University of Canberra has launched the Virtual Freedom Ride as a information source for students and staff ahead of the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. It pays tribute to the 1965 Freedom Ride where about 30 University of Sydney students rode a bus through regional NSW to highlight the marginalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Pro vice-chancellor Professor Maree Meredith and vice-chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon spoke at the launch on August 2, 2023.
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00:00 In 1965, a group of students led by Cormondale Perkins
00:10 rode out to regional centres in northern New South Wales,
00:15 western New South Wales, to bring to the attention,
00:19 the national attention of the marginalisation of Aboriginal
00:23 and Torres Strait Islander people.
00:25 Those students, and there were about 30 of them,
00:28 rode that bus, and that bus was really uncomfortable.
00:32 What they saw was a lot of racism,
00:35 but this did not deter these 30 students.
00:39 These 30 students came from Sydney University,
00:42 and it's this idea and this concept that we brought forward
00:46 into the digital age.
00:48 In 2023, information is at the press of a mouse.
00:55 We're launching the Virtual Freedom Ride
00:58 to honour those who have done the hard work,
01:02 that who have courage to get up there
01:05 and fight for the equality of people.
01:08 The voice is somewhat like three months away
01:18 from the referendum at least,
01:20 and we're already beginning to have the debates and discussions,
01:22 and as part of that, we're hearing a variety of perspectives,
01:25 in some cases misinformation and inappropriate encouragement
01:30 in the debate around the voice.
01:33 We at the university here will always encourage fact-based debate.
01:38 We'll always encourage everybody to exercise their vote,
01:41 whatever vote they make, but we want to make sure
01:44 that as we develop the debates, that they're based in a respectful,
01:47 thoughtful and evidence-based way.
01:50 [music]
01:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]