Category: News

Chinese Community Hosts Another Information Session on the Indigenous Voice Referendum

As the Indigenous Voice referendum enters its final week, on Saturday 7th October 2023, the Chinese community in Melbourne gathered for another informative session at Box Hill Town Hall. The purpose of this event was to provide information to the Chinese community about the referendum scheduled for 14th October, answer any questions they may have, and encourage community members to make well-informed and responsible choices when casting their votes. Over 100 individuals participated in this session, which was jointly organized by the RMIT University Chinese-Australian Studies Forum and the Chinese Community Council of Australia, Victoria Chapter (CCCAV). The event was livestreamed across the country.

Mr Rueben Berg, Co-Chair of the First People’s Assembly of Victoria, opened the event with an Acknowledgement of Country and delivered an impassioned speech in support of the Voice. The keynote speakers for the event included Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia; Dr Carina Garland, Federal Member for Chisholm, and Professor Sherman Young, RMIT University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education. Professor Charles Qin OAM provided excellent interpretation for their speeches.

The panellists for the event comprised a diverse group, including Mr Xiaoping Zhou, a well-known Chinese-Australian artist; Dr Jimmy Li, the President of the Chinese Community Council of Australia, Victoria Chapter; Dr Jun Fu, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne Graduate School of Education; Ms Yue Hu, Director of Transcultural & Language Service and Narrun Wilip-giin Aboriginal Support Unit at Northern Health; and Dr. Jing Qi, Convenor of the RMIT Chinese-Australian Studies Forum. The session was ably moderated by Mr Zach Eggleston, Advisor for RMIT University International Partnerships.

At this crucial juncture in history, we strongly encourage voters from the Chinese community to make their choices based on the simple, humble, and safe referendum question itself, as well as on factual and trustworthy information. Please consider the enduring benefits of a Yes outcome of this referendum for the Aboriginal and Torres Islanders communities, our nation, our international standing and a more equitable multicultural society. This also aligns with the long-term interests of the Chinese community. Meanwhile, by demonstrating a strong sense of justice and compassion, the Chinese community will undoubtedly gain greater respect in Australian society.

Vote Yes for recognition, reconciliation, and a better future for all Australians.

(RMIT University Chinese-Australian Studies Forum and the Chinese Community Council of Australia, Victoria Chapter)

华人社区再次举办关于原住民之声公投的信息说明会

随着原住民之声公投进入最后一周，2023年10月7日星期六，墨尔本的华人社区聚集在博士山市政厅再次举行了一场信息说明会。此次活动的目的是为华人社区提供有关将于10月14日进行的修宪公投的相关信息，解答人们可能有的任何问题，并鼓励社区成员在投票时做出明智和负责任的选择。有一百多人参加了这次由墨尔本皇家理工大学的澳华研究学会和维州澳华社区委员会（CCCAV）联合举办的活动。该活动并在全国范围内进行了网络直播。

维多利亚州原住民大会联席主席Rueben Berg先生在活动开始时进行了土地致敬仪式并发表了激情澎湃的支持“原住民之声”的演讲。本次活动的特邀嘉宾包括澳大利亚外交部部长黄英贤参议员，Chisholm选区联邦众议员Carina Garland博士，以及墨尔本皇家理工大学教育副校长杨善明教授。澳大利亚勋章获得者秦潞山教授为他们的演讲提供了卓越的口译服务。

本次活动的座谈会嘉宾包括知名的华裔艺术家周小平先生；维州澳华社区委员会主席李健民博士；墨尔本大学研究生教育学院高级研究员付俊博士；北区医疗跨文化与语言服务及Narrun Wilip-giin原住民支持部门主任胡月女士；以及墨尔本皇家理工大学的澳华研究学会召集人祁静博士。墨尔本皇家理工大学国际合作顾问Zach Eggleston先生出色地主持了此次活动。

在历史的这个至关重要的关头，我们呼吁来自华人社区的选民在作出投票选择时基于简明、谦卑和安全的公投问题本身以及符合事实和可信的信息。请考虑此次公投如果成功对于原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民社区、我们的国家、澳大利亚的国际地位以及更加公平的多元文化社会将会带来的长期益处。这也与华人社区的长远福祉相契合。与此同时，通过展现出强烈的正义感和同情心，华人社区毫无疑问将在澳大利亚社会中获得更多的尊重。

为了承认原住民、社会和解以及澳大利亚所有人的更美好未来，请在此次公投中投Yes。

(RMIT澳华研究学会和维州澳华社区委员会)

We are voting YES, and we hope you will too.
我们投YES，期待您也投赞成票。

It’s time… to support the Voice for recognition, reconciliation and a better future.
是时候…支持原住民之声，为了承认、和解和更美好的未来。

有话要说 – 走入澳洲原住民生活三十多年的华裔艺术家周小平先生的肺腑之言: Vote Yes!

• “周小平：走入澳洲原住民生活的华裔艺术家”: https://www.abc.net.au/chinese/2023-09-22/zhou-xiaoping-and-his-life-stories-with-first-nations-people/102885546

关于澳大利亚原住民之声修宪公投致华人社区的呼吁书

2023-09-19

(more…)

近期原住民之声活动, 欢迎参加:

• Melbourne Walk for Yes: Sunday 17 September 2023, 12:00 noon, State Library. https://www.yes23.com.au/melbourne_walk_for_yes
• Voice online forum by Jason Yat-Sen Li MP, Professor Peter Yu AM and Molina Asthana: Monday 18 September, 5:00PM. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gRVQcG6k
• Voice to Parliament online forum by the Asian Australian Alliance: Tuesday 19 September, 8:00PM. RSVP: https://events.humanitix.com/the-voice-and
• ‘Why Yes? Why now? Multicultural Communities and the Voice’ forum on Monday 25 September, 6:00PM, at Coburg Town Hall. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/why-yes-why-now-multicultural-communities-and-the-voice-eccv-forum-tickets-709256905497

Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum Will Be Held on 14 October 2023

• 为了尊重和承认原住民族，投 YES! | For Respect and Recognition of Indigenous people, Vote YES!
• 为了更好的效果和弥合差距，投 YES! | For Better Results and Closing the Gap, Vote YES!
• 为了愈合与和解，投 YES! | For Healing and Reconciliation, Vote YES!

https://voice.gov.au/resources/information-booklet :

Constitutional amendment

The ‘Proposed Law’ that Australians are being asked to vote upon is set out in the Constitution Alteration Bill. If approved at the referendum, the Bill would add the following words to the Constitution:

Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice

In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:

1. there shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice; 
2. the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
3. the Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.

https://voice.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-06/voice-fact-sheet-2-chinese-simplified.pdf :

宪法修正案
澳大利亚人民被要求投票的《拟议法案》已在《宪法修正法案》中列出。如果该法案在议会和全民公投中获得批准，以下文字将写入宪法。

For more information:

• https://voice.gov.au/
• https://voice.gov.au/community-toolkit/translated-resources/chinese-simplified
• https://www.abc.net.au/news/voice-to-parliament-referendum
• https://www.sbs.com.au/language/chinese/zh-hans/collection/voice-to-parliament