Marc Coleman’s Post

Now, more than ever, it is crucial for organisations to think and design differently. As allies reflecting on the recent anniversary of the Voice to Parliament referendum, we share the responsibility to support justice, truth-telling, and reconciliation. Closing the gaps across organisations and systems requires collective action and honest reflection. This is a challenge for all of us committed to equality and inclusion. Rethinking governance, service design, and support is still needed across sectors. While success metrics and fear of criticism can make organisations resistant to reflection, it is essential for driving authentic action. The future calls for us to work harder for justice across all marginalised communities. Let’s reflect and act: what will we do today to build a better tomorrow? #Reconciliation

Yesterday (26 May) was national Sorry Day. The "Bringing Them Home" stolen children report was tabled in Parliament 26 May 1997. Today (27 May) is the anniversary of the 1967 referendum to give First Nations people of Australia the right to vote. 3 June is the anniversary of the Mabo land rights decision. In light of last year's referendum on a voice to Parliament, I find this week's Reconciliation Week theme "Now More Than Ever" both energising and depressing. The great work of the Uluru Statement from the Heart didn't finish with last year's Voice to Parliament referendum. Australia has had work to do - the referendum would have set us in the right direction, with an enshrined ability to listen when shaping the laws that shape our nation. The latest Closing the Gap report shows 5 important targets are "on track" - leaving 19 vital targets without a clear path. Why? The Productivity Commission thinks Government approaches need to fundamentally change - to create the incentives to do things differently, and hold government to account when it fails. Without The Voice to Parliament, the task that faces Australia will be so much harder. Now More Than Ever, we need systemic, long term investment in doing things differently. Marginalised voices, perspectives and impacts need to be up front in policy and system design - measures intended to benefit all Australians must be specifically tailored to maximise opportunity and minimise harm for people facing systemic barriers. I heard on the radio this morning that Queensland is trialling 50c public transport fares to encourage people to use public transport and leave their cars at home. The pilot has been criticised as likely to benefit those who already use public transport, that live in wealthier areas supported by good public transport systems - potentially further marginalising other communities. Good initiatives need to recognise and change underlying biases and inequality in social, policy and physical infrastructure. New Digital ID laws were passed recently, with changes agreed in the Senate to promote inclusion. This is a good sign, as is the development of Commonwealth inclusive design principles. But this needs to be an ongoing focus of public policy across the board.

Reflections on a Missed Opportunity? It’s been almost a year since the 2023 referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. While the 'No' vote prevailed, I believe there’s still value in exploring what beliefs could have led to a ‘Yes’ vote. It’s not about why people voted as they did—it’s about what values and beliefs would have inspired a different outcome. Are these beliefs aligned with the culture you’re fostering? Could they be missing from your organisation, too? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gV4ZKZWD #Blakworks #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceCulture

→ If we want to rejoin the #EU, we must properly explain why 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗞 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗢 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗨 Over eight years since the referendum and many Britons still don’t know why the EU exists, what it does, and how it’s democratically run by its members for the benefit of members. Brexiters keep claiming that the EU is a failed project. But the truth is that most European countries are now in the EU or want to be. No member state wants to leave or is planning to leave. That’s hardly a failed project. ▪ Unfortunately, the Remain campaign, starting in May 2015, was inept, disorganised, and without a dynamic and effective strategy. ▪ Just as unfortunately, the Rejoin campaign is the same. There isn’t a proper Rejoin campaign, just as there wasn’t a proper Remain campaign. It could have been very different. We should have won the 2016 referendum without much difficulty. But the Remain side was smug, ineffective, and not at all prepared for the panzer warfare launched with such brilliant effect by the Leave campaign, albeit all based on lies, deceits and false promises. Remainers lost forty years of opportunities at awareness raising since Remain won the first referendum in 1975. For most of those forty years it didn’t seem to matter. Leaving the EU was not a mainstream call or promise of the main parties. Brexit didn’t seem at all likely, despite the lies propagated by some of our press. It was a huge shock that Leave ‘won’ the referendum – a shock to Remainers, and a shock to Leavers. We must not be caught out again. Misinformation about the EU still prevails. And there is still no effective counterattack. This could all be undone by a proper, professional campaign to explain why rejoining the EU would be in Britain’s best interests. What’s stopping us? © Report and graphic by Jon Danzig ▪ 𝗝𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗴 is an independent campaigning journalist and film maker who specialises in writing about health, human rights, and Europe. He is also founder of the information campaign, Reasons2Rejoin #Brexit #EuropeanUnion #referendum European Union European Parliament European Commission

