Young individuals nationwide are being encouraged to reach out to their family members, persuading them to vote in favor of the upcoming Voice referendum. The endeavor is part of the Uluru Dialogue’s forthcoming initiative #RingYourRello. Being launched on Wednesday, the social media campaign aims to inspire the youth to engage in crucial, albeit challenging, conversations with their loved ones over the following weeks.
Bridget Cama, a co-convener for the Uluru Youth and a proud Wiradjuri woman, asserts that facilitating a double majority on October 14 can only be achieved via thousands of profound talks disseminated across the country. As the opposition campaign struggles to regain its footing, the proponents of the ‘Yes’ campaign aim to focus their efforts on grassroots initiatives during the remaining weeks.
Although support for the ‘Yes’ campaign has experienced a dip nationwide, optimism persists with less than a month to go till the deciding vote for incorporating a First Nations Voice in the Parliament into the constitution. Cama believes in the potential of young people, recognizing their instrumental role in the referendum and their potential to influence.
Cama entreats young Australians to connect with their relatives via phone, discussing the Voice referendum’s importance and soliciting their support. Since, according to recent Newspolls, Australians aged 18-34 are most likely to recognize the importance of a First Nations Voice, despite the decreasing support.
While the ‘No’ campaign has gained traction among the youth through its strategic deployment of social media platforms, like TikTok, Cama underscores the ‘Yes’ Campaign’s strategy to disseminate factual information via social media to enable informed decision-making.
Despite the odds, the ‘Yes’ campaign holds steadfast in their conviction that the majority of young Australians will vote in favor come October 14, hoping to sway the older generation’s opinion.
The campaign targets young Australians, prompting them to conduct four tasks – initiating a conversation with their relative, procuring consent to discuss before recording the discussion, asking questions and seeking support, and finally uploading the interaction on social media platforms using the tag Uluru Statement.
Emphasizing the importance of engaging in hard-hitting dialogue, Cama expresses her faith in the youth’s ability to act as catalysts of change, bridging generational gaps via open, transparent, and respectful discussions.
She suggests that the timely launch of the #RingYourRello campaign also serves the undecided Australians who are inching towards making a final decision. The campaign aims to ignite discussions amongst such individuals seeking additional information and persuading them to form informed decisions about the Voice and the referendum.
