Catholics In Coalition for Justice and Peace

Blog Post

Let's really talk about constitutional recognition

Posted 18 Feb 2019 06:00PM

Let's Really Talk about Constitutional Recognition, with Jennifer Newman on Sunday 17 February 2019

"The form of constitutional amendment presently under consideration is confined to an act of recognition exercised by Australia, to which the responsive role available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is silent and passive." 

Through indigenist discourse analysis, with a strong narrative turn, Jennifer Newman gently (and admits herself she accompanies herself with "a lot of arm flapping") proposed an idea of engagement on the strength of reciprocal principles rather than compromising adversarial powers.

During Jennifer's warm, heartfelt and inspiring address to the CCJP seminar group on Sunday 17 February, we asked ourselves:

Was this the first time some of us felt that the concept of 'sovereignty' was not so complex?

Click HERE to VIEW Jennifer's document for quotes that ask for changed thinking in Australia today and BE INSPIRED by: Judith Durham (The Seekers) singing new words for our national anthem and READ THE TEXT of Noel Pearson's Declaration for Australia, a possible Preamble for Australia's Constitution.