Unique Conference Experience Brings Communities Together
Five-day festival-style conference brings together a range of communities and sectors under the theme of Rest. Repair. Redesign. to inspire more effective efforts for positive social action and offer hope when it’s needed most.
REDBANK, Victoria, Wednesday 30th September, 2026, will see the annual Newkind Social Change Conference come back for it’s ninth event; a not-for-profit, volunteer-run conference combining professional development and community development in a festival-style format.
Established in 2017, the Newkind 2026 program brings together First Nations leaders, public sector and social impact professionals, academics, activists, environmentalists, economists, artists, families and students for five days of talks, workshops, arts and entertainment. The gathering opens with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, followed by a keynote from Sue-Anne Hunter, the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People.
People will gather from across the country, and from overseas, to discuss and learn about topics that are impacting us all, from climate resilience, community building, gender equality and cost of living, to regenerative agriculture, addressing racism, health, human rights, sustainability and child protection; all in a camping festival environment with everyone’s meals taken care of. The days also include movement and crafts workshops as well as world class music and entertainment from a diverse line-up of multicultural artists, dancers and poets.
The 2026 line-up includes such names as former AFL executive Tanya Hosch AM, renowned Butchulla artist and cultural leader Fred Leone, academic and activist Prof Gracelyn Smallwood, prolifically published scholar Prof Yin Paradies, Dr Virginia Mapedzahama from Diversity Council Australia, Dr Tiyana Jovanovic of the New Economy Network Australia, and over 60 other speakers from across Australia.
Known for its transformational impact, unifying influence and leading sustainability measures, Newkind is solar-powered, zero-waste, plant-based and a drug and alcohol-free space. “Newkind is the kind of event you attend for an experience of the world you know to be possible but haven’t yet seen,” said Erfan Daliri, founding director of Newkind. “By the end of the 5 days you’ll know that a kinder world is not just a slogan, but the result of many small, brave decisions made by people just like yourself.”
+ sponsored passes and volunteer positions are available.
About Newkind
Newkind is a Baha’i-inspired service project of Kind Enterprises hosted for the purpose of creating a more just, equitable and peaceful world.
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