Director of the Cape York Institute, and architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Noel Pearson delivered a powerful plea for a successful referendum to the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Armed with a message stick given to him by the Dilak Council at Garma Festival, Pearson determined the most powerful motivation for a yes vote, is the love of Country.
"It is the love of Country that is our driving motivation for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution," he said.
"It is not the love of each other that joins us, it is our mutual love of Country . . . we don't need mutual affection to succeed in this referendum."
Pearson said mutual affection cannot be fully reached because of a lack of connection between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But, he hopes it can be a reality for future generations.
Founder of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership Noel Pearson holding the Dilak message stick presented to him at Garma Festival. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch/AAP Image
"But when you bring your children to come to know our children, they will each be better for it. That is the promise of the future.
"Friendship can increase empathy. We are 3 per cent and you 97 per cent, it's understandable we mostly don't know each other as friends. if we shared meals, we could rely on the empathy of friendship.
"Empathy is so important but only love can move us now."
Pearson dispersed allegations that it would be an "inequity" to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as "owners of Australia since time immemorial" as it is "simply the truth".
He evoked the infamous chant, 'Always was, Always will be'.
"Always was, the voice of reminder of the ancient origin of this love. Always will be, this is the voice of moral protest and insistence that this is still a home," he said.
"I want our national prayer to be, this land is my land, this land is your land, this land is our land."
Hailing from Cape York, Pearson spoke about the realities of life, focusing on the impact of Rheumatic Heart Disease. He believed the Voice was the solution because of its ability to listen to local communities and act upon said advice.
"This is a modest proposal, but profound. An advisory body in the Constitution to which the Parliament and government will listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples so we get better results for Indigenous people, and for the country," he said.
"It's profundity is based on a simple truth, when we listen to each other we get better outcomes . . .My work has taught me the power of listening."
As the date looms closer, Pearson acknowledged the "mixture of hope and terror" for the outcome.
"No one wants the invitation of friendship and love to be unrequited," he said.
Evoking American civil rights activist, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Pearson outlined a future for the next generation if a yes vote succeeds.
"Let's follow Dr King's dream that our children will embrace each other as brother and sisters in a way that do much eluded us in our time," he said.
"Our children will walk in two worlds and enjoy the best of both, their culture will be a gift to their country, and they will join the main frame of Australia, free to be modern versions of themselves."
Pearson ended, noting that October 14 will present an opportunity to begin a "new chapter in Australian history to bequeath our children the future they want".
"On 14th October, we can carve our generation's name into the bedrock of history and for as long as there is history in this land, it will be recorded," he said.
"We were asked and we proudly voted yes. We can do this for the love of our Country, the love of Australia - my land, your land, our land."
No campaign engaging in 'cultural war'
Pearson's National Press Club address follows that of no campaigners Warren Mundine and Senator Jacinta Price.
Mr Mundine, in his address on Tuesday, labelled the Uluru Statement from the Heart as a 'symbolic declaration of war' whilst Senator Price said she didn't believe there to be any negative impacts of colonisation.
When questioned about these comments, and the no campaign's strategy, Pearson said they were "unrelenting" and "unrelenting about creative controversies beyond the actual thing" being dealt with.
"Anything to distract from the simple words of the alteration that we're voting on," he said.
"That's tactical and that is what they've chosen to do. They want to take our mind off the truth of the words that we're voting on."
Pearson believes the tactics will become "more extreme" as the date gets closer.
"We're engaged in a process where the no campaign don't want the country to move forward," he said.
"They want the country to stay in status quo. And status quo is really one of cultural war. They want us to fight about these things forever about history, about colonisation, about whether Aboriginal people are worthwhile, or whether they should abandon everything about themselves and become white."
"It serves their political interest to engage in a cultural war."
Pearson said as far as the yes campaign's tactics, it's keeping their "eyes on the prize".
"This thing is not going to be won in the trenches with the no campaign. This thing is going to be won because we appeal to the better instincts of the Australian people.
