As Jewish communities across Australia and around the world gather to celebrate Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) warmly acknowledges this important festival and extends our best wishes to all those marking the lighting of the first candle of the menorah.

December 1 marks the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ quiet yet profound act of courage in Montgomery, Alabama, when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus in defiance of racial segregation laws — an act that ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Her stand was not just about a seat: it was a declaration of dignity, justice, and human equality that resonated across generations.

Today, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) joins communities across the nation in solemn recognition of National Sorry Day, honouring the Stolen Generations and acknowledging the ongoing impact of colonisation on First Nations peoples.