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What does reconciliation really mean?

This Reconciliation Week, we invite you to pause, reflect, and deeply consider what

reconciliation really means. That includes what we can each do in our daily lives to achieve reconciliation and foster relationships for the benefit of all Australians.

This year’s Reconciliation Week theme is Bridging Now to Next, which calls on us all to walk together – guided by the lessons of the past, grounded in the realities of the present, and united in our vision for a more just future. It’s a moment to listen, to learn, and to stand alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – not just this week, but always.

In the spirit of reconciliation, this week’s news spotlights people, organisations, and initiatives that are helping to foster reconciliation.

Spotlight: Kitana from palawa kipli

This week, we’re honoured to share the words of Kitana Mansell, a proud Palawa woman and leader of Tasmania’s only Aboriginal-owned food business, palawa kipli.

Through native ingredients, bush-food walks and cultural tours, Kitana and her team are creating powerful connections between food, Country, and culture – while advocating for sovereign food and land rights.

Kitana’s vision is clear: to preserve culture, empower community, and create a sustainable future led by Aboriginal people.

Kitana’s vision is clear: she wants to preserve culture, empower community, and create a sustainable future led by Aboriginal people.

🌱 Learn more about palawa kipli and support their work: Visit palawa kipli 

Spotlight: Mark from Kool Tours

CVA was privileged to sit down with Mark Koolmatrie, Ngarrindjeri Elder and founder of Kool Tours, in our recent podcast episode on Nature, Wellbeing, and Indigenous Wisdom.

Through his words, Mark invites us to reconnect – not just with the land, but with ourselves.

Kit Kline from Nature Based Therapy is the podcast host, and has an in-depth chat with Dr Jenny Brockis Mark Koolmatrie about topics like climate burnout, how to connect with nature, mental health, and more.

Mark speaks of the concepts of this nature connection, the importance of connection to place, and how this connects to our mental health. Through tourism, we can visit sites of importance and sacred sites, to care and share the importance of Country and build this connection that can contribute to health and wellbeing.

Mark also speaks of:

  • Miwe – our inner compass and gut feeling, connecting us to self,
  • Naachi – our unique, sacred bond to animals, plants, and places of cultural significance,
  • The idea that even when we can’t physically be on Country, we can still remember and feel its presence, carrying it within us.

Creating Artwork for Reconciliation

Children and adults can create artwork for reconciliation. This artwork honours the work that Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) does in connecting people with nature. It also honors dedication to restoring and safeguarding ecosystems.

Shoutout to Aboriginal organisations

We’d like to recognise several other Aboriginal organisations in Australia that are helping to build reconciliation. That includes Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation, Nayri Niara, Djurandi Dreaming, Gather Foods, Muru Mittigar, IndiGrow, National Indigenous Training Academy and Firesticks.