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Echoing the cautious optimism of established

Indigenous leaders who see change on the horizon,

young Indigenous people looking to make a

difference, including those in Jawun’s Emerging

Leaders program, see a promising future.

It’s exciting to be a young Indigenous

person right now, but scary at the same

time. We hope we’ll see a new dawn,

if we can find the balance between the

two worlds.

—DIVINA D’ANNA,

EMPOWERED COMMUNITIES

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, AARNJA

Reflecting on the hopes of a new generation of leaders,

Jawun patron Noel Pearson envisions meaningful

change for the

whole natio

n, founded on Indigenous

empowerment, recognition and cultural embrace.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart, representing

the aspirations of 12 dialogues held around the

country, calls for meaningful recognition and

the empowerment of Indigenous people in the

constitutional arrangements of our nation

. 56

The

statement also recognises the link between cultural

embrace, self-determination and empowerment:

When we have power over our destiny our

children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds

and their culture will be a gift to their country.

Rachel Perkins, Jawun Board member and director

of Blackfella Films, describes the Uluru Statement

from the Heart as ‘a historic consensus from the

First Nations’ and ‘the beginning of pragmatic and

principled change for the benefit of all Australians’

. 57

These are big, bold nation-building ideas fuelled

by the coming together of a more empowered

Indigenous voice, and a greater awareness from

mainstream Australia that our national identity will be

enriched by recognising our first peoples and their

rightful place in the nation, and embracing Indigenous

culture as a proud, integral part of Australian culture.

It’s about building the skills

and capacity, creating

the passion, making the

movement. It’s about

working together, in

partnerships. The strongest

thing is togetherness.

—DIVINA D’ANNA,

EMPOWERED

COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT

MANAGER, AARNJA

74 JAWUN 

2017 LEARNINGS AND INSIGHTS