keynotes

Leigh

Leigh Sales AM

A multi award-winning author and journalist at the ABC and anchors the much-loved Australian Story program. Before that, she presented the network's prime time current affairs program 7.30 for 12 years.

She has been the face of the ABC's major events coverage, including federal election and budget nights. Leigh has interviewed every living Australian Prime Minister and innumerable world leaders and celebrities from Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair to Paul McCartney and Elton John.

She's the author of five books, including the national bestseller Any Ordinary Day, Well Hello co-written with Annabel Crabb, and her latest Storytellers - a
fascinating insight into the vital and much-misunderstood profession of Journalism. Their wildly popular podcast Chat 10 Looks 3 has hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Nevo

Nevo Zisin

Nevo Zisin (they/them) is a storyteller, esteemed educator on transgender topics, TEDx speaker, poet, workshop facilitator in schools and workplaces, and award-winning author of Finding Nevo (2017), a memoir on gender transition and The Pronoun Lowdown (2021), a useful guidebook on all things related to pronouns. They have been in-conversation with Queer Eye’s brilliant Jonathan Van Ness, Transparent producer Zackary Drucker & world-famous spoken-word poet & activist Alok Vaid-Menon. They were a 2022 Varuna Scribe Fellow and are an ambassador for Wear It Purple.

Their work explores queerness, collective healing and liberation, mutual aid as a mycelial network of connection, reclamation of transgender divinity, finding deeply joyful ways to engage in activism and solidarity, making mistakes and creating a practice of failure. Their identity exists in the breaths between the words they use and their greatest accomplishments in life beyond anything, is their friendships.

Helen

Dr Helen Durham AO

Dr Helen Durham is the CEO of RedR Australia, a humanitarian organisation that identifies, trains and deploys experts into crisis and conflicts globally. With a register of over 1,000 skilled professionals ready to support relief efforts, RedR Australia also provides world class humanitarian training domestically and in the region.

Helen has 30 years’ experience in the humanitarian sector and high-level expertise in international humanitarian law, policy and diplomacy. She was the first women and first Australian to be the Director of International Law and Policy for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva. This role saw her actively involved in field missions in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia as well as diplomatic negotiations in New York, Brussels and London.

Helen has regularly addressed the Security Council on topics such as cyber warfare, counterterrorism and women and armed conflict, and has been the Director of International Law and Strategy at Australian Red Cross, Head of Office Australia ICRC, Legal Adviser to ICRC Pacific delegation and Director of Research at the Asia Pacific Centre of Military Law at Melbourne Law School. With a Law/Arts degree, a PhD in international law (Melbourne and New York University), as well as being admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor, she is well regarded and highly sought for her advice and opinion. In addition, Helen is a Senior Fellow at Lieber Institute at Westpoint, an honorary Professorial Fellow at Melbourne Law School and a Board member of Geneva Call. She is widely published in areas of international humanitarian and criminal law and has significant experience with the media as well as an Officer of the Order AO.

Juanita

Juanita Pope

Juanita Pope began as the Chief Executive Officer of VCOSS in October 2023. Juanita has 20 years’ experience in not-for-profit governance and leadership.

She served for almost a decade at Justice Connect as the Head of Not-for-profit Law, and has worked as a consultant and lawyer.

Before joining VCOSS, Juanita also held the role of General Counsel & Company Secretary at climate advocacy organisation The Sunrise Project.

Juanita studied the University of Melbourne (1998-2003) obtaining a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Australian Studies and Cultural Studies).

Dee Brooks

ABCD & Art of Hosting Community Builder, Jeder Institute, Australia

Based in Australia, Dee’s down-to-earth style builds on what’s strong, not what’s wrong, by bringing people together in dynamic ways to realise and engage the full potential of their networks and communities. For more than 20 years, her community engagement and development work has inspired thousands of people worldwide in community, organisational and governmental settings.

Dee is a passionate grassroots practitioner, facilitator and trainer who believes in tapping into the collective wisdom of communities. Dee was an Intentional Nomad for 5 years who travelled and worked in over 20 countries, until COVID had other ideas, and continues her global work from a new base near Melbourne, Australia.