This weekend I’ll be taking part in The Long Walk – from Fed Square to the ‘G in Melbourne to highlight Indigenous reconciliation in Australia.
Obviously, it’s an issue that’s close to my heart.

For those of you who don’t know, this story began EIGHT years ago, in 2004, when I walked from Melbourne to Canberra (roughly 650 kilometres!) to shine a light on an Australian problem… Indigenous Reconciliation in Australia. I wanted to highlight the inequities in health, education and employment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous. I asked the Prime Minister – ‘where is the love’ (for my people).

I never expected that the gesture would result in so much positive action. In 2005 we began an annual program called The Long Walk and once again this weekend, thousands of like-minded people will walk from Fed Square to the G. Last year 13,000 people took part and I’m hoping we can exceed this record this year.

I also spend a lot of time talking to school children across the country as part of the Walk the Talk program – the young people are the leaders of the future – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

In 2010 The Long Walk formed a partnership with the Koori Heritage Trust, Victoria’s premier Aboriginal Cultural Centre for South Eastern Australia, to create a schools’ incursion to tell the story of The Long Walk, and to continue to inspire students to think about how they can make a difference – I believe it’s a really important part of children’s education and enjoy the opportunity to help tell our story. This program was only made possible through the Telstra Foundation believing in us, and funding the program.

The annual Long Walk event will be held this Saturday, May 21, from 1.00pm, at Federation Square, Melbourne. Following celebrations and activities, AFL champion and patron of The Long Walk Foundation, Michael Long, together with Indigenous leaders and sporting legends, will lead walkers from Federation Square to the MCG, for the Dreamtime at the ‘G annual match between Essendon and Richmond (part of the AFL’s National Indigenous Round).

Please come join our Long Walk facebook page and Tweets @TheLongWalkAust on the day using the hash tags #longwalk #dreamtimeattheg

Related links:

• The Long Walk
• The Long Walk facebook page
• The Long Walk on Twitter