History is Calling
Why Groundswell is supporting a Voice to Parliament
Groundswell’s mission is to build a community committed to funding and accelerating strategic climate action across Australia with a vision to create a healthy, just and sustainable future for all. In a country home to the world’s oldest living culture, our work builds on a powerful legacy of First Nations people who have cared for and protected Country for millenia.
Climate change is a symptom of extractive systems rooted in colonisation, which continues to cause deep harm to people, communities and our environment. Only when we can confront these injustices can we build strong and resilient communities where people and Country thrive.
Our commitment to First Nations justice has been foundational to our work towards a safe climate future. Over the years these shared values have played a pivotal role in the growth of our community and the development of our grantmaking and impact.
First Nations communities are strong and capable, and rich in knowledge and culture. Their expert knowledge of Country, land, sea and water management is unparalleled.
We know that First Nations people come up with the best solutions for their own communities and Countries. We see this in the leadership of groups we’ve been proud to support over the past three years, like Seed Mob, Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, Our Islands Our Home, Indigenous Peoples Organisation, Gudanji for Country, Pertame Language School, and so many more.
For these reasons, Groundswell will support writing ‘Yes’ in this year’s referendum and advocating for transformative change beyond this. We believe empowering First Nations people to shape national policies will result in better outcomes for all, and that the momentum generated by a ‘Yes’ vote will increase pressure on the government to ensure reforms endure across First Nations land rights, justice, treaties and truth telling.
We do this knowing the Groundswell community consists of 700 First Nations and non-First Nations people, each bringing diverse experiences, perspectives and approaches to creating change. People are having many nuanced conversations about the referendum and some in our community will hold different views. This needs to be respected so we can all move forward together.
We recognise that for many First Nations people, this campaign presents another responsibility on top of existing roles within their communities. In voting on a Voice to Parliament, First Nations people throughout Australia are being asked to put their trust in a system that has historically let them down and caused unimaginable pain and loss. We must learn the lessons of our past to create a better and fairer future.
Our support for writing ‘Yes’ comes with a commitment to show up for our First Nations friends and allies before, during and after this referendum. It is grounded in our dedication to achieving substantive change and we will maintain pressure on the government beyond this vote to ensure the outcomes lead to meaningful reforms.
Passing the Message Stick nationwide briefings
Led by Dr Jackie Huggins AM, Larissa Baldwin and Amelia Telford, the team has spent the past eight months researching the most persuasive messages to build widespread support for transformative policy change that centres First Nations-led expertise and solutions, including how to build public momentum and political will for more ambitious change both now and beyond the referendum.