Ken Duncan: Iconic Australian photographer reveals why he’s voting against the ‘No in the Voice’ referendum – after dedicating his life to helping remote Aboriginal communities
A renowned Australian landscape photographer who founded a non-profit organization that works with Aboriginal communities has revealed why he is voting No in the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Ken Duncan OAM, 68, founded the Walk a While Foundation 20 years ago, which aims to empower First Nations Australians through the creative and visual arts.
“They already have a voice and no one is listening,” Duncan told TNT Radio.
“That’s why I set up this foundation, the government is failing miserably… Aboriginal people in some of these remote communities are living in third and fourth world conditions.”
Acclaimed landscape photographer Ken Duncan has worked with Aboriginal communities for decades and says throwing money at bureaucracies doesn’t help
“We need to go to these communities and ask Indigenous people what they need for sustainable outcomes in their communities.”
“We discover these things and then we’re willing to walk with them for a while and equip them with the skills that are going to be needed.”
Mr Duncan said that ‘the process is the problem’.
“Even with a Vote, whatever they come up with, it will all have to go through the same process with the land councils and things like that that are already failing.”
He likened it to a “big funnel” in which the money goes to the top, filters through government and other organizations and a fraction ends up in the communities where many of the programs set up fail in the first year, he said.
‘We think the Aboriginal people own the land, but that’s not the case: it’s the land councils. these people are not allowed to do anything on their land without permission.’
“They have a $550 million royal commission into Aboriginal youth in custody, and what has changed? Nothing.
“If they had given us that $550 million, we could have solved some of the problems.”
“It comes from poverty, these young people go into the city and there is nothing for them to do because in these remote communities you need permits, so how is someone supposed to start a business.”
Australians will be asked to vote on whether to amend the Constitution to establish an Aboriginal Voice after two centuries of silence through colonial rule
“We need to stop pumping money at the top and take it to these communities, and another level over the top won’t help anything. Personally, I vote no,” he said.
Mr Duncan said there were “all these unused buildings” in these remote communities. and when his nonprofit wanted to purchase one for a creative arts center, it took seven years.
“We need to send teams into these communities to find out what they want and actually stay there and be with them for a while, not just throw money at the problem.”
“If you do it right, you make yourself redundant and these communities will sustain themselves.”
Supporters of the Indigenous Voice say it will be a monumental step forward for Australia, on par with Aboriginal people gaining the right to vote in 1962.