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Be a voice for generations. National Reconciliation Week 2023, 27 May to 3 June, #NRW2023, nrw.reconciliation.org.au, Reconciliation Australia

26 May 2023

Will you be a ‘voice for generations’ this National Reconciliation Week?

National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on 26 May each year to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country’s Indigenous peoples.  

Today, we come together and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for the Stolen Generations, and their families and communities. Stolen Generations refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. 

Following National Sorry Day, we mark National Reconciliation Week (NRW) from Saturday 27 May to Saturday 3 June. NRW is an important time for all Australians to reflect and learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Deakin is committed to Reconciliation and Treaty, advancing the educational aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and moving Indigenous Knowledges into the mainstream of Australian life. All our endeavours aim to reflect Australia’s full history and seek to build an inclusive future.

Be a Voice for Generations

This year’s NRW theme, Be a Voice for Generations, encourages every Australian to have a voice for reconciliation in all areas of their professional and personal lives.

A big part of this will be the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament, which is a shared, national responsibility. It is vital that everyone who is eligible to vote considers the weight and importance of the question fully, and informs themselves of the history and issues that sit behind the referendum.

We encourage you to engage with NRW, learn about the importance of Deakin’s new Indigenous Strategy launched earlier this year, take responsibility for Indigenous education and ‘walk together with First Nations Peoples with bold ideas that enrich us all’.

Get involved in NRW

Check out what’s happening in your local area for NRW, or join in one of the incredible events that Deakin is hosting:

Drop-in art workshops at Deakin Library
Dr Sarah Jane Moore Oyster shell painting

Paint an oyster shell and take it home as a keepsake! Be guided by artist and performer Dr Sarah Jane Moore, who uses the Baludarri/Bangangi gu (Sydney Rock Oyster) to create stories, songs and visual art that explores the importance of the oyster to our wellbeing, environment and waterways. No bookings needed – drop in to your campus library at the following times:

If you’d like to arrange a large group or class booking, just email [email protected].

Tours of Deakin’s Indigenous Collection (Burwood Campus)

Join our Art Collections & Galleries team on a tour showcasing the work of several contemporary Indigenous artists, as well as the more traditional Aboriginal art forms such as Pupunya Tula (Dot Painting) and bark paintings. Bookings not required, so just meet at the entrance to Building LC:

Panel and Q&A: reconciliation, voice, treaty, truth (Warrnambool Campus)

How can we create a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all? In this free event, a panel featuring Uncle Rob Lowe, Deakin’s Indigenous Inclusion Manager Tom Molyneux, Aliza Johnson and Shane Keogh will spend the first 30 minutes discussing prepared questions on themes like the Voice referendum, truth-telling, reconciliation, Indigenous incarceration and treaty. Then you’ll have the chance to ask your own questions in a 30-minute Q&A session:

Cultural Conversations (Geelong)

Join Deakin’s Indigenous Inclusion Manager Tom Molyneux, Gerard Black, Marsha Uppill, Christine Couzens MP and Matt Stokes for a yarn on the 2023 theme: ‘Be a Voice For Generations: Act today for a reconciled tomorrow’. This free event is run in partnership with Deakin’s Office of Indigenous Strategy & Innovation and the Geelong Arts Centre:

*Banner image: First Nations artwork by graphic artist, designer and Bidjara and Wakka Wakka woman Danielle Leedie Gray. The speech bubble tail has been deliberately linked to the word ‘generations’, so it becomes quite literally the voice of generations.



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