After almost two years of work, the Uluru Statement from the Heart was issued to the Australian people in May 2017. It calls for structural reform including constitutional change to create a new relationship between First Nations people and the Australian nation based on justice and self-determination, where Indigenous cultures and peoples can flourish and we all move forward.

It was contentious at the time, and the debate is still going on. What does it mean now? Will it help Australia move forward to a better future for First Nations people?

In COTA NSW’s June webinar, COTA NSW President Joan Hughes is joined for a discussion by fellow COTA NSW Director, Susan Moylan-Coombs and Thomas Mayor about the Statement, and the ways forward for Australia.

People who attended the webinar say that it was very informative, moving and interesting. Find out more about this important topic for Australia’s future below.

Susan Moylan-Coombs is a COTA NSW Director. Her ancestry is Gurindji Woolwonga from the Northern Territory. She has extensive experience working with First Nations communities nationally, with specific expertise in community consultation, empowerment and the facilitation of voice and storytelling.

Susan is part of the Stolen Generation and has lived experience of the trauma associated with removal, loss, dispossession, and disconnection. She has been a COTA NSW Director for the last 12 months, and she also contributes her time to several community committees in the Northern Sydney region.

Thomas Mayor is a Torres Strait Islander, a wharfie and the National Indigenous Officer for the Maritime Union of Australia. He has advocated tirelessly for the proposals in the Uluru Statement.

He is also the author of two best-selling books – Finding the Heart of the Nation – the journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth, and a children’s version, Finding Our Heart. The books tell his story, the story of the Uluru Statement and the remarkable people that he met on his campaigning journey.