Australia - This beautiful , unique amazing place that we call “the lucky country” is my home.
Australia - a place of opportunity where we are proud to say we live. A place that has given me a fair go, where most of us live in a free, democratic place.
A safe place
Our First Australians, who have been here for 60.000 years have got so much to offer. These humans, who have a passion for sport, art, music, dance and the environment - have so much knowledge and culture to share .
These people are struggling and are in pain .
They are struggling with health, education and opportunities - that is diminishing us all us all.
- They represent 2% of our population represent over 30% of the prison population .
- The gap between Our First Australians and the rest - seems to me a huge hole in our soul.
How do we close this gap - and make our land a lucky country for all ?
It starts by showing respect and acknowledgment to our FIrst People of Australia
It starts by giving a VOICE to our First Australians on matters that relate to them - with a view to closing this yawning gap.
The voice is about promising to listen.
Having a voice gives people responsibility as well as agency. Being involved in decisions that impact your life brings with it accountability for the outcomes.
By saying Yes to a voice and listening to it, we can tackle these problems in a more effective way.
Some say that a Yes vote will divide us.
In my view there is no disadvantage by saying YES , and by saying YES will be a small step closer in our journey th help complete us as a nation.
What a VC - blackbird says
A great piece by Rick Baker of Blackbird of why he and Niki is going to vote yes
I don’t claim to be an authority on this matter, but I think the concept of the Voice aligns with Blackbird’s values.
At Blackbird we have an ambition to tackle the world's greatest problems. The disadvantage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians face has long been one of our nation’s greatest problems.
Close to home, we see it in our startup ecosystem: a lack of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander founders, job applicants, people coming through our programs, and participants within our networks. We need to do a better job of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community.
At a national level, the Voice is an ambitious idea to change the way that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are represented and the way we come together to solve problems. It is the sort of innovation that we talk about when we think of a New Creative Nation.
While a YES outcome won’t solve everything overnight, it will disrupt two centuries of inertia. It’s the next step in the journey to reconciliation and equality. One that resonates with us at Blackbird.
Niki and I are both going to vote YES and we encourage you to do so too.
