ACU will mark National Reconciliation Week with a public lecture, liturgies and personal pledges.
Key points
• ACU's National Reconciliation lunch at the Canberra Campus will feature guest speaker Dr Terri Janke. Dr Janke is a Wuthathi, Yadhaigana and Meriam woman and one of Australia's most respected authorities on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
• ACU Campus Ministry will host reconciliation liturgies on each campus for staff and students. Staff and students will also be invited to make a personal pledge for reconciliation.
This year's theme, 'All In', is a rallying call for all Australians to commit to daily, active reconciliation.
The week is bookended by two significant milestones in Australia's reconciliation journey, the successful 1967 referendum (May 27) and the High Court Mabo decision (June 3).
ACU's National Reconciliation lunch at the Canberra Campus will feature guest speaker Dr Terri Janke. Dr Janke is a Wuthathi, Yadhaigana and Meriam woman and one of Australia's most respected authorities on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
Dr Janke has worked closely with ACU to build greater awareness of cultural and intellectual property principles, and trained staff members on ways to engage with Indigenous knowledge.
"Reconciliation Week is a time for truth-telling, listening, and building genuine understanding between peoples," Dr Janke said.
"This year's theme, All In, reminds us that backing our shared future requires all of us, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, to walk together in collaboration and respect.
"Events like this one at ACU create space for important conversations about deepening engagement with Indigenous peoples and respecting Indigenous cultural and intellectual property."
ACU Campus Ministry will host reconciliation liturgies on each campus for staff and students. Staff and students will also be invited to trace their hand on a card and write a personal pledge for reconciliation. These pledges will be displayed on campus as a reminder to turn awareness into action.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) Kelly Humphrey said the week-long commemorations were designed to spark meaningful conversations and reconciliation action.
"To be 'all in' for reconciliation is to listen with open hearts, to learn even when it is uncomfortable, and to allow those learnings to shape how we walk together as a community," Ms Humphrey said.
"At ACU Reconciliation is built in relationship. It grows when we show up, listen to one another's stories, and commit to learning together – not just during Reconciliation Week, but every day."
ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis said strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians was at the heart of the university's mission.
"Back in 1998, we became one of the first Australian universities to formally support reconciliation through a statement of commitment," Professor Skrbis said.
"At ACU, reconciliation is a shared responsibility grounded in our mission and values. Being 'all in' means acknowledging our history and working to create lasting change.
"At the heart of our mission is a commitment to human flourishing, creating communities where every person is empowered to reach their potential and give back to society.
"That includes creating greater opportunities and support for our First Nations students and staff, opening pathways into higher education and leadership and embedding Indigenous perspectives across the university.
"Reconciliation is not confined to a single week. It calls on all of us to walk together to help create a more just and inclusive future."
