Plan International Australia statement on January 26

At Plan International Australia, we want to contribute to a future where all people, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living on this continent, can flourish together.

Today is a day of mourning for many First Nations people and an opportunity to reflect on who we are as a nation and what we choose to collectively celebrate. January 26 marks the day that, in 1788, began the theft of the ancestral lands of First Peoples and the devastation of their communities. From deaths in custody to the ongoing removal of children from their families, their struggle for justice is far from over.

Plan International Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which our office stands, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and we acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.

Our work in Australia and around the world is characterised by working with and respecting local knowledge, history and culture.

That is why today – and all days – we must listen, learn and amplify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ calls for justice and stand with them in solidarity.

We invite you to join us in learning more and in having respectful conversations with your friends and family about the meaning of this day. One place to start is to read the Uluru Statement from the Heart and show your support for calls for Voice, Treaty and Truth.

Artwork: Lifelong Learning by artist Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr