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AAP
AAP
Politics
Rudi Maxwell

Young Indigenous leaders invite people to have a yarn

Uluru Youth Dialogue chairs Allira Davis and Bridget Cama want Australians to join a yarning circle. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO) (AAP)

Young Indigenous women Bridget Cama and Allira Davis want all Australians to understand what the Uluru Statement from the Heart is.

As co-chairs of the Uluru Youth Dialogue, Wiradjuri woman Ms Cama and Cobble Cobble, Barungum and Birri Gubba woman Ms Davis said part of their role is to explain where the Uluru Statement came from and what it calls for.

"And that's voice, followed by makarrata, treaty and truth," Ms Cama said.

"So we're in that first part of it now.

"Our Uluru Youth Dialogue members are out in our communities across the nation talking to everyday Australians, talking to Indigenous Australians about the voice in the upcoming referendum to make sure that they can make an informed decision when it comes time to vote."

Building on the popularity of earlier online yarning circles, led by Uluru Statement architects Professor Megan Davis - Allira's aunt - and Pat Anderson, Ms Cama and Ms Davis are inviting people to Start a Yarn.

Start a Yarn is a national program allowing the Australian public to participate in virtual yarning circles to increase awareness and understanding of the First Nations voice ahead of the referendum, which will be held later this year.

"It's really cool that we can bring it to a digital platform and take the work that we do in community online and and allow heaps of Australians to have access," Ms Cama said.

The "yarning circle" concept is used by many First Nations peoples across the world, as a space for active listening and reflection.

The online yarning circles give participants the opportunity to hear directly from Indigenous people about the Uluru Statement and the voice and ask questions about the upcoming referendum.

"I think it's a very simple message that we just need a voice in our own country and a rightful place in our own country," Ms Davis said.

The young leaders said it's important that voters understand the proposal for an Indigenous voice in the constitution came through a process of dialogues between First Nations people.

"Once you talk to people about the Uluru Statement and the background of the voice and they are able to engage with you as a First Nations person directly, people usually go at the end of the conversation, 'Oh my gosh, that makes so much sense, thanks for explaining it to me'," Ms Cama said.

Ms Cama and Ms Davis believe the requests in the Uluru Statement for voice, treaty and truth will help First Nations people thrive and address the problems in their communities.

"It's our future on the line and we want to see change in our lifetime," Ms Davis said.

"This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It's for our little jarjums (children) and the generations after that."

The Start a Yarn sessions will run for around 70 minutes and are suitable for individuals, workplaces and community groups. The sessions will be held on the next three Mondays: April 24, May 1 and May 8, starting at 12.30pm, and Tuesday, May 2, starting at 4pm.

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