Our Team




 

Alistair Gee
Executive Director

Alistair commenced this position in 2005 and has been involved in international humanitarian and human rights work for 15 years. Alistair is also chair of several international initiatives, including the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (which assists 140,000 Burmese refugees) and the Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. He has previously been chair of Jubilee Australia, the Refugee Advice & Casework Service, Strathfield Home and the ACFID Advocacy & Public Policy Committee and a Convenor of Make Poverty History (a coalition of 60 aid agencies). He has also served on a number of other boards, including the Australian Council for International Development. Prior to his role at Act for Peace, he was a lawyer and doctoral candidate in international law at the University of Sydney. He grew up supporting Act for Peace initiatives such as the Christmas Bowl, and is very proud to be part of the Act for Peace team.


International Programs & Policy Team


  Janet Cousens
Programs & Policy Director
In December 2010 Janet was appointed to the position of Programs and Policy Director. With a long history in management, Janet joined Act for Peace in May 2008, where she was responsible as International Program Coordinator for our Burma, Zimbabwe, Cambodia and Syria programs. Previously working on policy and program initiatives for a range of agencies including STARTTS, the NSW Refugee Health Service and NSW Health, the focus of Janet's work prior to joining Act for Peace has been on refugee resettlement, with a specific focus on health. During this time, Janet travelled as a volunteer to Indonesia and the Thai Burma border on several occasions to participate in health based training for refugees and IDPs. Janet’s entry into the humanitarian sector followed a vocation change from the world of international television, where she specialised in documentaries, working for a number of international organisations. Janet holds a Bachelor of Social Work, completing her Honours thesis on resettlement issues for Tamil Sri Lankan women, and a BA (Mass Comm).

“I firmly believe that we have a positive role to play in partnering with communities where we can fill the gap in the opportunities they have available to them to address the mechanisms that lead to injustices impacting on their lives. I’m constantly encouraged by the work of our partners and their belief that change is possible.”
     

  James Thomson
Policy & Advocacy Associate Director

James has served as the Act for Peace National Advocacy Officer for the Program on Refugees and Displaced People, and is currently Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy. James was the Rapporteur for UNHCR’s Annual Consultations with NGOs in 2007 and 2008, and he has attended the Ministerial Consultations and the DIAC-NGO Dialogue on Humanitarian Issues for the past seven years. James co-chairs the ACFID Protection Working Group, is the founding member and chair of the ACT International Protection Advisory Group, and is heavily involved in refugee rights work.

Prior to his current position he spent five years in Ethiopia and Eritrea working as a journalist and in the development field.

“I find my work to be a continuous challenge, but am motivated and inspired by the work of our project partners. I've worked for Act for Peace for eight years, but I continue to be amazed by our collaborative partnerships and what can be achieved when sharing common goals.”
     

  John Ball
International Programs Coordinator

John has a long history in policy and advocacy work. He is truly dedicated to ecumenism and has been heavily involved on Australian Indigenous issues, Sri Lankan peace advocacy and has played an integral role in the refugee and displaced peoples programs of Act for Peace. John was awarded the Sir Ron Wilson Human Rights Award in 2009. This award is presented to an individual or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to advancing human rights in the international development sector. John is currently an International Program Coordinator working with project partners in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, India and with the Christian Conference of Asia. John has completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours Psychology) at the Australian National University, a Graduate Diploma in Management, RMIT and a Diploma in Education at La Trobe University.

“Serving and challenging the churches, as individuals and institutions, to advance ecumenical efforts for God’s shalom and salvation, is an inspiring but also often difficult mission.”
     
 
  Ben Fraser
International Programs Coordinator

Ben brings a wealth of international experience to the agency. He has undertaken a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Literature and has completed a Masters of Social Sciences in International Development. Ben has worked for Oxfam, Christian Aid, International Rescue Committee, International Lifeline Fund and has worked on the ground in many countries, managing the operations of programs in Sudan-Darfur, Uganda, Kenya, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia. He is now working with our partners in the conflict weary Gaza Strip, the Philippines, West Papua and Zimbabwe.

“I find the inner strength of those facing adversity and their determination to make a better life absolutely inspiring.”
     
