Dialog start
Unfinished Business
Mark Yettica‐PaulsonMark Yettica‐Paulson says he was born into the legacy of the campaign of the 1967 Referendum. He was the joint director of Recognise, a Reconciliation Australia campaign for the constitutional recognition of Indigenous people.
![](/https/www.abc.net.au/rightwrongs/assets/media/2017/05/mark-yettica-paulson-1024x800.jpg)
In my work now for constitutional recognition I find myself sitting between two generations: my father’s work 40 years ago and my teenage children’s hopes for their future.
My teenage kids are saying to me: “Don’t stuff this up.” They already know there is work for them and their generation. They don’t need more unfinished business. If we as a country miss this opportunity then we basically pass it on to the next generation and I’m desperate not to do that. As a beneficiary of the ’67 legacy, I am also extremely hopeful that we won’t do that. Referendum campaigner Oodgeroo Noonuccal (formerly Kath Walker) framed the legacy this way: “The victory of the 1967 Referendum was not a change of white attitudes. The real victory was the spirit of hope and optimism which affected blacks all over Australia. We had won something. We were visible, hopeful and vocal.” The 1967 victory didn’t fix everything. It was never going to do that. But it was incredibly important and it did lead to substantial change: federally funded legal and medical services and a path to native title and land rights. Now, it’s incumbent upon our generation to take the next steps, to continue the work and address the unfinished business. Like 1967, constitutional recognition is not going to fix everything. But it’s a crucial next step to move us forward as a country. It is not surprising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are taking this opportunity to make strong statements about rights and recognition through this process.Dialog end