Reflections from Garma (& The Voice)
Matt Sykes
Ecological Leadership // Founder at Regeneration Projects; Co-Founder at Swimmable Cities; Co-Host at Two Bays Podcast
Nh?mirri nhe / How are you?
What an inspiring four days of listening, observing and interpreting Yolngu culture. As the Festival closes, I feel very grateful to the Gumatj clan for welcoming myself and thousands of Balanda / non-First Nations People from around the country to celebrate, share and learn together.
From King Stingray to the PM, the bungul / dance ground to my Amala / adoptive Mother's fire circle, Garma 2023 has been an incredible showcase of Dhambatj / Yolngu Excellence. After visiting in 2008 and 2017, it was so good to be back and reconnect.
What about the Voice to Parliament you ask?
Yes, Albanese was here and made a rallying, genuinely inspiring speech. Unlike his recent predecessors, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is acting more on what he's promised and proactively leading on positive change. In doing so, he's building our confidence, especially gaining the faith of many young citizens.
But his speech is not only what will inform my YES vote in the referendum.
It's also the conversations with First Nations Elders, youth, friends, family and colleagues that makes it a no brainer.
Putting the politics aside, I deeply value and respect their voices. As leaders, they are some of the most honest, wise, funny and civic-minded people I know. I believe that their collective Voice will bring more fairness, equality, opportunity and hope for First Peoples and for our whole Country.
The systemic disadvantage and deficit-mindset which has trapped Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People for generations is totally unacceptable. There is no upside, no competitive economic advantage or rational logic to justify persistently poor standards in health, education, housing and employment. Even if it is only 3% of our population, that 3% represents the descendants of the world's oldest living culture, a rich, diverse and generous community that continues to survive and thrive. They deserve a Voice.
At the end of the day, recognising our Indigenous yapa / sisters and wawa / brothers in Australia's constitution is long overdue.
领英推荐
It might sound crazy to some, but there is a 'vine of love' that connects us all. Fighting or resisting that common humanity for fear of change and the unknown, is just that, fear. On the other side of that threshold is wholeness, so many new things to learn from each other and big global issues that are calling us to combine new and old ways of thinking, like climate change.
Of course, it's not going to be easy. In truth, it's going to take years of trial, error and iteration to practice how we can live, learn and grow better across cultures. Personally, I'm so up for that challenging and rewarding journey, and willing to continue to commit this to being a core part of my life and work.
In the words of Yothu Yindi, together let's...
"Go go, go go living in the mainstream,
Go go, go go under one dream."
For me, walking away from Garma the message is simple - vote in the referendum with your heart and your head.?
Be informed, go to:
Written by a camp fire under a sky full of stars at Gulkala, North East Arnhem Land, Yolngu Country. August 7 2023.
Regenerative design for response-able communities ?? facilitator ?? community animator ?? cycle everything, move slow and grow things ?? there is no Planet B
1 年thanks for standing alongside our First Nations to share these important messages Matt - really beautifully written.