Reconciliation Week 2025
This is an important week to show solidarity and allyship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The 2025 theme “Bridging Now to Next” reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future.
Reconciliation Week runs between National Sorry Day on 26 May and Mabo Day on 3 June. National Sorry Day commemorates the 1997 tabling in Parliament of the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families – also known as the ‘Stolen Generations’ report. Mabo Day commemorates the historic 1992 High Court judgment that destroyed the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’, under which Britain first laid claim to Indigenous lands.
During Reconciliation Week, non-Indigenous people are called to seek out information about these significant dates, to connect with the struggles of First Nations Peoples and to take action in solidarity.
In 2025, VU is proud to launch a new First Nations Allyship in the Workplace program, developed by Moondani Balluk researchers in consultation with Aboriginal communities in Melbourne’s west. VU launched its First Nations Action Plan in 2024. The plan advocates privileging First Nations Peoples cultural practices and guidance to the University from Elders and Knowledge Holders on learning, teaching, research, and community.
Show your commitment to growing your understanding and acting in allyship by joining one of the events below and participating in the Grow Solidarity pledges.
Grow Solidarity
Grow Solidarity is an evolving and ongoing opportunity for non-Indigenous members of the VU community to learn act and engage as allies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their pursuit of equality and justice. The journey of allyship is continuous, as we each deepen our understanding of how to stand alongside First Nations Peoples leading the fight for Sovereignty, Truth and Treaty.
You can select from three pledges to take actions for self-education and practical support. It is recommended that you have already engaged with actions or have understanding at the foundational levels prior to taking on the next.