A Goldman Sachs analysis indicates that the UK economy has grown about 5% less over the past eight years compared to similar countries, with Brexit being a significant factor. The potential real GDP impact is estimated to range from 4% to 8%. The UK is the only major affluent economy that has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, partly due to the cumulative impact of Brexit. Britain is in danger of becoming economically and politically isolated, and much poorer than its continental neighbors. For 900 years, England, and later, Britain, was able to play off the continental powers against one another. This policy, often referred to as "splendid isolation" or the "balance of power" strategy, was particularly prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries. This largely ended with the creation of the European Union. It was faced with the choice of becoming full partners, or exiting entirely. To their detriment, they chose the latter. Britain faces an existential choice at a vulnerable point in its history. We will see how the new Labour government deals with it.

One year on from the failed referendum, Kimberley leaders remain resolute in their commitment to a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are heard and genuinely influence decision-making. Kimberley Aboriginal people show remarkable resilience, moving forward despite the challenges, disappointment and setbacks. In Bardi language we say: Iwooloongan Iyoordin biinmal ningamoord ambooriny, Tide come in, tide go out. We are strong people. We know that 77.5% of remote Kimberley communities voted yes to a Voice to Parliament. We also know that our members remain committed to the need for a Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Body, one that works directly with government on the matters that affect our lives, our rights and our futures. The KLC continues to support the key reform concepts of the Uluru Statement, and firmly believes that a process to oversee both treaty and truth-telling is critical to achieving justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. To date, there has not been a nationally coordinated process of truth-telling about Australia’s history of colonisation. In the words of former KLC CEO Nolan Hunter and academic Damien Freeman, ”this has been one of the biggest historical barriers to genuine reconciliation in Australia". Linking agreement-making with truth-telling provides the potential for substantive justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While truth-telling can shine light on the wrongs of the past and their contemporary effects, agreements – or treaties – provide a practical way to address, redress and compensate for those wrongs. Agreements can recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s identities and political status, provide redress for past wrongs, and enshrine commitments from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments. They can be vehicles for economic and social empowerment and self-determination. To pave a way forward, we urge our Kimberley community and the rest of Australia to stand strong through these challenging times - the ebbs and flows of the tide - and rise with us. Together, we can close the gap to create a more just and equitable future for everyone in our region and our nation. - Statement by KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone  

→ If we want to rejoin the #EU, we must properly explain why 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗞 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗢 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗨 Almost eight years since the referendum and many Britons still don’t know why the EU exists, what it does, and how it’s run by the members for the benefit of members. Brexiters keep claiming that the EU is a failed project. But the truth is that most European countries are now in the EU or want to be. No member state wants to leave or is planning to leave. That’s hardly a failed project. ▪ Unfortunately, the Remain campaign, starting in May 2015, was inept, disorganised, and without a dynamic and effective strategy. ▪ Just as unfortunately, the Rejoin campaign is the same. There isn’t a proper Rejoin campaign, just as there wasn’t a proper Remain campaign. It could have been very different. We should have won the 2016 referendum without much difficulty. But the Remain side was smug, ineffective, and not at all prepared for the panzer warfare launched with such brilliant effect by the Leave campaign, albeit all based on lies, deceits and false promises. Remainers lost forty years of opportunities at awareness raising since Remain won the first referendum in 1975. For most of those forty years it didn’t seem to matter. Leaving the EU was not a mainstream call or promise of the main parties. Brexit didn’t seem at all likely, despite the lies propagated by some of our press. It was a huge shock that Leave ‘won’ the referendum – a shock to Remainers, and a shock to Leavers. We must not be caught out again. Misinformation about the EU still prevails. And there is still no effective counterattack. This could all be undone by a proper, professional campaign to explain why rejoining the EU would be in Britain’s best interests. What’s stopping us? © Report and graphic by Jon Danzig #Brexit #EuropeanUnion #referendum

