ABORIGINAL
Wellbeing
CONFERENCE
2026 National Aboriginal Wellbeing Conference
Breaking the Cycle,
Strengthening Our Future
Ending Lateral Violence Together
20 & 21 July
Opal Cove, Coffs Harbour NSW
Lateral violence can quietly shape the culture of our workplaces and services, often appearing as conflict, withdrawal, mistrust,
or fractured relationships.
For Aboriginal people, these behaviours do not exist in isolation—they are tied to lived experiences of trauma, systemic racism, and cultural disruption.
This conference provides a safe, reflective, and culturally grounded space to talk openly about lateral violence, understand its origins, and consider its impact on professional practice, teamwork, and community outcomes.
Using yarning, shared lived experience, and applied learning, participants will explore how lateral violence develops and how it can be addressed in ways that are respectful, accountable, and healing.
The conference will centre Aboriginal perspectives, cultural strengths, and collective responsibility, while offering practical tools to improve communication, manage conflict, uphold cultural safety, and support strong,
respectful boundaries in everyday work.
This conference is open to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal practitioners, leaders, and organisations working with Aboriginal children, families, and communities. It is an invitation to learn, listen, and reflect—together.
By strengthening cultural understanding and respectful relationships, we can create safer workplaces,
better services, and more supportive environments for everyone involved.
CALL FOR GUEST SPEAKERS & WORKSHOPS
We invite Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal service providers, practitioners, community members, and leaders to submit expressions of interest to present at our upcoming conference focused on understanding, addressing, and healing from lateral violence in workplaces, services, and communities.
We are seeking guest speakers and workshop facilitators who can share lived experience, practice wisdom, research, or culturally grounded approaches that support healing, respect, accountability, and stronger relationships.
Presentations may take the form of keynote talks, yarning-style conversations, interactive workshops, case studies, or practical skill-building sessions.
Suggested themes include (but are not limited to):
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Understanding lateral violence through a cultural and trauma-informed lens
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Lived experience stories of healing, resilience, and growth
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Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, and doing in conflict resolution
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Creating culturally safe and respectful workplaces
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Leadership, allyship, and accountability
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Strengthening kinship, community connection, and collective responsibility
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Practical tools for addressing conflict and restoring relationships
We welcome submissions that are strengths-based, respectful, and solution-focused, and that centre cultural safety and community wellbeing.Aboriginal voices and community-led presentations are strongly encouraged for both guest speaker presentation and workshops.Non-Aboriginal presenters are welcomed to submit expressions of interest for the delivery of workshop presentations.If you would like to contribute, please submit a brief expression of interest outlining your proposed topic, presentation format, and your connection to the work. Together, we can create a conference that supports healing, learning, and meaningful change.