    Luke Johnson
Vanuatu Church Program Coordinator

Luke has worked in humanitarian assistance and community development for 16 years serving in Bosnia/ Croatia, Afghanistan/Pakistan, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. He has recently joined Act for Peace as coordinator of the Vanuatu Church Partnership Program, and brings strong experience in the Melanesian region, having grown up in Papua New Guinea and worked in the region for the last 10 years. Luke has previously worked with NCCA–CWS as manager of the Pacific program from 2000 to 2003. He has a background in finance and qualifications in natural resource and environmental management. Areas of special interest are appropriate technology; community media and creative industries in development; environmentally sustainable development; indigenous cultures; and intercultural communication.
     
    Karen Rasmussen
International Programs Coordinator

Karen joined Act for Peace in February 2011. She grew up in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, and has an MA in International Studies from the University of Oregon.

Karen worked in international development for over 10 years in Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Cambodia, mainly in the fields of child rights and child protection. From 2006, she worked with a human rights-based approach to development, particularly advocating for children’s rights to protection from violence, through media campaigns, developing organisational policies, community research with children and adults, and training parents and caregivers in positive (non-violent) discipline.

“It’s been a big shift going from community development to humanitarian work, and taking a broader community protection focus, but I’m excited to be part of an organisation that is taking an active approach to advocating for peace by holding governments and other stakeholders accountable and empowering communities to take control of their lives.”
     
    Visier Sanyu
Refugee Coordinator


Visier joined NCCA in January 2004 and is currently the Refugee Coordinator for Act for Peace. He first worked in a Bangladesh refugee camp as a student volunteer when he was 19, studying at St Joseph College in Darjeeling, India.
He has been in involved in Indigenous Peoples movement for the last 30 years and was a speaker at United Nations on behalf of the Asian delegation at the Working Group for Indigenous People in Geneva. Visier holds a PhD in History from Nagaland University and a Bachelor of Theology from Whitley College, Melbourne University. He is a Research Fellow at Asia Monash Institute in Monash University and working on Naga Peace Process.
He is part of Initiatives of Change (www.iofc.org) and believes in the Philosophy of Frank Buchman, its founder,

“If everyone cares enough and everyone shares enough, everyone will have enough.”

     
    Fifi Rashando
Organisational Development Officer


Fifi joined Act for Peace in November 2010. She leads the development of information architecture, organisational knowledge management systems, and institutional infrastructure strengthening as part of a substantial and ongoing change management process. Her position was introduced to help Act for Peace and our partners assess how well we are achieving our strategic goals and to strengthen our capacity to do so. This has included developing technical tools and processes for improving the quality of institutional capacity and project evaluations as well as how we learn from them; coordinating reviews of our funding evaluation process and risk management; and leading the internal capacity assessment to ensure Act for Peace compliance with ACFID Code of Conduct, AusAID Accreditation Requirements, ACT Alliance Standards, and Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) Standards.

Fifi holds an MBA and has rich experience in successfully designing/refining business processes, setting up microfinance institutions, sustainable livelihood programs as well as social enterprises in post disaster environments. She previously worked for Habitat for Humanity, leading the operational expansion and integrating housing microfinance into its programs in Indonesia, and for Opportunity International Australia, providing technical consultancy and managing high level development programs in Indonesia, the Philippines, East Timor and India.

“I’m passionate to apply my skills and experience in providing strategic solutions to assist Act for Peace and councils of churches to enhance their capacity in developing sustainable development programs that will benefit their affected communities.”



Marketing & Communication Team


  Howard Graham
Act for Peace Partners Coordinator 

Howard has completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) NSWIT (now UTS) 1983, and a Fellowship of the Australian Insurance Institute. He worked for 40 years with NRMA and retired as the General Manager of Strategic Planning. In 1998/9 he had two short-term management consulting assignments with United Church in Solomon Islands for Act for Peace and served 3 years as General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea in Lae.

“I really enjoy drawing from past experience and using those skills to help raise funds and awareness for the amazing work of our project partners working in war-torn areas and with some of the world’s poorest people…”
     
    Sarah Gregory
Marketing & Campaigns Coordinator

Sarah started with Act for Peace in March 2010. She holds a Masters with Distinction in International Development and a Bachelor of Communication. Sarah's previous experience is in advocacy campaigns, as the Coordinator of the Make Poverty History campaign in Australia from 2005 to 2007, then as the Global Mobilisation and Outreach Coordinator for the Global Call to Action against Poverty, where she had the privilege of working with pro-poor campaigners in 115 countries. Prior to joining Act for Peace, Sarah was a researcher for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, on their Global Project for Measuring the Progress of Societies. Sarah has lived and worked in South Africa, Chile and France, and travelled extensively through the developing world.
     
