Conversations about the referendum and proposed Voice to Parliament have the potential to be harmful for First Nations peoples. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Voice referendum resources seek to minimise harm by encouraging cultural humility and focusing the conversation on human rights principles as they relate to the referendum and proposed Voice to Parliament.

There are nine documents in the resource kit – available to download in full on the Commission's website.

The stand-alone resources are available for individual download on the webpages linked below:

• The Uluru Statement from the Heart.
• Minimising harm in conversations about the referendum.
• Indigenous Rights & the Voice.
• The history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples advocating for the right to be heard.
• Symbolic change or substantive reform.
• Self-determination and Indigenous peoples.
• The Voice and human rights.
• Referendums and constitutional change.
• Support services.

Acknowledgements

The Commission thanks IndigenousX, a 100% Indigenous owned and operated media, consultancy and training organisation, for their generous guidance and expertise on this project until mid-June 2023. The Commission was grateful for the opportunity to partner with IndigenousX due to their impartial and non-partisan position on the upcoming referendum and demonstrated understanding of the Commission’s independent and statutory role. Further, IndigenousX's insights into the nature of race and racism in Australia along with their dedication to ensuring careful consideration of and respect for Indigenous rights, knowledges, and experiences, proved invaluable to the development of these resources. 

The Commission also thanks Saltwater People, an Indigenous-owned, full-service creative agency that delivers strategic design communications and cross-cultural engagement. Throughout the development of this resource kit, they generously provided expertise in best practice cross-cultural engagement, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and visual communication.

Please note, the artwork accompanying this kit is © Paul Bong.

The Workplace Cultural Diversity Tool is a free self-assessment tool based on international best practice. The Tool is designed to support employers, managers and human resources personnel as they work to promote cultural diversity and engage in anti-racism in the workplace.

You can access an offline-version of the Tool's assessment questions below. We recommend completing the online version of the Tool, to receive analysed results, recommended resources and track your progress over time.

The Tool is reviewed and updated regularly to align with good practice, the questions within this resource are therefore subject to change. The questions in this resource are valid as of July 2023.

You can find the Tool here: https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/workplace-cultural-diversity-tool.

The CiQ Program is designed to build understanding, not overwhelm, so cultural lessons are drip fed every week to allow learners time to engage with the content. Every three weeks, learners can join a LIVE Cultural Coaching session providing regular opportunities to check their understanding and connect with other learners.

The CiQ program incorporates four core modules exploring:

• Cultural values
• Cultural competencies
• Cultural barriers
• Cultural considerations

You can access more information about the CiQ program and enrol into the course via their website.

Link to CiQ's website.

Visit the Towards Truth online platform. 

Towards Truth is a partnership between the Indigenous Law Centre and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. The project researches the vast body of laws and policies that have impacted people since 1788, broken down into four main themes - Country, Kinship, Law and Culture, and People. 

The project compiles:

• laws and policies that have impacted First Nations people since 1788
• parliamentary debates that show what the Parliament intended when those laws were passed
• articles and reports that discuss and analyse how these laws and policies operated in practice, and 
• case studies that show their practical effects. 

The project currently focuses on NSW, with plans to expand to other jurisdictions. 

Visit the Towards Truth online platform 

How organisations can stand up to and end workplace racism resource.

Link to Reconciliation NSW factsheet. 

Link to Reconciliation Australia webpage. 

Reconciliation Australia provides information, educational tools and a variety of resources to promote and facilitate reconciliation between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Cultural diversity guidance resource (PDF, 372kb). 

The Law Society of NSW recognises that creating an environment where every person, regardless of their background, has opportunities and support to reach their professional potential can result in better outcomes for the community at large, and better business outcomes for the profession.

The Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, cultural diversity guidance encourages workplaces to actively consider their recommendations towards improving cultural diversity in the legal profession.

IndigenousX training and services webpage.

IndigenousX is 100% Indigenous owned and operated. They provide a range of services to organisations, businesses, community groups and research projects.

IndigenousX offer services in digital media, training & workshops, school incursions, content creation & Promotions. Their work covers a wide range of topics, including community engagement, anti-racism, promotions, digital strategies, social media, media, corporate responsibility, and professional communications.

Visit the Evolve website here

Evolve offers cultural awareness training programs that combine Indigenous leadership principles with values like collaboration, consensus and Eldership. Not only do they build cultural awareness, they also promote Indigenous ways of thinking that can be applied to any situation – and drawn upon time and time again.

Their unique models are informed by wisdom from the oldest living culture in the world. We introduce people to Indigenous ways of doing business, making deep and meaningful connections.

Evolves cultural awareness training is not a history lesson. It focuses on the cultural strengths and resilience of Indigenous peoples that offer real solutions to problems faced by all Australians. With their R3 model Reflect, Relate and Reconcile you get a  practical and simple tool for improving relationships and communications with everyone.