On 14 October 2023, the Australian public significantly voted to reject an amendment to change the Constitution to recognise a First Nations Voice to Parliament. Over 60 percent of voters, and all six States, said No. This was a devastating result.

The Australian people rejected the generous invitation made in the beautifully evocative Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk alongside First Nations peoples for Voice, Treaty, and Truth. Overall, we failed to acknowledge history, we failed to address racism and ignorance, and we failed to deliver justice.

There has been much speculation over the past year into why the Referendum was so strongly defeated. It is clear though to most of us who were heavily involved in campaigning for Yes, that racism, ignorance, and apathy were highly significant factors behind the rejection of the Referendum. Research I have conducted since 2005 into attitudes towards reconciliation (the longest such longitudinal survey in Australia) strongly supports this argument, with the surveys revealing high levels of racism, ignorance, and apathy among non-Indigenous peoples.

In the year since the Referendum, we have continued to see significant levels of racism towards First Nations peoples across all areas of society, including workplaces, schools, universities, public transport, media, and sporting clubs.

Some non-Indigenous peoples have also felt emboldened by the Referendum result to push back against many gains made by First Nations leaders over the past several decades, like recognising Welcomes to Country and Acknowledgements of Country, flying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, and commemorating Invasion Day.

Political parties continue to shamelessly play 'political football' with Indigenous Affairs, which clearly illustrates why the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and an overwhelming majority of First Nations leaders, argued for the need to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.

At a Federal level, the Opposition backflipped on their commitment to hold another Referendum, and continue to politicise family violence and Indigenous Affairs spending, despite being rightfully criticised by many First Nations organisations with decades of expertise and experience. The Government has largely been silent on Treaty and Truth, focusing instead on socio-economic matters, and joined with the Opposition to vote down a parliamentary bill to establish an action plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

At a state level, the Victorian, New South Wales, and Queensland Oppositions have all backflipped on their commitments made prior to the Referendum to engage in a Treaty process. The New South Wales and Queensland Governments have considerably softened their previous commitments to establishing a Treaty process. Tasmania, Western Australia, and the Territories are not genuinely engaging with Voice, Treaty, and Truth. The South Australian and Victorian Governments are the only ones to have continued to meet their previously stated commitments.

Despite all these concerns though, I do continue to have hope. An event held on Monday night at the Melbourne Museum to commemorate the anniversary of the Referendum encapsulates the two fundamental reasons why I still have hope. Organised by the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice, Australia's leading academic think-tank on reconciliation, the event brought together a panel of eminent First Nations leaders, in conversation with myself, to explore where this country is positioned with reconciliation, Voice, Treaty, and Truth.

The first reason I still have hope is the extraordinary leadership of First Nations peoples. This was fantastically illustrated at Monday night's event by the brilliant panel – Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA, who has led reconciliation across this country for more than four decades, Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter, Deputy Chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, and Rueben Berg, Co-Chair of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria – who wonderfully engaged and inspired the audience with their wisdom, their resilience, their knowledge, and their leadership.

Despite experiencing significant racism and grief since the Referendum, First Nations peoples continue to work inspirationally for Voice, Treaty, and Truth. In Victoria, the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria and the Yoorrook Justice Commission are undertaking nation-leading and transformational work. First Nations leaders established the South Australian Voice to Parliament, and the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and the First Nations Treaty Institute in Queensland. First Nations leaders are also working tirelessly in the other States and Territories and at a national level.

The second reason I still have hope is the wonderful engagement of many tens of thousands of allies throughout Australia, who are genuinely committed to supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and its important calls for Voice, Treaty, and Truth. This commitment was fantastically illustrated at the event on Monday night with the sold-out audience wonderfully engaging both with the panel and among themselves about how they can best support the work of substantive reconciliation and better educate themselves and their various communities.

Over the past several months, I have been privileged to travel across Australia, talking to allies about my latest book that explores lessons from the Referendum for our national reconciliation journey. I am inspired by the commitment of so many allies to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This is particularly evident among reconciliation supporters, from peak national and state bodies to hundreds of local reconciliation groups. Their work is absolutely critical in educating and engaging the many non-Indigenous people who remain racist, ignorant and apathetic.

I still have hope.

Professor Andrew Gunstone is a leading international authority on reconciliation. He is Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Reconciliation and Professor Indigenous Studies at Federation University, where he established and leads the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice. He is also Co-Chair of Reconciliation Victoria and sits on several national reconciliation committees. His latest book, "Reflections on the Voice – during and after the campaign" is available now online.