Truth-listening: Readying Australia for truth

'Real change – lasting change – isn’t measured by how loudly we speak, but by how deeply we listen, and by how much we let the words that we hear move us to action.' – Blake Alan Cansdale

What does it take to be ready for truth – and why has truth about Australia’s colonial past been spoken for decades, yet gone largely unheard? The answer lies in truth‑listening: the active, uncomfortable and deeply relational work required before meaningful change can occur.

Truth-listening acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long spoken truth through community spaces, Royal Commissions, national movements and landmark statements – often to audiences who are unprepared to listen. This raises a critical question: how can non‑Indigenous people and institutions meaningfully embed the practice of truth‑listening before moving to action?

Join us at UTS during Reconciliation Week for a keynote address by Blake Alan Cansdale followed by a panel discussion with Michael Rose AM, Professor Lorena Allam, Professor Anna Clark and Amy Persson (moderator), where they will explore what it means to listen to with integrity – and how listening must precede, shape and sustain action.

This event will also be live-streamed, so you can attend in-person or tune in online. Online event registrants will receive the Zoom link closer to the date.