ALL IN for Reconciliation - National Reconciliation Week 2026

National Reconciliation Week, held each year from 27 May to 3 June, invites all Australians to reflect on our shared history, deepen relationships, and commit ourselves afresh to justice, healing and truth-telling.

This year’s theme —All In — is both an invitation and a challenge.

It reminds us that reconciliation is not something that belongs on the sidelines of our national life or the life of the Church. Reconciliation calls each of us into relationship, responsibility and action. It asks what it means to walk together with humility, courage and hope.

For the Uniting Church, this week sits deeply within our covenant relationship with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and our ongoing commitment to justice for First Peoples. It is also grounded in our faith - in the reconciling love of Christ who continually calls us towards healing, truth and right relationship.

National Reconciliation Week begins in the shadow of National Sorry Day on 26 May — a day when we remember the Stolen Generations and acknowledge the deep grief and trauma caused by policies of forced child removal. The truth as spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, continues to call our nation to acknowledge historical and modern harms with honesty, compassion and a focus on healing.

The dates of National Reconciliation Week themselves mark two significant milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey: the 1967 Referendum and the 1992 Mabo Decision — moments that challenged injustice and helped reshape our national story.

This year’s All In theme reminds us that reconciliation “is not a spectator sport” and that meaningful change requires the commitment of all Australians every day.

Across Queensland, congregations, schools, agencies, and other communities of faith are hosting events, gatherings, learning opportunities and acts of remembrance throughout the week. We warmly encourage our church communities to participate where they can - whether by attending a local event, joining a conversation, engaging in worship and prayer, or taking time to deepen understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples histories and cultures.

The Queensland Synod’s National Reconciliation Week Resource and Event Guide provides a range of opportunities across the state, including community gatherings, educational workshops, cultural immersion experiences, worship resources and online events.

Among these is the Walking Together for Justice in Reconciliation webinar on 2 June (click here for the webinar link), exploring how the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can shape our posture towards reconciliation and self-determination.

We also encourage people to make use of the many excellent resources available through organisations such as Reconciliation Australia and the Healing Foundation, whose work continues to support truth-telling, healing and education across the nation. The Healing Foundation in particular offers powerful stories and resources that help us better understand the ongoing impacts of intergenerational trauma and the importance of culturally grounded healing.

Reconciliation is not only about national moments or public statements. It is lived out locally - in relationships, conversations, listening, learning and advocacy. It grows when communities choose to honour the dignity, wisdom and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As people of faith, we believe reconciliation reflects the heart of God - a God who calls us into restored relationship with one another and with creation itself.

May this National Reconciliation Week be more than an observance. May it be an opportunity for each of us to ask how we might be All In for reconciliation - not only this week, but every day.

In Christ,

Rev. Bruce Moore
Moderator, Uniting Church in Queensland

Kym Korbe, Koa Kuku Yalanji Woman
Executive Officer UAICC & Covenanting