Aboriginal communities from across Australia are seeking financial support to come together in Sydney for a Treaty Talks Workshop on 23-25 January 2018, and to participate in the national ‘Justice through Treaty March’ on the 26 January 2017! While funds have been raised to host the 3 day event in Sydney, we are seeking support for Aboriginal speakers and communities to attend this important gathering to organise a community voice on an agreed Treaty and assert Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights! For more information see: https://indigenouspeoplesorg.com.au/ The march commemorates both the 1938 Day of Mourning and the 1988 Long March for Peace Justice and Hope, where 40,000 people showed their support for Aboriginal rights. ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTABLE! The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples will auspice the funds and provide an audit of all donations received, which will be provided on the website. The NSW Aboriginal Land Council, ANTAR, Get-Up and Amnesty all endorse this Aboriginal community event! Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from across this country are calling for a Treaty with the Australian Government as a means to implement self -determination and to address the stark disparity in economic social conditions of Aboriginal communities and structural racism. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, now endorsed by the Australian Government, asserts in Article 3: Indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination. Yet Australia remains the only Commonwealth colonized country without a Treaty with its Indigenous peoples. A Treaty builds on the Statement from the Heart’s call for a ‘Makarrata’, a Yolgnu word for coming together after a conflict, to move forward together. It also builds on several State based Treaties currently being developed. A Treaty sets a process to legitimately move forward in partnership between Aboriginal people and the Australian State. ‘Its time we help address grieving and loss in our communities and move towards healing our people’. Pastor Uncle Ray Minniecon ‘We want self-determination. We want democracy. We want the power of the people in Arnhem Land and in all Aboriginal communities to be recognised and our rights respected’. Yolgnu Statement,2012 ‘[I'm] campaigning on a treaty which is equal opportunities in self-management, self-determination — power for the people…We want the Government to recognise our Madayin system of law, and that it may be run in partnership with the Westminster system of law.’ Yingiya Mark Guyula We have received strong interest from communities wishing to participate in this significant March & Treaty Talks Workshop, please consider contributing to help Aboriginal communities to attend!