Kia tutuki ai ngā whainga me ngā tumanako kia mau tonu i ngā mahi
Through working together our goals and objectives will be achieved
Join here
Kia tutuki ai ngā whainga me ngā tumanako kia mau tonu i ngā mahi
Through working together our goals and objectives will be achieved
Join here
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As Aotearoa approaches the next General Election, uncertainty is unavoidable. What is not uncertain is the impact political decisions have on the lives of the people we work alongside, and on the practice of social work itself.
This conference is about taking a moment, together, to ask:
Kōtahitanga: Stand Together is not about predicting outcomes or campaigning for answers. It is about coming together as social workers, grounded in our values, connected to one another, and prepared to speak with clarity, integrity, and collective strength.
Social workers across Aotearoa are working in increasingly complex conditions. We are navigating system pressure, workforce strain, public scrutiny, and longstanding inequities; while continuing to uphold the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of the people and communities we serve.
At the same time, silence is not neutral.
ANZASW Conference 2026 is a space to gather as a profession; not to retreat, but to be clear:
This conference is about strengthening our shared understanding and ensuring that when social work speaks, it does so together.
The conference will be shaped around four interconnected themes that reflect the responsibilities of social work in this moment:
Activism, Te Tiriti & Social Justice
Advocacy, political literacy, and collective action grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and social justice.
Abuse in Care: Responsibility, Redress, and Practice
Engaging with survivorcentred, ethical, and accountable responses following the Royal Commission of Inquiry.
AI and the Future of Social Work
Examining technology, ethics, workforce implications, and Māori and Pacific data sovereignty.
Climate Action & Pacific Social Work
Responding to climate impacts through Indigenous and Pacific leadership and regional solidarity.
Programme details will be released progressively.
ANZASW Conference 2026 will be held at Tiakiwai Conference Centre, located within Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa | National Library of New Zealand, in Wellington.
This is a deliberate choice.
Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa is home to He Tohu, which holds three of Aotearoa’s most significant documents:
These taonga speak to commitments to rangatiratanga, partnership, democracy, representation, and social justice; commitments that are not symbolic for social work, but foundational.
To gather as a profession in this place is to ground ourselves in what is unapologetically at the heart of social work in Aotearoa:
This setting reinforces the purpose of the conference, not as an abstract conversation, but as a collective assertion of who we are and what we stand for.
ANZASW is committed to hosting a conference that reflects the principles of the profession and the diversity of its members.
This includes:
This will be a space for thoughtful engagement, honest dialogue, and respectful challenge.
ANZASW Conference 2026 is for social workers, including:
If you are reflecting on what it means to be a social worker in this political and social landscape, this conference is for you.
Ticket sales are not yet open.
Register your interest to:
This conference is about standing alongside one another; across roles, regions, identities, and experiences.
It is about clarity rather than certainty.
Collective strength rather than individual voice.
As a profession, how we show up matters.
And we are stronger when we do it together.