First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing supports a YES Vote

Every day, the staff at First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing – from our reception desks to our clinical rooms – deliver strength-based care. That means when you mob walk through the doors at our clinics, we see your strength, your capability, your hope and your power first. In the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the words that speak loudest to us, and guide our work every day, are:

Proportionally, we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately criminal people. Our children are aliened from their families at unprecedented rates. This cannot be because we have no love for them. And our youth languish in detention in obscene numbers. They should be our hope for the future.

As an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation, and a source of truth on many topics for our communities, First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing is receiving a growing number of requests for information and guidance on the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament.

As a trusted healthcare provider, we see ourselves as having a role in supporting mob to access clear, factual, and current information on Voice, Truth and Treaty. We know there are many benefits to our health and wellbeing when we feel informed and empowered. When we are well informed, we can take part in conversations, form our own opinions and make decisions for ourselves. This is self-determination, and self-determination is at the heart of our healing, and our health.

As an organisation, we support respectful dialogue on Voice, Truth and Treaty. In the lead up to the referendum, we will share information and resources with you about the Voice to Parliament through our website and social media. We hope this will help you find the information and answers you need to form your own opinion.

First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing shares a collective commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and a YES vote in the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament.

We believe a YES vote will improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We believe a YES vote will further self-determination. For First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing, that means doing more for mob through the services we deliver.

We believe a YES vote will save lives.

It’s time to walk together. It’s time to change the constitution and recognise our peoples as the First Peoples of Australia.

We know that when the conversations turn to debate – in the media and in our lives, it can be hurtful and overwhelming. There’s a lot of misinformation around and many of our clients and patients are experiencing more racism at this time.

By listening, opening discussions and sharing our experiences we hope to continue to support mob’s physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing. For anyone who is feeling overwhelmed or distressed by the things they’re reading or hearing and wants to have a yarn with a health professional at one of our clinics, please call First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing on (03) 9070 8181. Together we are strong.

For media enquires:

Karinda Taylor

Chief Executive Officer

karinda.taylor@fphw.org.au

0477 622 210