Together, Yes

Supporting First Nations Justice

The Kitchen Table Campaign that brought thousands of Australians together for a Yes vote.

In the Spirit of Reconciliation

“Makarrata is the culmination of our agenda: the coming together after a struggle. It captures our aspirations for a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better future for our children based on justice and self-determination.”
— Uluru Statement from the Heart, 2017

The Purpose of Together, Yes

In November 2022, the Victorian Women’s Trust joined discussions on the upcoming referendum alongside a range of community groups united by a common goal: constitutional recognition and a Voice to Parliament. Those discussions sparked the formation of the Yes Alliance, led by First Nations-controlled organisations Yes 23 and the Uluru Dialogues.

With encouragement from the Yes Alliance, VWT launched Together, Yes in January 2023 — a grassroots conversation movement supporting a Yes vote. The campaign drew on VWT’s Kitchen Table Conversations model: people gathering in homes, workplaces and community spaces to discuss the issues, leave better informed, and advocate for change in their own circles.

For VWT, participation was a matter of civic duty. We had stood alongside Koorie Women Mean Business for three decades. We had a tried and tested engagement process. When the call came, there was no question.

How it worked

People signed up as Conversation Hosts, recruited four to ten family members, friends or colleagues, and gathered for a structured discussion of one to two hours. VWT provided two sets of session materials (approved by Yes 23), covering the history of Indigenous recognition and the case for a Voice to Parliament. Hosts provided the venue, the welcome, and the tea and biscuits.

From March to July 2023, the team held 32 community information sessions right across the country, reaching approximately 3,000 people. By June 30, more than 3,000 people had signed up as Conversation Hosts. The model travelled — Ilona Lee AM adapted the materials into Shabbat Table Talks, embedding the conversation into the Jewish custom of gathering around a table on Shabbat.

"Wonderful opportunity to learn and grow with others and mature our understanding of the importance of self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

— Julia, Conversation Host

Women for Yes

On 13 August 2023, Together, Yes and Yes 23 co-hosted Women for Yes at the Athenaeum Theatre in Naarm/Melbourne. Speakers included the Hon Linda Burney MP, Leanne Miller AM, Mary Crooks AO, Duré Dara OAM, and a panel featuring Belinda Duarte AM, Maria Dimopoulos AM, Ilona Lee AM and Professor Fiona Stanley AC, moderated by Alana Johnson AM.

“When I think of this referendum, I think of Megan Davis, Pat Anderson, and women like Marcia Langton who have given shape to what the Uluru Statement represents. Their wisdom and strength are guiding us on the long road to recognition.”
— The Hon Linda Burney MP

At the close of the evening, Mary Crooks AO unveiled the Women for Yes Open Letter, which gathered 8,281 signatures. Together, Yes also premiered What Will You Tell Your Grandchildren?, a short film featuring Professor Marcia Langton AO, Emily Carter and Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA, later translated into eleven community languages. On 5 October 2023, full-page advertisements of the translated Open Letter appeared in Neos Kosmos, Il Globo, The Australian China Daily, and Tuân Báo.

Watch the video

What the referendum revealed

On 14 October 2023, the majority of Australians voted No. The loss was painful. But approximately 6.2 million Australians had voted Yes, thousands of conversation groups had met across the country, and the learning and relationships those conversations made possible outlasted the result.

What comes next

In 2026, Together, Yes moves to independent leadership with a renewed education focus, under the stewardship of former VWT Executive Director Mary Crooks AO (pictured left). VWT remains deeply committed to justice and self-determination for First Nations people.

Acknowledgements

Campaign Partners: Yes 23, Shabbat Table Talks, Uniting Church in Australia Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
Design & Website: Your Creative | Animation: Mari Frith | Artwork: Alkina Edwards
With thanks to: The Wood Foundation, The Felton Bequest, and all Conversation Hosts, participants and volunteers.

Visit togetheryes.com.au

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