    Emma Halgren
Media & Online Coordinator

Emma began working at Act for Peace in January 2011. Much of her working life has been spent in church and not-for-profit organisations. Previously, she worked for four years as journalist and editor, and later in a promotions role, for Uniting Creative, the communications department of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT. In 2009, she spent twelve months in Geneva as a youth intern in the communications department of the World Council of Churches, an experience that gave her a real sense of how churches can work together to promote peace and justice in the world.

Emma holds a Bachelor of Social Science from Macquarie University, and a Graduate Certificate in Journalism from the University of Technology, Sydney.

“With so much need in our world, it’s a real privilege to work for an organisation like Act for Peace which is working in very concrete ways with partners around the world to bring peace and stability to communities affected by the kinds of conflict and suffering that most of us can’t even imagine.”

     
    Susan Lorenzo
Marketing & Communication Assistant

Susan began working as an intern at Act for Peace in May 2010 and moved into her current position in September of the same year. She obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of New South Wales.

“I consider myself truly fortunate to work with people so skilled, enthusiastic and determined to help some of the most disadvantaged people in the world, and to be able to contribute to that work myself.”
     
    Bryce Fegan
Development Officer, NSW & ACT

Bryce was first exposed to the realities of conflict and poverty as a UN Peacekeeper with the Australian Army in East Timor. He has since graduated from Morling College with a Bachelor of Theology and has worked with the NSW Ecumenical Council as the Ecumenical Programs Officer. In 2010, Bryce began his work as the Development Officer for NSW and ACT with Act for Peace, and remains keen to see churches working together in addressing the root causes of ongoing conflict and poverty around the world.

“Act for Peace, as the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia is well placed to encourage churches to stand together in addressing the short term needs, as well as the long term causes of injustice.”
     
    Jeff Wild
Development Officer, VIC & TAS

Jeff was previously a teacher and has completed an M.Ed. in Religious Education. Since then he has worked for most of the last 20 years for the ecumenical movement. He has now completed a Graduate Certificate in International Development. Since joining Act for Peace (then CWS) in 2001, he has travelled to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Fiji, Geneva and Kuala Lumpur to become better informed about the work of our partners.

“I love meeting our partners and hearing about, and seeing, their inspiring work. I also love meeting our supporters and am thrilled and humbled by their warmth and generosity.”
     


Hazel Smart
Development Officer, QLD & NT

Hazel began working for Act for Peace in September 2009. Hazel has worked around the world in places like Ethiopia, the Solomon Islands and Vietnam doing both fundraising and development work. Her passion and enthusiasm to help others is truly inspiring.

“Having lived in various developing countries for 14 years, I have seen the suffering of many who are caught in a cycle of poverty and conflict. We at home take so much for granted while for some, collecting muddy water from a puddle for drinking is celebrated as a blessing. As a Development Officer for Act for Peace, I am still able to help victims of poverty and conflict by helping to raise much needed funds.”
     
    Virginia Macaspac
Development Officer, SA & WA

Virginia joined Act for Peace in October 2010. She brings a wealth of experience to the team, having worked in the travel, customer service, insurance and finance industries, and most recently completed her Diploma in Financial Services (Financial Planning) in 2007. During her career so far, she has been fortunate to visit many countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and the Middle East. But it wasn’t until a short-term mission trip to the Philippines through her local church that Virginia really got see first hand the poverty and everyday struggles many people endure to feed and care for their families.

“It is genuinely a humbling experience to live with local families and see people in the worst possible situations that are so willing to share what little they have, and smiling against all their adversity, they are truly inspirational! This motivates me to help raise funds to support our projects worldwide to reduce poverty and conflict, whilst using the skills and gifts God has given me for a greater purpose!”
     
   

Isheeka Goswami
Community Education Resources Coordinator

Isheeka joined the Act for Peace team as an intern in July 2011, and moved into her current role in January 2012. She is now developing a series of resources on peace and conflict issues, aimed at educating the broader Australian community and raising awareness.

She has completed a Bachelor of International and Global Studies and is currently studying the Juris Doctor at the University of Sydney. She has also worked as a volunteer at the immigration detention centres on Christmas Island.

“Becoming a part of Act for Peace has opened my eyes to the important practical changes that can be made on a daily basis to the lives of people in need. It is humbling to witness the work that Act for Peace is doing and to contribute to causes that are very close to my heart.” 


State Ecumenical Councils

Act for Peace staff work in partnership with State Ecumenical Councils.
For specific contact details, please click here

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