Accor Pacific has invited Australia's hotel industry to join a growing number of organisations coming together in support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for a ‘First Nations Voice’ in the Australian Constitution and a ‘Makarrata Commission’ to supervise a process of ‘agreement-making’ and ‘truth-telling’ between government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The statement references the 1967 referendum which brought about changes to the Constitution of Australia to include Indigenous Australians.
The Uluru Statement supports calls for a Makarrata, a Yolngu word meaning a ‘coming together after a struggle’.
Lead artist Rene Kulitja (third from left) supervises artists Christine Brumby, Charmaine Kulitja and Happy Reid.
“We invite millions of guests each year into our hotels and resorts to enjoy the best of the Australian culture, landscape and environment," said Accor Pacific's chief operating officer Simon McGrath.
"It is then essential that the best of Australia represents our full history and our respect and pride in all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our country's rich history is welcomed by our guests and we are proud to share the story.
"Accor Pacific stand proudly aligned to our shared history and invite the industry to join us on the journey in support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
“In order to complete the Constitution, we must have a referendum. Each Australian must cast their vote to enact these reforms. To say ‘yes’ is not merely a vote to support Indigenous people by giving them a say in their own affairs. Nor is it merely a vote to rectify the historical mistake of not recognising them in the Constitution. To say ‘yes’ is a vote to move forward, together, so that we might ‘come together after a struggle.'"
To read the full Uluru Statement from the Heart, click here.
