The launch of Statements from the Soul, a collection of passionate essays by Australians of diverse religions, making the moral case for Indigenous constitutional recognition through a Voice, will be held on Monday 20 February 2023 (5.30pm) at The Great Synagogue, Sydney. 

The book builds on the unprecedented coalition of peak religious organisations which released a joint resolution calling for bipartisan action on the referendum in May last year.

Stan Grant joins Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh contributors, demonstrating leaders from diverse religious and cultural communities uniting to support the referendum as an opportunity for healing, reconciliation and improved practical outcomes.

Essays by prominent religious leaders like the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, and the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, explain why their support for the Voice referendum is underscored by Christian teaching.

Liberal politician Russell Broadbent and former Vice President of the federal Liberal Party, Karina Okotel, have also contributed essays making the moral case for a constitutional Voice, showcasing goodwill across the political spectrum.

Statements from the Soul: The Moral Case for the Uluru Statement from the Heart is published by La Trobe University Press, with a foreword by Noel Pearson and preface by Henry Pinskier. Contributors are Sabah Rind, Wesam Charkawi, Fiona Jose, Sardar Ajmer Singh Gill, Prakruthi Mysore Gururaj, Bhikkhu Sujato, Stan Grant, Antonios Kaldas, Ralph Genende, Russell Broadbent, Karina Okotel, Kanishka Raffel, Peter Comensoli, Anthony Ekpo, David Saperstein and Rowan Williams.

The book was a project of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School, supported by Foundation Donors Henry and Marcia Pinskier. It was co-edited by Dr Shireen Morris, Director of the Reform Lab, and Damien Freeman, founder of conservative organisation Uphold & Recognise. 

To attend the book launch for Statements from the Soul, please RSVP here. 

This event is jointly hosted by The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Great Synagogue, Sydney.

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