Skeptical compatriots should reconsider and vote ‘Yes’ for a First Nations Voice to parlia
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Neos Kosmos reported on the nationwide gatherings last Sunday, in the “Come Together for Yes” events, across major cities by the Yes23 movement. Recent polls though suggest a waning support for the referendum. Thousands of citizens participated across the country, including many Greeks.
Neos Kosmos made its commitment to the Yes for an Indigenous Voice to parliament very clear, on March 23 we wrote “as a pillar in the Greek Australian community” Neos Kosmos stands “shoulder to shoulder with our nation’s Indigenous community.”
However, we noticed that some of our readers expressed opposition to the Voice on our social media when we reported on the Come Together events. We understand that some are opposed, that is the nature of democracy and we believe in differing opinions. However, we implore those compatriots that are not committed to Yes, to reconsider.
We plead with those that are opposed to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament to change their views for important Greek reasons; συμπόνια , empathy, δηµοκρατία, democracy, and αρετή, virtue. Greeks introduced democracy to the world, so we know importance of a voice, the παρουσία, parrhesia, the presence and right to speak in the agora.
We and many of our readers believe that the Yes to a Voice to Parliament is a key towards truth telling, and that is important to Neos Kosmos as a voice of and for Greek Australians that supports truth telling.
Like our First Nations people, Greeks know intergenerational oppression, genocide, and colonisation. We endured 400 years of colonisation, invasions, expulsions, and we have seen our cultural sites desecrated. Greek Australians have experienced racism and bigotry, and like the First Nations people we see strength in community, clan, kin, and family.
However, we also know that we can never fully comprehend the level of hurt, trauma, and extreme racism experienced by our First Nations Australians. We can in the worst case, go ‘home’, like the millions who were expelled from Asia Minor in 1922.
We at Neos Kosmos ask our fellow Greek Australians who are sceptical to reach deep and reignite their empathy for First Nations Australians. And if there is confusion about why we should vote Yes, we will endeavour to our best to explain the reasons to vote Yes.
Political strategist, Kosmo Samaras told Neos Kosmos, that most Australians have “very little awareness of the Voice and when surveyed may indeed swap between Yes, No, or undecided.”
“The Yes campaign will need to work harder to convince more established migrant communities, like Greek Australians but they will need to align the narrative with Greek’s natural bond with their homeland. This approach will work better with Greeks who have a family history of displacement,” said Samaras.
We agree, the Yes campaign will need to work harder to convince established immigrant communities and we will seek interviews with people in the movement to lay out the reasons we should vote Yes.
We understand that some of our readers may not be yet fully aware of the importance of a First Nations’ Voice to parliament.
However, Neos Kosmos, as one of your voices, believe that in our Greek hearts to vote Yes is what Aristotle would call the εγγενές αγαθό, or ‘intrinsic good’,
We ask those you, our family, our clan and our κοινότητα, community, to do that which is αγαθό, ‘good’ as our ancient forbearers would instruct us.
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
