Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
National
By Indigenous affairs correspondent Bridget Brennan

Recognise campaign ends after making 'significant contribution'

The multi-million-dollar Recognise campaign that advocated for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been wound up.

The campaign was overseen by Reconciliation Australia, and signed up 318,000 supporters.

Recognise was established in 2012 after a government-appointed expert panel said there was a need for a "properly resourced public education and awareness program".

In a statement, Reconciliation Australia co-chairman Tom Calma confirmed the campaign had ended.

He said Recognise had made "a significant contribution" to building public awareness of constitutional change.

"As we enter this next phase of the reconciliation journey, the Recognise campaign will transition into Reconciliation Australia so that this important work will continue as part of the broader reconciliation agenda," Mr Calma said.

The key proposal to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution is now a referendum to establish an Indigenous advisory body, what's known as a "voice to Parliament".

The Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has backed the idea, while Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been non-committal.

A statement of acknowledgement of First Nations people in the constitution was not a recommendation of a recent report by the Referendum Council.

Recognise partnered with more than 180 organisations, and its distinctive "R" logo was used by sporting teams and companies including Qantas.

But Recognise also faced backlash from some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, because it was seen to be campaigning for change before consultation with Indigenous people had taken place.

At the Uluru constitutional convention, the Referendum Council said 250 delegates had decided they did not support symbolic recognition as a form of constitutional change.

"The word recognition has been really problematic for us since it was chosen," Professor Megan Davis, a council member, said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.