This year VACCHO is paying tribute to our Elders by hosting a not-to-be-missed Victorian Aboriginal Elders Summit 2023.
To commemorate and celebrate the vital role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders play as the heart and soul of our Communities, VACCHO and the Victorian Committee Aboriginal for Aged Care & Disability (VCAACD) are holding a 2-day Summit in Naarm / Melbourne on 3 – 4 October.
2023 is a special year given the powerful NAIDOC theme ‘For Our Elders’ which celebrated the vital contribution Elders make to Community. VACCHO invites people from all walks of life to hear directly from Aboriginal Elders about their lives, experiences and aspirations in health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Proud Muthi Muthi woman and VACCHO’s VCAACD Training and Support Officer, Aunty Margaret Clarke, urge workers from the fields of Aged Care, health, policy and research to come along.
“Our Elders have done such incredible work and have spent their lives fighting for our rights. We owe everything to them,” she said. “This special summit provides all of us with a special opportunity to say thank you to our Elders for their many sacrifices – to celebrate their many achievements – and to give back.”
The two-day summit will explore the themes of Listening to our Elders, with speeches and discussions exclusively from respected Aboriginal Elders, and then Respecting our Elders, featuring in-depth discussions with leaders from ACCOs and Aged Care advocacy organisations.
VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher AO is looking forward to the event and paying tribute to the Elders.
“Elders have been my main source of inspiration throughout my life. Their generosity, courage, wisdom – and the knowledge they pass on to Communities is vital,” she said. “I can’t wait for this summit and am really looking forward to a special two days of yarning, laughs, and connecting.”
