Dr Svetlana Broz, will deliver the Inaugural Address of the Sarajevo Conversations on 16th September, 2011

In the 1990s Svetlana Broz, granddaughter of former Yugoslav head of state Marshal Tito, volunteered her services as a physician in war-torn Bosnia. She discovered that her patients were not only in need of medical care, but that they urgently had a story to tell, a story suppressed by nationalist politicians and the mainstream media. What Broz heard compelled her to devote herself over the next several years to the collection of firsthand testimonies from the war.

Dr Svetlana Broz in her address will take us through a journey to further the goals of peace of the world and peace processes in that part of the region.

Dr. Broz will speak to the central themes of ‘Transition and national building – the values required for re-building our nations and our common human heritage’

Photo: Author of Good People in an Evil Time: Portraits of Complicity and Resistance in the Bosnian War, Dr Broz presenting her book to Dr Venkat Pulla

Dean Ajdukovic, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the Department of Psychology and Head of the Chair of Social Psychology, University of Zagreb, Croatia, and former chairperson of the Department and past director of Postgraduate Psychology Program. He has extensive experience in working with refugees and victims of organized violence, post-conflict social reconstruction of communities, community-based mental health interventions, work with families exposed to violence. He has worked in countries affected by upheaval such as Albania, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ingushetia… He is the president of the Society for Psychological Assistance (SPA), a regional mental health non-governmental organization based in Zagreb, Croatia that endorses the present Conference. http://www.dpp.hr

Dr. Piotr Salustowicz, Professor at the University of Applied Sciences, Bielefeld, Germany and Professor at the Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Warsaw. His main research areas are sociology of social work, social policy, civil society and social development, sociology of youth, evaluation studies. He is the author or editor of several books on sociology of social work and sociology of youth. He is the President of the European Branch IUCISD and a member of the New Editorial Advisory Committee of the International Journal of Social Welfare.

Senada Softic-Telalovic is the head of the Australian Council of Bosnian -Herzegovinian Organisations. With over 25 years experience in the international languages and  services industry, Senada’s expertise today is very much sought in Australia. In 2000 she was awarded the Telstra Business Woman's Award, and in 2001 was a recipient of the Centenary of Federation Medal for her contribution to business success, leadership, innovation and vision. After 17 years as the CEO of Victorian Interpreter and Translation Services LanguageLink she has established the Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Group –a consultancy for inclusion and understanding in the Australian Society. Senada is a campaigner for peace and resilience building and is a dynamic anchor of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Diaspora.

Michael D. Clark, MSW. LMSW Director, Center for Strength-Based Strategies , USA

is a Consultant, Trainer and an Addictions Therapist. Michael is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). He has provided training and/or onsite technical assistance to mental health, criminal justice and child welfare organisations throughout the United States, as well as Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and Micronesia. With over 20 publications on Strengths work to his credit, Michael has important information to share about motivating challenging clients.  

 www.buildmotivation.com 

Aunty Lorraine Peeters,  Is an Aboriginal Elder, NSW Senior Australian of the Year 2009, Stolen Generation Member and Aboriginal Healer. Like many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children of her generation, Lorraine was forcibly removed from her family at the age of four and placed  in an institution. Through the healing journey necessitated by this traumatic event, she established a healing program called Winangali-Marumali, to support survivors of the stolen generation. Lorraine also played an important role in the National Apology given by the Prime Minister in 2008 to the Stolen Generations. Following the apology, she presented the Prime Minister with a glass coolamon, an indigenous carrying vessel, to thank him for offering the apology. Lorraine has had a profound impact on helping members of the Stolen Generation to heal.     www.marumali.com.au

Richard Hill MA is the Director of the MindScience Institute Australia. Richard is internationally regarded in the neuroscience of psychotherapy. He is a member of the Global Association for Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, The NeuroLeadership Institute and the International Psychosocial Genomics Research Group. He is published in magazines and journals. His latest book, “How the 'real world' Is Driving Us Crazy!” is for the general reader.    www.mindscienceinstitute.com.au

Lesley Chenoweth PhD is the foundation Professor of Social Work at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. She has more than thirty years experience as a social work practitioner and academic, twenty of these in the disability area. Her current research interests span disability issues, human services and rural communities and welfare reform. Lesley has conducted research on disability policy analysis, deinstitutionalisation, families, social development and international development. Lesley is associated with Brisbane Institute of Strengths Conferences since its inception. www.griffith.edu.au/health/research-centre-clinical-community-practice-innovation/staff/professor-lesley-chenoweth

Goran Bubalo is the Project Director at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Coordinator of the Network for Building Peace (www.mreza-mira.net). He has extensive experience with policy research and evaluation, excellent research and analytical skills, with thorough understanding and professional work in the Western Balkans. He has extensive experience in leading, managing and design of projects focusing on different social development issues, especially on empowerment of youth, conflict prevention, good governance, policy making and institution building, development and civil society work.

Desley Hargreaves PSM, National Manager, Social Work Services, , Department of Human Services, Australia, will deliver her keynote on

“Working with vulnerable people in times of crisis: the Centrelink Australia experience" 

Presentation will focus on the use of strengths based practice in our work with people in times of crisis and vulnerability. This includes those affected by domestic violence, homelessness and family breakdown, as well as natural disasters and terrorist events.

http://www.centrelink.gov.au

Dr. Martha Llanos, Nathalie Masse award from the International Children Centre in France and currently as Honorary Professor and Extraordinary Researcher from the Sacred Heart University in Peru.

Peace Pilgrim, Human Development Artist and Child Rights Advocator. She is a Peruvian Psychologist devoted to research and policy for early childhood care, development and education.. She holds Doctorate from Catholic University Nijmegen, Netherlands with specialization in Developmental and Social Psychology. Her permanent life mission is to contribute to the understanding and flourishing of children.

Dr. Llanos has pioneer work in the field of early childhood development and was the first UNICEF Regional Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean.
  Currently she is an International Consultant devoted to the development of policies for the fulfillment of children’s rights with special emphasis on indigenous children intercultural bilingual programmes, nature and values education for peace.

She has worked for UNICEF in different Continents and currently promotes children and adults development and empowerment through art and nature connection. marthallanos@hotmail.com

Dr. Venkat Pulla is an Indian born Australian Human Services Management Consultant, pacific activist and a motivational speaker. He is the Principal of Impetus Global Consulting that offers – Strengths Based Strategies for the World. www.impetusglobal.com Formerly Head of the School of Social Work, Northern Territory University, Australia, he is the founder of the Brisbane Institute of Strengths Based Practice. A confluence of the Schools of Positive Psychology, Appreciative Inquiry, solution focused therapies, mindfulness practice describe the evocative approach of Dr Venkat Pulla.