Στόχος της εκδήλωσης ήταν η καλύτερη δυνατή ενημέρωση των μελών του Ομίλου αλλά και της ελληνοαυστραλιανής κοινότητας ευρύτερα για αυτό το θέμα.
Συμμετείχαν ως ομιλητές: οι:
Dr Shireen Morris, Ανώτερη Υφηγήτρια στο Συνταγματικό Δίκαιο στο Πανεπιστήμιο Macquarie University και Director του Radical Centre Reform Lab.
Mark Coure MP, Βουλευτής της ΝΝΟ και σκιώδης υπουργός θα θέματα Πολυπολιτισμού.
Παναγιώτης Δούκας, OAM, Πρόεδρος του οργανισμού Ethnic Communities Council NSW
Ken Zulumovski DHSc, Kira-Dhan Gubbi-Gubbi man, πρώην έφεδρος του Αυστραλιανού Στρατού Australian Army Reservist και ιδρυτής του Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources (G.U.I.R
Η συζήτηση πραγματοποιήθηκε την Δευτέρα 18 Σεπτεμβρίου και ήταν στη Αγγλική γλώσσα. Συντονίστρια ήταν η πρόεδρος του Ομίλου, Έλλη Σταματελάτου.
Πριν την εκδήλωση ο φορέας είχε στείλει το ακόλουθο Δελτίο Τύπου στα Αγγλικά.
GREEK-AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY (GAS) TO HOST VOICE REFERENDUM PANEL
The Greek-Australian Society (GAS) has announced a panel conversation titled ‘Greek-Australians and the Voice to Parliament’, to be held online next Monday 18 September.
Ahead of the 14 October referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, GAS has endeavoured to equip its members and the broader Greek-Australian community with the tools to make an informed decision on what will be an incredibly important moment in modern Australian history.
GAS has recruited Dr Shireen Morris, Senior Lecturer in constitutional law at Macquarie University and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab, to discuss the upcoming referendum alongside Mark Coure MP, NSW parliamentarian and Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Peter Doukas OAM, Ethnic Communities Council NSW Chair, and Ken Zulumovski DHSc, Kira-Dhan Gubbi-Gubbi man, former Australian Army Reservist and founder of Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources (G.U.I.R).
Dr Shireen Morris has spoken extensively on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, contributing recently to The Australian and Financial Review, appearing on ABC’s Q+A program and traveling across the country advocating for the Yes campaign.
Mark Coure MP has been the NSW Member for Oatley since 2011 and served as Minister for Multiculturalism in the Liberal Perrottet government between 2021 and March 2023. He has maintained considerable relationships with Greek-Australian and other multicultural communities within his diverse electorate and across the State.
Peter Doukas OAM is the Principal of Sydney-based Commercial and Education law firm, Denison Toyer. He was elected as the youngest ever Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council NSW in 2013 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to multiculturalism.
Ken Zulumovski DHSc is a Kira-Dhan Gubbi-Gubbi man who served as a soldier in the Australian Army Reserve for eight years, is the founder and managing director of Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources (G.U.I.R) and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Health Sciences from the University of Sydney.
The GAS Board considered its position on the referendum and agreed the most appropriate option was to address the gap in community engagement by holding Monday’s information session, enabling its Members and community stakeholders to make an informed decision on 14 October. Registration for Monday’s webinar is available at: www.gas.org.au/events
Attributable to GAS President, Ellie Stamatelatos:
“Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, a political and social process that we each hold dear as Greek-Australians.
Unfortunately, facets of both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns for the upcoming referendum are proving themselves to be quite divisive, and disinformation is rife. This divisiveness will only prove to be detrimental to Indigenous Australians, and it is indeed proving to be detrimental to broader social cohesiveness.
GAS intends to cut through the noise, equipping our members and community with the tools to make an informed decision that they can be comfortable with when they vote on or before 14 October.”
Attributable to GAS Secretary, George Mpliokas:
“The Voice referendum has the power to shape the future of our nation and Greek-Australian communities have an active role to play in this national conversation.
“Where some organisations have taken a position or simply ignored the issue, GAS is facilitating part of that conversation so that our constituents can consider points of view before making an informed decision on how to vote.
“Sometimes it’s not easy when we are passionate about issues, but I’m proud of our entire membership at GAS that we can come together, have a meaningful conversation and set a positive example of how Greek-Australians can make a difference in modern Australia.”
