Strong in Our Way is a community-led movement that recognises Aboriginal men as an important part of strengthening families, communities and future generations.
Built by Aboriginal men and grounded in culture, belonging and responsibility, Strong in Our Way brings together healing, leadership, mentoring, employment, cultural connection and prevention into one integrated model.
Rather than responding after crisis occurs, we invest in people before challenges escalate, creating opportunities for Aboriginal men to reconnect with culture, strengthen identity, support one another and become positive leaders within their families and communities.
This is prevention in practice.
One Vision. Four Connected Areas.
Strong in Our Way is more than a single program. It is a connected, Aboriginal-led model that strengthens men at every level—from individual healing through to regional and national leadership.
Each area builds on the next, creating stronger men, stronger organisations and stronger communities.
Strong Men’s Program
Supporting local men
At the heart of Strong in Our Way is the Strong Men’s Program, providing a culturally safe place where men can reconnect with culture, strengthen their social and emotional wellbeing, develop practical skills, build healthy relationships and support one another.
Men’s Sector Development
Strengthening how services work together
Through regular Men’s Sector Meet Ups and collaborative planning, KWAC brings together local organisations to strengthen referral pathways, share knowledge and create a more connected support system for Aboriginal men and their families.
Strong in Our Way Men’s Forum
Growing regional leadership
Each year, Aboriginal men from across the Kimberley and beyond come together on Country to connect, learn, heal and lead. The forum creates space for conversations about identity, culture, leadership, family, wellbeing and positive masculinity, while strengthening relationships between communities and organisations.
Northern Australian Aboriginal Men’s Alliance (NAAMA)
Building a national movement
NAAMA connects Aboriginal men’s groups across Northern Australia to share knowledge, build leadership and influence policy and investment. Together, members are creating a powerful Aboriginal-led voice that strengthens communities well beyond individual regions.
Together They Create Lasting Change
Rather than delivering isolated activities, these four areas work together to create a continuous pathway of support:
Strong Men → Strong Services → Strong Communities → Strong Voice
Together, these four areas form the Strong in Our Way model—an Aboriginal-led approach to prevention, healing, leadership and long-term community change.
Why Now?
Strong in Our Way begins with a simple but powerful belief: when Aboriginal men are strong, families and communities are stronger.
For too long, conversations about Aboriginal men have been dominated by statistics that describe deficit and crisis rather than potential. While the challenges facing many Aboriginal men are real, they do not tell the whole story. Every day we see fathers wanting to be present for their children, Elders passing on culture, uncles mentoring young people and men striving to create better futures for their families.
Our experience, supported by growing evidence, shows that when Aboriginal men have opportunities to reconnect with culture and Country, strengthen identity, build healthy relationships and step into leadership, the benefits extend well beyond the individual. Families become more connected. Children experience greater stability and positive role models. Communities become safer. Demand on crisis services reduces while opportunities for prevention, healing, and self-determination increase.
Investing in Aboriginal men is therefore not about prioritising one group over another. It is a practical investment in stronger families, healthier communities, and better outcomes for future generations.
The Strong in Our Way Circular Healing Model
Healing is not linear.
Life brings periods of strength and periods of challenge.
Our Circular Healing Model recognises that every Aboriginal man begins his journey in a different place and that growth comes through belonging, culture, accountability, leadership and community.
What We Do
Strong in Our Way is delivered through one connected, community-led model that includes:
- Strong Men’s Program
- On Country healing experiences
- Social and Emotional Wellbeing activities
- Cultural learning and mentoring
- Leadership development
- Employment and workforce pathways
- Men’s sector collaboration
- Annual Strong in Our Way – Men’s Forum
- Northern Australian Aboriginal Men’s Alliance (NAAMA)
- Community prevention initiatives that celebrate positive Aboriginal leadership and masculinity
Together, these initiatives strengthen individuals, families, organisations and communities.
Why Waringarri?
For more than 45 years, KWAC has walked alongside Aboriginal people in Kununurra and the surrounding communities as a trusted ACCO. Governed by a local Aboriginal Board and delivered predominantly by an Aboriginal workforce, KWAC combines cultural authority with deep local relationships and practical experience.
