About the Allies

The Allies for Uluru Coalition is made up of more than 275 community, non-government and corporate organisations from across the country that have come together to support the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Allies for Uluru will provide a cross-sector collaborative forum to demonstrate our shared leadership and action in support of the Uluru Statement’s core calls for Voice, Treaty and Truth. It is an opportunity to connect with other organisations, community groups and industry leaders to develop pragmatic interventions, leverage our collective resources and establish information sharing networks to make history together.

Allies for Uluru firmly believe that First Nations people know what is best for their communities. The overarching aim of this Coalition is to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can exercise their right to self-determination and are able to make decisions about their own lives, according to their own priorities and aspirations as set out in the Uluru Statement.

Allies for Uluru aims to be a mechanism for disseminating information, championing action and reaching a wide range of audiences that is guided by the First Nations-led Uluru Dialogues and From The Heart. 

We wholeheartedly accept the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for a better future.

Together we can make this happen.

At the National Constitutional Convention in 2017 held at Mutitjulu at the base of Uluru, 250 First Nations peoples ‘from all points of the southern sky’ issued an invitation for all Australians to walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for a better future.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for substantive constitutional change and structural reform that will allow for proper constitutional recognition together with a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.

As strong allies supporting justice and rights for First Nations Peoples, the Fred Hollows Foundation, Oxfam, ANTAR and ACOSS joined forces to launch the Allies for Uluru Coalition in support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

In 2022, the Fred Hollows Foundation hosted two Activate for Uluru Forums in which organisations came together to hear from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership on how to be true allies in supporting the Uluru Statement From the Heart.

On 28 February 2023, more than 80 organisations, representing thousands of staff and tens of thousands of supporters, gathered in Naarm (Melbourne) for the official launch of the Allies for Uluru Coalition and committed to participation in ongoing action and collaboration in the First Nations-led campaigns.

Principles

Our work is underpinned by the following principles:

1. We are guided by and will amplify the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, in commitment to being a true ally 
2. Our approach is strengths-based and leaning into the positive, affirmative change to come - the realisation of the Uluru Statement is a transformative change for Australia and this will be reflected in our work
3. We support the implementation of all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart: Voice, Treaty, Truth 
4. We will leverage our combined and individual influence and agency for change while not competing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations for funding
5. We will be conduits for information and action, using our position as leading organisations to generate more awareness and knowledge on the Uluru Statement from the Heart 
6. We will be accountable in genuine allyship, not performative action as part of our long-term commitment to supporting better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Membership in Allies for Uluru is open to any community group or organisation committed to undertaking action in support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming Voice Referendum. 

Membership is free and has no formal requirements. It is, above all, an opportunity to join an information sharing network and to participate in meaningful collective action that is aligned with the Uluru Dialogues and From The Heart leadership. 

We do not seek to compete with other groups or alliances supporting the Voice campaign but rather will endeavour to collaborate with these groups for collective action. The theory of change underpinning our Coalition is that by mobilising a group of organisations with broad networks and diverse supporter bases, we can create a groundswell of public support needed to achieve the Uluru Statement’s call for a First Nations Voice, on the path towards towards Treaty and Truth. 

As an Allies for Uluru member, you will be invited to join an online monthly Working Group. The Working Group is a collection of senior managers and appropriate key representatives who work to coordinate the implementation of collective action for the Coalition. During these meetings, you will have the opportunity to network with other organisations and groups in your state/territory or sector, raise questions and concerns, hear about and learn from the activities of other organisations and access shared resources and toolkits to mobilise your staff, board, corporate partners and supporters. You will also have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers and First Nations leaders to guide future resources and action.

Allies for Uluru membership also includes the opportunity to join the Allies for Uluru CEO Forum. The CEO Forum is a collection of CEOs and executive leaders from a diverse range of organisations who will meet every three months in the lead up to the Referendum to discuss and agree to collective action and share organisational efforts to support the Uluru Statement.