Talanoa 2026: Negotiation
The bi-annual Talanoa conference will be held at Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) from April 9–11, 2026 (following the Easter weekend). The theme for Talanoa 2026 is Negotiation.
The bi-annual Talanoa conference will be held at Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) from April 9–11, 2026 (following the Easter weekend). Registration is open (at this link), and online participation is free (zoom links are provided in the program – see below) but we appreciate contributions at the registration page!
The theme for Talanoa 2026 is Negotiation: Negotiation is a manoeuvre that enables talking back and pushing back at powers that be and at – to use Reggae speak for systemic oppression – shitstems.
Negotiation is a handy tactic for minoritised folx – including natives and first peoples, migrants and refugees, women and rainbow+, young and old, poor and homeless, differently abled and medically deprivileged, distressed and traumatised, and so no.
Negotiation gives humans opportunities to advocate for (is)land, sea, sky, and Other-kinds (animals, plants, and other living beings).
Negotiation is everywhere: from the mouths of children who protest against parents to the arms of activists that rise against war and climate injustices, to the calls by politicians who fight to protect human rights and reverse racist policies.
There are many other examples, but we should also take note of places where negotiation is not encouraged – including churched and cultural spaces where peace and unity often silence the passion for justice. How might we encourage and empower minoritized folx in those spaces to stand up, speak up, and negotiate?
Talanoa 2026 will be a platform for folx to talanoa (tell storied realities, invite conversations, explore ways forward) around the “arts of negotiation” in/from their life situations, and to unpack the “gifts in negotiation” for their communities and for the rest of us.
Details
- Date: 9-11 April 2026
- Location: Centre for Theology and Ministry, Parkville VIC, Australia