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Sea of Hands information sheet

The Sea of Hands

eniar and friends Sea of hands

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and former Australian Senator Margaret Reynolds at the Sea of hands London 6 July 2000

... is a symbolic representation of the desire for reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The hands have carried their message of hope through urban and outback Australia before making their historic journey to Britain.

Their inclusion in Australia week has provided the British people with an opportunity to acknowledge the legacy of past policies on indigenous Australians and offer our support and commitment to reconciliation.

The Sea of Hands journey to Britain has been proudly sponsored by:

• ANTaR: Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation
• ENIAR: European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights

The Sea of Hands was conceived in Australia by ANTaR in 1997. The total 120,000 hands, (6,500 of which are in Britain this week), represent almost 250,000 signatures of support.

Visitors included:

• Margaret Reynolds, ENIAR patron, former Senator and Chair, Advisory Commission, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative;
• Henry Reynolds, the historian whose books have fostered recognition of the Aboriginal dimension of Australian history;
• Bob Hawke, former Australian Prime Minister;
• Richie Ah Mat, Chairman of Cape York Land Council (pictured below).

• Sea of Hands comes to London
• A Black Day in London

Further information: reconciliation issues page - includes news index and external links