Strong in Our Way has evolved through more than a decade of listening, learning, and walking alongside Aboriginal men. It has been shaped by community, refined through experience, and strengthened through trusted partnerships with government, local organisations and Aboriginal leaders. This long-term commitment positions KWAC to lead one of Australia’s most significant Aboriginal-led approaches to strengthening men, families, and communities.
Investment Priorities
Over the next three years, KWAC will strengthen Strong in Our Way through six interconnected priorities:
- strengthening healing and social and emotional wellbeing;
- growing Aboriginal leadership and mentoring;
- expanding workforce and employment pathways and developing a community of practice;
- strengthening collaboration across communities and sectors;
- building the evidence base for Aboriginal-led prevention;
- and sharing knowledge nationally through NAAMA.
These priorities are designed to strengthen the entire Strong in Our Way model, ensuring Aboriginal men continue to have culturally safe places to belong, opportunities to grow as leaders and pathways to create lasting change within their families and communities.
Continue the Conversation
LATEST NEWS:
Big Fire – Big Dream Men’s Forum 2026 Wraps
At Home Valley Station, the setting for this year’s Big Fire – Big Dream: Strong In Our Way Men’s Forum 2026, participants gathered on Country to connect, reflect and strengthen their journeys of healing.
Following three powerful days of conversations, learning and connection, Associate Professor Dr Clinton Schultz and forum co-facilitator Jeremy Donovan sat down to share their reflections.
Together, they spoke about the importance of being on Country and the willingness of the men who attended to engage in conversations about healing, growth and wellbeing. They reflected on the need to normalise discussions about healing, creating safe spaces where men can speak openly, support one another and draw strength from culture, identity and connection.
The conversation explored how strength-based approaches can help shift the narrative, focusing not on deficits, but on the strengths, knowledge and leadership that already exist within men. In doing so, the forum demonstrated what culturally responsive practice looks like in action—creating opportunities for men to connect on Country, learn from one another, draw strength from culture and lead their own conversations about healing and wellbeing. They discussed the importance of creating positive environments that men can take back to their homes, workplaces and communities, helping to build stronger futures for the next generation.
They also reflected on the forum’s theme, Big Fire – Big Dream. Jeremy shared that a fire fuelled by petrol will explode and burn everything around it, but a fire built carefully with wood can provide warmth, bring people together and sustain a whole community.
Just as fire is used to heal and care for Country, creating renewal and new growth, the forum challenged men to consider how they can build and nurture their own fire—one that regenerates, rejuvenates and creates positive change for themselves, their families and their communities.
As the forum concluded, one message remained clear: when men are given the opportunity to connect, heal and lead in their own way, the impact reaches far beyond the gathering itself.
Thank you to all of our presenters, the team that bought this together and the men that stood in the fire.
Men’s Sector Meeting On Country
Recently, men working in the Kununurra men’s sector came together on Country ahead of this week’s Big Fire – Big Dream Men’s Forum to explore how we can better support men in our community.
The gathering created space for honest conversations about what is working, where the gaps exist, and how we can strengthen the pathways that help men connect with support, healing, culture, purpose and each other.
A key theme throughout the discussions was that men’s healing is not linear.
Men move through different stages of life. At times they are strong, leading and supporting others. At other times, grief, loss, family pressures, housing challenges, health concerns and other life events can pull them backwards. What matters is having trusted people, services and community around them when that happens.
Participants spoke about the importance of creating opportunities for men to connect before they reach crisis point, strengthening relationships between services, and ensuring men know where they can go when they need support.
The gathering reinforced that healing happens through connection — connection to culture, Country, family, community and other men. It also highlighted the critical role that lived experience, local leadership and community-led solutions play in helping men navigate life’s challenges and build stronger futures.
Thank you to everyone who contributed their knowledge, experience and ideas over the two days. The conversations will help inform the continued development of Kununurra’s men’s sector and strengthen how we work together to support men, families and community.
