Virtual Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together Social Impact Summit

With a growing national and international audience, and with social distancing restrictions still in place in Western Australia, we wanted to ensure we have an interactive, curated, and hosted online experience for the Danjoo Koorliny Social Impact Summit to ensure that everyone who wants to be part of this movement can be. It will be just like being there...with front row seats.

The Virtual Summit will be hosted by our team to provide a connected and interactive experience. The online platform that we will use provides a virtual summit experience where you will be greeted at reception, be able to step into networking spaces during breaks, as well as connect in conversation with others from your home, workplace or community centre. You will also have a front-row seat to all the panels and presentations happening at the summit, as well as exclusive interviews and conversations with Elders.

Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together has now become a large-scale, long-term, systems-change project designed and led by Aboriginal leaders to help us all walk together towards 2029 (200 years of colonisation in Perth, Western Australia) and beyond. The Danjoo Koorliny Social Impact Summit is an annual key event that brings us together to see what has shifted in the last year and ensure it sets our focus for the year(s) ahead.

During this year’s summit we will hear about all the work that’s been happening since last year’s festival and gain inspiration for how we wish continue. We’ll hear from the City of Perth Elders, the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort Elders (from Telethon Kids Institute), the 10 plus who stood up during last year’s summit, leads of different working-group streams, others from the Danjoo Koorliny team, and more. 

Wherever you may be in the world, there will be something to learn and connect with as part of this long-term, large-scale systems change project.

The leaders of Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together are Dr Noel Nannup OAM, Dr Richard Walley OAM, Professor Emeritus Colleen Hayward AM and Carol Innes. They are also working together with various Elder groups in Noongar country and throughout Western Australia. There are 10+ others who stepped up to support with the Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together project - they include Farley Garlett, Josey Hansen, Daniel Morrison, Elisha Jacobs-Smith, Ezra Jacobs-Smith, Louise O'Reilly, Nicole Crnko, Shaye Hayden, Sharon Wood-Kenney, Jason Barrow, Narelle Thorne and others. There are also project leads including Oral McGuire, Barry McGuire, Gordon Cole, Glenda Kickett and Robyn Smith-Walley. They are supported not only by the Centre for Social Impact UWA team but many other individuals and organisations who align towards a vision for 2029 and beyond.

Schedule (all times and dates are Australian Western Standard Time):
Day 1: Friday August 7 | Join via link by 5:45pm; day concludes 8:30pm.
Day 2: Saturday August 8 | Join via link by 9:15am; summit concludes 4:30pm (there will be breaks throughout the day, including nature time). 

Program: Click here.

The Story of the 2019 Festival
Noel Nannup has been delivering the keynote lecture at the Social Impact Festival Opening since 2016 (when Richard Walley delivered the Welcome). In 2018, Noel also presented on food and land during the afternoon session on the first day of the Social Impact Summit, and returned for the whole of the next day. In 2019 Noel was invited by festival co-director Katie Stubley to design and lead one whole day of the festival, which would be called the Social Impact Summit; Noel replied that he would be willing to do so, but in partnership with Richard Walley, Colleen Hayward and Carol Innes. When Katie and John (CSI UWA) met with these four leaders they stated their desire to design and lead not just one day, but the whole festival, with the summit now taking place over two full days; during this meeting it was made clear that if we are talking social impact in this place, Aboriginal people have had a blueprint for environmental, cultural and social harmony for over 60,000 years - Noongar country is a hub of environmental, cultural and social harmony - and this is something that can help not just Aboriginal people, but everyone (Richard Walley). Noel later met with CSI Director Professor Paul Flatau, and the resulting Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together Aboriginal-designed and -led process was agreed upon.

The Social Impact Festival 2019 was a first-of-its kind event. It was designed and led by the leaders mentioned above, and featured many other local Elders and leaders who provided wisdom to help us all co-plan and co-create a better future for everyone. It explored how we will walk together as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people towards 2029 and beyond. 

The 2019 summit outlined – through keynote lectures, yarning panels, panel presentations and workshops – positive change already under way in a number of social areas and the most important steps for moving forward.

The theme of Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together has set a new direction for the Social Impact Festival. Each coming festival will now build upon this theme. This year we move out of the season of Makuru (the season of 'fertility' with the corresponding social theme of 'conversation') into the season of Djilba (with the theme of 'incubation').

This year's summit will take place on the Friday evening of August 7, and all day Saturday August 8. There will also be a continuation of the workshops and breakout sessions from last year - these will take place online throughout the season of Djilba (see our other event listings for registrations once events are announced).

Danjoo Koorliny and Festival Partner: Commonland
Community Partners: Cultural Corridors inc., Reconciliation WA, Western Australian Aboriginal Leadership Institute