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A Gathering of Allies in South Australia 2025

October 19 @ 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

A Gathering of Allies in South Australia 2025

Next Wave of Yes

Join us! And help create a wave across our nation, reconnecting allies and re-energising allyship groups, coming together to walk alongside First Nations Peoples.

Together, we can embody the spirit of voice, truth and treaty. We can take practical action to advance the rights of First Nations Peoples and to Close the Gap in life outcomes experienced by many First Nations Peoples.

Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony

A Welcome to Country will be offered by Elaine Magias. Elaine is a First Nations artist and Elder with ancestral connections to Ngadjuri, Ngarrindjeri and Banggarla. She is known for hosting cultural weaving workshops and sharing knowledge about Aboriginal language, art, cultural practices, and beliefs. She traces her family back to pre-colonial days, and her grandmother, Kudnartu, who was the first Aboriginal woman in South Australia to be legally recognised as married under British law and the first to become a landowner in the Clare Valley.

A Smoking Ceremony will be offered by Drew Kilner who is Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri man from Aldinga beach, south of Adelaide. He is involved in Kaurna cultural events and practices, including the repatriation of ancestral remains, revegetation projects, and cultural heritage surveys. He is also part of the Kaurna cultural burn team, which is trained in firestick farming.

Keynote Speakers

Deb Moyle, a member of the Kumangka Warrarna Wangkanthi (Central) Local Voice, one of six Local Voices, with the State Voice forming the South Australian First Nations Voice to Parliament.

Deb is a proud Ngarrindjeri woman and a member of the First Peoples of the Millewa Mallee. She adores her children and grandchildren and is a highly respected Aunt to many. She proudly follows her mother’s legacy of community development, responsibility and respect.

Her professional career spans more than 40 years of service to South Australia’s First Nations community. She worked for 24 years in the Department for Education where she was the first First Nations Principal Policy Advisor for early childhood education in South Australia. She was responsible for First Nations early childhood systems reform, policy and curriculum development, and led the establishment of 3 COAG Aboriginal Early Childhood Centres.

Deb currently leads the community-led Justice Reinvestment in South Australia, working with the Australian Red Cross and the Tiraapendi Wodli team. She was proactive in opening the first metropolitan Justice Reinvestment Hub in South Australia in 2021.

Deb is a bold speaker and advocate for truth-telling, and she is often sought as a public speaker at many national conferences and local community learning circles. She describes herself as a strong community advocate for self-determination and community-led initiatives, is highly regarded by her community and is proud to be a Respectable Person for South Australia’s Nunga Court in Port Adelaide.

Stephen Mam, is a Torres Strait Islander and community development professional with 25 years of success in team motivation and fostering inclusion. A staunch advocate for social justice and human rights, he excels at engaging First Nations communities and empowering organisations to amplify First Nations voices through collaborative partnerships.

This included in 2023, Stephen led the Queensland referendum campaign as the State Campaign Coordinator for Yes23, mobilising over 6,000 volunteers and supporting 43+ local groups. His efforts produced significant events like the Brisbane Walk for Yes, with over 20,000 attendees, and in 2024, Stephen was a Ministerial Senior Policy Advisor for the Minister for Treaty and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

Stephen is now the Executive Director and Founder of the First Nations Action Network, a growing network of over 10,000 First Nations Allies.

Stephen formally founded SIBW (a cultural publishing and events business) and The MYX (a social enterprise). He currently chairs the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action and is a Director of the Sunshine Coast Reconciliation Group and Director of Diverse Voices.

Stephen consistently champions the importance of identity, place, and relationships.

Ensure your place in this gathering by securing your ticket to this event.

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Details

Date:: October 19
Time:: 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Website:: https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/a-gathering-of-allies-in-south-australia?source=direct_link&

Venue

: Adelaide West Uniting Church
: 312 Sir Donald Bradman Drive
Brooklyn Park, South Australia 5032 Australia + Google Map