Keynote | Professor Andrew Gunstone
| Friday, July 31, 2026 |
| 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM |
Overview
Truth-telling, Healing, and Rights-Based Neuropsychology
Presenter
Professor Andrew Gunstone
Co-Chair of Reconciliation Victoria and Foundation Editor of Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues
Truth-telling, Healing, and Rights-Based Neuropsychology
9:30 AM - 10:30 AMAbstract
In this opening keynote, Professor Andrew Gunstone explores the importance of genuine allyship in advancing substantive reconciliation. Professor Gunstone draws on his substantial experiences in leading reconciliation across academic, industry, and community settings for over three decades to argue for an approach to reconciliation that engages with First Nations rights, self-determination, education, reparative justice, power structures, and individual and institutional racism.
Attendees will be challenged to consider their personal, professional, and discipline-wide responsibilities and roles in addressing these fundamental components of reconciliation, and how their work can contribute to substantive reconciliation. The session will explore how attendees can support and meaningfully engage with the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and its fundamental calls for Voice, Treaty, and Truth (which includes truth-telling, truth-listening, and .truth-acting).
Learning outcomes:
• Understand how genuine allyship can advance substantive reconciliation
• Apply reconciliation and truth-telling principles to personal and professional practices
• Identify and address systemic and institutional practices of bias and racism
Attendees will be challenged to consider their personal, professional, and discipline-wide responsibilities and roles in addressing these fundamental components of reconciliation, and how their work can contribute to substantive reconciliation. The session will explore how attendees can support and meaningfully engage with the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and its fundamental calls for Voice, Treaty, and Truth (which includes truth-telling, truth-listening, and .truth-acting).
Learning outcomes:
• Understand how genuine allyship can advance substantive reconciliation
• Apply reconciliation and truth-telling principles to personal and professional practices
• Identify and address systemic and institutional practices of bias and racism
.....
Professor Andrew Gunstone is an international authority in academic, industry, and community engagements and understandings of reconciliation. He spent 30 years in the higher education sector, where he researched many areas, including substantive and performative reconciliation, reparative justice, truth-telling, white fragility, and allyship.
As Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Reconciliation at Federation University, he had institutional-wide leadership of all reconciliation matters, established and led the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice, and led institutional support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the First Nations Voice to Parliament Referendum.
He has authored over 200 publications, including nine books. His most recent book was "Reflections on the Voice - during and after the campaign", the first book to analyse the Referendum and its impact on reconciliation. He has also co-written several recent papers analysing support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Voice, Treaty, and Truth.
Professor Andrew Gunstone is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Reconciliation Victoria, Foundation Editor of the Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues (which he established in 1998), and a member of several international, national, and regional reconciliation organisations, committees, and advisory boards. Professor Gunstone is a leading national expert in Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs). He authored and led two Elevate RAPs, the highest level of RAP, including the first Elevate RAP in the higher education sector. He regularly provides expert advice and guidance to many organisations across all stages of their RAP journeys.
