Montmorency Community Group, a local Transition Town group, at their AGM invited a guest speaker on the campaign to vote yes in the upcoming referendum. This seemed appropriate for a transition group experiencing grief at the loss of habitat in their own suburb and understanding the value of connecting with country and with Australia’s First Peoples.
Here is their story:
Our local transition town group held our 14th annual general meeting last week. Whilst AGMs are important in recording a group’s activities and financial status and accomplishments over the past year, we also wanted a guest speaker to set the scene for the year ahead.
It has been our reflection that we are finally emerging from over 3 years of disruption. Our suburban community has like all others, been drawn together in new ways and in so many ways disturbed by the challenges and uncertainties of a global pandemic. Our local community in the village suburb of Montmorency, in Naarm ( Melbourne), on Wurundjeri country, has also been negatively impacted by the extensive duplication and ‘improvements’ of our railway line, the loss of our main wildlife corridor, as well as ‘improvements’ in the main retail area that extended the impact on local traders financially, and in the feeling of community connection amongst residents. Many have been in despair, or grief.
We sorely needed a reset.
This all informed our choice to have a speaker on the indigenous voice to parliament and the yes vote. In our take on what a transition town needs at a time like this, our steering group saw the need for restorative justice to the most vulnerable of our community, the First Peoples of our land. Having a speaker on THIS current topic made sense.
Jill from the Jagajaga for Yes campaign filled us in on the background, the recent history behind it, the intention and the purpose of the yes vote campaign. We got to ask all our questions and discuss our concerns. Importantly we got to identify ways to have conversations with family and friends who might have a different view to us, and actions we CAN take to encourage others with information, resources and a heartfelt sharing of our own views and reasons for a yes vote in the upcoming referendum. All of us present took up an opportunity to place a sign in our gardens to encourage others to vote YES. It’s climate justice. It’s social justice. It makes sense.
Resources:
Yes23 is a campaign led by Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Ltd https://yes23.com.au find the group closest to you at Local Yes Groups – Voice to Parliament
Together, Yes is a kitchen conversations movement in support of a YES vote in the 2023 referendum on a First Nations Voice to parliament. It’s a powerful way you can participate in the upcoming referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice in our constitution https://togetheryes.com.au/
Katherine Barling
Montmorency community Group
June 2023