In adversity, hope: Reflections from our CEO
Greetings to all for the new year. I hope everyone reading this had a lovely break. While many new year… Read More
For many Australians, January 26 is celebrated as ‘Australia Day’, marking the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove in 1788.
However, for many First Nations people, it is a day of mourning, survival, remembrance, and ongoing pain. It marks the start of the invasion and colonisation of this land, the mass genocide of First Nations people, the dispossession of cultural practices, language, and Country, and the beginning of systemic and ongoing injustice.
January 26 is not a day to celebrate.
The Asylum Seekers Centre stands in solidarity with First Nations people on January 26 and every day.
As a human rights organisation, we actively oppose systemic injustices and work to shape an Australia where everyone is welcome, supported, and treated with fairness.
While we welcome people who have fled persecution and are seeking asylum in this country, we recognise that sovereignty was never ceded, and this land always was, always will be Aboriginal land. We also acknowledge that for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia is not a place of safety and freedom from persecution.
Instead of celebrating on January 26, there are a number of ways to stand in solidarity with First Nations people:
- Attend an Invasion / Survival Day event. For those in Sydney, we encourage you to join us at the Invasion Day Rally kicking off at 10am on Gadigal Land at Belmore Park, followed by the Yabun Festival on Gadigal Land at Victoria Park, Broadway from 10am to 7pm. Here is a list of Invasion/Survival Day events taking place across the country.
- Understand and learn the truth about Australian history. Check out First Australians, Frontier War Stories, Occupation: Native, National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC), Incarceration Nation, Whose Country am I on?, Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky, Common Ground, and so many more.
- Sign Clothing the Gaps’ ‘Not a date to celebrate’ petition.
- Support First Nations organisations by donating. Pay The Rent, Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), First Nations Response, ID. Know Yourself, National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, Seed, BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, Gunawirra, and many more.
The Asylum Seekers Centre acknowledges that sovereignty was never ceded and recognises the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay respect to their elders past and present and extend that to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.