NATIONAL SORRY DAY With Sorry Day upon us, and seven months passed since the Voice Referendum, I’ve been moved to reflect on where we are now. You will have noticed how active the NO voters who agreed ‘we need to do something, just not this’ have been. There’s been a Royal Commission launched into conditions in remote communities. Senator Price, mooted at the time as a ‘future Prime Minister’ has risen to play a significant role in the Opposition’s far-reaching policy proposals, and the Government has shown their commitment by staying the course signalled by the Referendum in the first place. Of course none of this is true and the almost total radio silence on these issues is both underwhelming and unsurprising. So where are we now? I was told by a student yesterday that she experiences racism on a daily basis, instances of overt racism are on the rise, and colleagues claim to have different versions of history they adhere to (ones which tend to make the white guys look good). The LNP in Queensland withdrew from the Truth and Treaty process (having ‘listened’ to the voters in North Queensland - just not the black ones who overwhelmingly supported the Voice). It would be easy to think we are lost - if we didn’t have tens of thousands of years of evidence of the resilience of our First Peoples! The next logical step seems to be truth-telling. The optimist in me says most non-Indigenous Australians simply don’t understand the process and implications of colonisation. The pessimist says they know but they don’t care. But while I’m an optimist at heart, I’m not a naive optimist. If we are to embark on Truth-Telling, a process which will be challenging and damaging, then the Truth-Telling needs Truth-Listening in equal measure! And make no mistake the Truth-Listening will be equally challenging and damaging. But it is necessary. If we are to genuinely move forward towards reconciliation, we need to do so from a place informed by truth, with acknowledgement of the past, and with genuine commitment to an improved Australia for all Australians. Non-Indigenous Australia can no longer take a laidback attitude towards reconciliation. Reconciliation can only be achieved with genuine commitment, from everybody. We might be famous for saying ‘she’ll be right’, but let’s face it, since colonisation, she never has been!

PRESS RELEASE Encouraging Dialogue and Understanding:  Addressing Public Concerns About the Treaty Principles Bill 12/12/2024 As discussions surrounding the Treaty Principles Bill (TPB) continue to spark passionate debate, Waipā DC Councillor Morgan is calling for an informed approach to the public discourse. This moment offers an opportunity to foster understanding, encourage balanced views, and promote education about the values underpinning Te Tiriti o Waitangi and their relevance in modern governance. "The TPB has understandably raised questions and concerns across our communities," says Morgan. "Instead of allowing fear and misinformation to dominate the conversation, we need to create space for kōrero - open honest, and respectful dialogue that helps us all better understand the issues at hand". Rather than focusing on polarising rhetoric, Morgan is urging leaders and community members to prioritise education and engagement. "Te Tiriti of Waitangi is a cornerstone of our nation's identity." Morgan continues, "Understanding its principles and how they guide fairness and inclusion in governance is key to ensuring everyone feels heard and valued we need to take a compassionate approach, listening to concerns while also ensuring that accurate and balanced information is accessible to all." Challenging Fear and Misinformation Recent campaigns that promote a referendum on the TPB have drawn criticism for targeting vulnerable communities, particularly elderly residents within Cambridge and across the Waipā constituency, with fear-based narratives. Morgan emphasises the importance of replacing fear with understanding and misinformation with education.  "It's vital that we protect our communities from campaigns designed to create division, " says Morgan. "Instead let's work together to ensure everyone has the information they need to make informed decision, grounded in truth and guided by the values of manaakitanga and tika." Morgan also acknowledges the wide range of perspectives on the Treaty Principles Bill, inviting people from all walks of life to engage in meaningful conversations for Aotearoa.  "This is not about 'us versus them," she says. "It's finding common ground, recognising shared benefits of fairness and inclusion, honouring the promises of the Te Tiriti. These conversations aren’t always easy, but necessary for building understanding, strengthening our communities." Councillor Morgan is encouraging Waipā residents, all NZers across the country to seek, balanced and trustworthy information about the TPB and to approach the topic with an open mind and commitment to respectful dialogue. "This is a pivotal moment for Aotearoa," says Morgan. "We can choose to let misinformation to divide us, or we can choose to come together, learn and grow as a nation. By taking the time to understand each other and the principles of Te Tiriti, we strengthen not just our governance, but also the relationships that bind us as a country. ENDS

Today is a difficult day for many. The outcome of the referendum, while final, does not erase the deep hurt caused by the process itself. The resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continues to inspire me, but it’s important to recognise that their strength should never be used to justify ignoring the harm and division that has surfaced. Moving forward means taking a hard look at the lessons from the referendum and acknowledging the uncomfortable truths it exposed about the Australian nation. Yet, we also must remember that over 6 million Australians cast a vote for equality, inclusion, and a better future by voting ‘Yes.’ This is a reminder that many share the hope for a more just and inclusive Australia. In the powerful words of Professor Megan Davis: This is not about right and left. It’s about right and left foot. Rolling out of bed and putting one in front of the other. Walking alongside all Australians. In a Movement of the Australian People for a Better Future: https://lnkd.in/g4cH7NBp The path ahead requires unity, deep reflection, and a commitment to true reconciliation—one that listens to and honours Indigenous voices. #VoiceReferendum #IndigenousRights #Reconciliation #ReflectAndLearn #AustraliaForAll #InclusionAndJustice Image Credit: Clothing The Gaps email received 14/10/2024.