News Archive

A UWA student stars in a powerful viral video that’s inspiring hundreds of thousands of people to talk about the importance of reconciliation.

Jasirah Bin Hitam, an 18-year-old Indigenous woman from the North of Broome, is a first-year marine science student at UWA, staying at St. Catherine’s College on a full Woodside scholarship.

In the video, which has been shared around the world and viewed more than a million times since being uploaded last Thursday night, Jasirah stands blindfolded on Cottesloe Beach, arms outstretched. A sign at her feet reads: “I trust you. Do you trust me? Let’s hug.” It takes five minutes for someone to make the first move, then a middle-aged woman runs forward and says “I trust you, I trust you, I trust you,” before enveloping Jasirah in a hug. A series of heart-warming embraces and well-wishes from beach-goers follows – more than 100 in the space of 30 minutes.

The video ends with a sobering statistic: “In 2012, 13% of all Australians said they trusted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.”

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson was so moved by Jasirah’s video that he met with the student on Monday to tell her so .

The video was “a fantastic thing to do,” Professor Johnson told her. “Very brave and actually a fantastic piece of teaching. Here at UWA, where we’re always focusing on education, what you’ve taught me is the power one person through their actions can yield.

“The gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia, the life expectancy gap, the opportunity gap is huge and I would hope that everyone in the country accepts that challenge and then commits to doing something about it.”

Jasirah said she took part because she wanted to encourage trust and remind people not to judge others by how they looked. The fact she had been treated to spontaneous hugs from strangers in the following days showed it was already working.

“It was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life and I’d totally do it again.”

Watch Jasirah’s viral video .

Watch the Vice-Chancellor’s meeting with Jasirah .