August 8th is International Allyship Day – a day dedicated to celebrating and promoting the power of allyship across the globe. 

Following recent reports of the failing Closing The Gap initiative, Reconciliation and Allyship experts, Aunty Munya Andrews and Carla Rogers urge non-Indigenous people to learn how to become effective Allies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

“The need for Allies is vital in Australia, where Indigenous people only make up 3.3% of the population”, urges Aunty Munya Andrews. 

“In a room of 30 people, only 1 is likely to be Indigenous,” explains Carla Rogers. “It’s just not practical to expect that 1 person to fix all of the issues, it’s time for the rest of us, the other 97% per cent, to step up and take action.” 

International Allyship Day is the perfect time for non-Indigenous Australians to learn more about the challenges faced by First Nations peoples and make a commitment to Allyship. 

Aunty Munya Andrews and Carla Rogers are the co-authors of Practical Reconciliation and co-directors of Evolve Communities. 

Aunty Munya is a respected Aboriginal Elder, author, and cultural educator with a deep passion for sharing Indigenous wisdom. Carla Rogers is a non-Indigenous community engagement specialist committed to bridging the gap between cultures through education and collaboration. Together, they have dedicated their careers to inspiring non-Indigenous Australians to become confident and effective Allies to First Nations peoples. 

For more on Indigenous empowerment, check out Third Sector’s 4th National Indigenous Empowerment Summit.