Kulila is an wholly owned Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nationally focused Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander think tank.
Kulila was founded after the nation rejected the Constitutional referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the constiutution and to establish a Voice to advise the parliament on how best to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The Voice was a missed opportunity to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Founding Director Christopher Arnott recognised that while many of the hardworking communities and peak bodies have promoted and advocated for better outcomes, what was missing was a dedicated independent research institute which could promote and advocate better policies and outcomes not just aimed at policy makers, but also aimed at bridging the understanding of the media and the country.
The results of the Referendum revealed that too many non-Indigenous Australians did not understand the experiences, the culture and the desires of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While the Referendum revealed over 5 million Australians chose to walk with Indigenous Australians, it also revealed an urgent need for a better solution.
Kulila is the Pitjantjara word for 'listen up', and serves as a guiding philosophy.
We seek to build engagements with First Nations communities and organisations to translate their experiences into better policies. Provide better representation and advocacy.
Kulila seeks to promote the voices of First Nations communities not just to parliament and government, but also to non-Indigenous Australians, to help them support our mob.