Women For Yes, this Sunday, August 13 at 2:00pm an agora of ideas in the Athenaeum Theatre (by women in favour of the Yes vote, in the upcoming national referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
In a statement the organisers framed the event around the kitchen table conversations we all have, and thus called it, “Kitchen Table Conversations”.
Women For Yes will feature a panel on women’s activism, and a ceremony to introduce the Open Letter “Women For Yes”.
The speakers, and the panel, comprise of leading thinkers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and advocates. The Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney will address the gathering.
Maria Dimopoulos AM, the diversity advocate, and former advisor on multicultural communities, for the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety, (DJCS) and chair of Safe + Equal will participate on the panel.
Neos Kosmos asked Dimopoulos about the polls which are trending down on the Yes position.
“I have more faith in communities than I do on the polls,” Dimopoulos said.
She also recognised that “a lot of work” is needed and “important conversations with our friends, families, communities” to be had.
“I believe that we, as a nation, understand the significance of this opportunity to create a future that recognises its past and embraces justice, equality and human rights,” the Safe + Sound chair said.
Dimopoulos contemplated her Australian upbringing, marked by her family’s experience of racism, memories shared by many of us born to immigrant parents here.
“I have memories of my mother being subjected to racist tirades often told ‘go back where you came from” and her retort was ‘you better leave with me, because this is not your country either'” said Dimopoulos.
She added that the “visceral knowledge” born of the migration experience “demands acknowledgement of history and truth.”
Neos Kosmos raised the issue of Greek Australians, particularly of her generation, born in Australia, are sceptical of the Voice to Parliament.
“The Greek community and our culture are steeped Hellenic virtues of; ‘filotimo’- [friend of virtue], empathy and compassion – they make us Greek,” Dimopoulos said.
Dimopoulos added that she was confident our “Hellenic virtues” and our own “intergenerational experience with racism” will guide the majority of Greek Australians to the Yes side.
“I am confident our ancient philosophies what makes us Hellenes, our universal values, together with our diaspora experiences, will guide us to the Yes vote.”
Others who will take participate in Sunday’s event include Leanne Miller AM, the Executive Director, Koorie Women Mean Business, Fiona Stanley AC epidemiologist, child and family specialist, Belinda Duarte the CEO, of Culture is Life, Maria Dimopoulos AM
the Chair of Safe + Equal, Alana Johnson AM the co-founder of Voices for Indi, Ilona Lee AM
the Project Director, of Shabbat Table Talks, Duré Dara OAM from Global Reconciliation Australia and Mary Crooks AO the Project Director of Together, Yes
