The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and UNSW Indigenous Law Centre (ILC) are thrilled to launch Towards Truth, a powerful tool to support First Nations-led truth telling in Australia.
Created in response to the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart, Towards Truth shows how laws and policies have affected First Nations people since 1788.
Introducing Towards Truth, Professor Megan Davis, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at UNSW said:
‘We’re really proud of what this project has done – what this project presents, because it’s a pioneering database. It’s the first of its kind in Australia… It provides a really forensic picture of the way in which much of what happened in this country was very deliberate.’
Towards Truth catalogues laws, policies and supporting documents across four themes:
- Kinship,
- Country,
- Law and Culture, and
- People.
Each theme contains the original laws and policies, as well as discussions, debates and case studies detailing how First Nations people have been affected by Australian laws and policies.
Towards Truth is a crucial resource for understanding our shared history. More than 4,500 laws, policies and documents have been catalogued so far. Our work has begun in NSW, with other jurisdictions to follow.
The project is supported by pro bono partners at Clayton Utz, Herbert Smith Freehills, Lander & Rogers, Macquarie Group, Norton Rose Fulbright and Origin Energy.
Towards Truth compels us to reckon with our past and understand our present. Visit the site at towardstruth.org.au