] children’ where Aboriginal and First Nations people are honoured and respected.

In this way healing can continue for everyone and we can all move forward together.

We support the Voice to Parliament and encourage all Neighbourhood Houses to walk with Indigenous communities on the journey to Treaty and Truth.

The Committee of Management and the staff at the DNC are committed to implementing the range of Government plans and policies designed to enhance outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and community. We believe in the power of education and community engagement to foster understanding, respect and reconciliation. By actively engaging with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, we create an environment that celebrates diversity, promotes equitable opportunities, and cultivates cultural understanding among our staff, students, volunteers and community members.

We encourage all members of the community to actively participate in the upcoming referendum.  This includes registering to vote, staying informed about the issues at hand, and engaging in respectful and meaningful dialogue with others. We believe that by participating in this democratic process, we can demonstrate our commitment to justice, equality and reconciliation.

Irrespective of the referendum outcome, consistent with our policies, the DNC remains committed to continue to participate in and support the recognition and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

 

DNC Joke of the Week

A bear walks into a bar.  The bartender asks “So what are you having big fella?”

The bear says, “Give me a ………………………… beer.”

The bartender says “What’s with the big pause?”

The bear throws his arms up in the air and says

“I DON’T KNOW I WAS BORN WITH THEM.”

 

[If you’ve got a better joke, (and doesn’t everyone??) send it to  admin@dncentre.org.au  and we’ll publish it. (Remember, this is a family publication! ?).  We’ll even include your name if you wish – or you can protect your anonymity!]