
Common Threads is a project of Passing the Message Stick, led by a steering committee of Dr Jackie Huggins AM, Larissa Baldwin-Roberts and Millie Telford. Common Threads is delivered through a partnership between GetUp! and Australian Progress.
Our CEO Belinda Duarte, General Manager (Programs) Thara Brown, Programs Officer Madeline Wells and Fullaship Program alumni Donny Imberlong, Leyla Quartermaine and Anna-Rita Fauid all attended the three-day summit designed for, and by, First Nations people – to connect, yarn, share, learn, strategise and plan for action. Over 150 First Nations campaigners, community organisers, communicators and changemakers from all corners of Australia came together.
Opening Remarks: A Call for Unity and Action
Dr. Jackie Huggins AM, a respected Elder and co-chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, delivered the opening remarks, encapsulating the summit’s essence and purpose. Reflecting on her extensive career in advocacy and justice, Dr. Huggins shared her journey and the transformative work accomplished alongside Larissa Baldwin-Roberts and Millie Telford (co-founders of Common Threads).
“What drives me in all of this is the dream to see our people live good lives and prosper. To have the same opportunities as white fellas do, the same privileges and, of course, to be recognised for our deep stories, history, and culture in this place we all call home. That’s my dream for it.”
She emphasised the importance of intergenerational collaboration, urging the younger generation to step up and shine:
“It’s time to bring you all in now. Your time to step up and shine. As I know many of you will. You will be shining, you’ll be that shining light. You have thousands of years of legacy to carry on from the ancestors, from your parents and your grandparents and anyone else who has cared for you in your journey of doing justice for our people. It really is no accident that you all have been put here today.”
Dr. Huggins concluded with a poignant reminder:
“The youth may walk fast, but it’s the Elders who know the road.”
A Space for Connection and Growth
The summit featured a diverse array of activities, including a Welcome to Country, insightful panels and guest speakers such as Murrawah Johnson, Dr. Mary Graham, Ngarra Murray, Gadrian Hoosan, Joseph Sikulu, Rachel Hocking, Katie Kiss, and Meriki Onus. Attendees also participated in hands-on activities like weaving, fostering a sense of wellbeing and community.
Key goals of Common Threads included:
- Strengthening First Nations’ advocacy capacity
- Building shared skills and understanding to grow the power of movements
- Creating space to strategize, form or build campaign collaborations, and plan for action beyond the summit
- Building relationships and strengthening networks
- Creating a shared sense of possibility and ambition
The summit also laid out a bold 10-year vision encompassing healing and thriving, sovereignty and self-determination, land back initiatives, abolition of police and prisons, black power, black liberation, and nurturing the next generation.
Reflections from Culture is Life
Culture is Life representatives reflected on the meaning of advocacy within our organisation and its significance to the alumni in attendance from various communities. Anna-Rita Fauid and Donny Imberlong shared their experiences and ongoing efforts to protect and care for Country, highlighting the diversity of perspectives on advocacy and activism at the summit.
Overall, the Common Threads Summit provided a valuable platform for First Nations people to unite, share knowledge, and plan for a future grounded in justice, equity and cultural pride.