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Sea of Hands comes to London

ENIAR media release

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

July, 2000 - 6000 hands in the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres trait Islander flags made a stunning display in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London on 6 July, 2000.

Over 250,000 Australians have signed more than 120,000 hands to show their support for native title and reconciliation. They have been exhibited in massed displays across Australia.

ENIAR and ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) joined forces to bring the hands to London for Australia Week.

The display was designed by Aboriginal activist Michael Anderson to symbolise journeys and homecomings, and attracted considerable local interest.

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).

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.

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