The Ocean Grove Uniting Church has invited the community to attend an open forum on the Voice to Parliament referendum this Sunday.
The church’s Forum on the Voice, will give attendees the chance to hear from Indigenous education expert Kathryn Gale and ask questions about the upcoming referendum.
The Uniting Church has been steadfast in its support of the Voice to Parliament, announcing in February its belief in the Voice as “a critical step toward honouring the sovereignty of First Nations Australians… and furthering the work of truth-telling and treaty”.
The church’s Reverend Peter Gador-Whyte said all members of the community were welcome to attend, speak and listen.
“This is an invitation for people to come and ask questions, disagree, learn a bit more about it,” Rev Gador-Whyte said.
“This is a very important issue for me and I think the whole of Australia,” he said.
“(Those in) the Aboriginal community have grown up with a feeling of real dispossession of their land. And if we were in their position I’m sure that we would feel the same, we would be wanting to have at least some voice.
“If you don’t have that then you don’t have much say over your own destiny, your own future.”
Rev Gador-Whyte said Ms Gale’s experiences both as an educator and with her adopted brother, who was a member of the Stolen Generation, gave her a deep insight into the issues surrounding the Voice.
The Forum on the Voice will be held at Ocean Grove Uniting Church at 4pm on Sunday, September 10.
