Development,
Social change, Transition societies, Role of youth, Entrepreneurship development,
Governance and people strengthening practices, Volunteers development
Asset Based Community
Development Micro credits and finance
Ignorance of Ability Brings Disability
"This is a short film I did in 2005
and it was nominated for
India-International Film Festival on disability
......"
5.4 million
Australians volunteer with that figure representing
approximately 35% of the population. The estimated value
of volunteering is
$70 billion. The complete survey report is available on the
Research Interns:
Molly Mullany , Melbourne, Elizabeth Carter, Brisbane,
Rajendra Baikady, India
Dr
Venkat Pulla,
is a
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) alumnus and a
Tata Dorabji Scholar, 1976-1977. In his private
consulting as Principal of Impetus Global, Brisbane,
Australia he offers solution focussed training in the
broad realm of strengths- based strategies for human
services and the corporate sector. He has been the
foundation head of the Social work discipline in the
Northern Territory University (now known as Charles
Darwin University) and currently he teaches in social
work discipline at the Australian Catholic University,
Brisbane (McAuley Campus at Banyo). He has previously
taught at Charles Sturt University, New South Wales and
University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
Dr Venkat Pulla began his
career teaching community development, organisational
behaviour at the College of Social Work, Hyderabad and
spent few years in training public sector senior
executives in urban development through British aid (
DFID) funded projects for Metro cities in India through
the Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies,
RCUES, Osmania University. In India he founded the
Centre for Environment Concerns in Hyderabad as a
reflective sequel to the Bhopal tragedy and initiated
the first ever written Citizen’s Report on the City of
Hyderabad and its Physical Environment.
In Australia he has
founded the Brisbane Institute of Strengths Based
Practice and is a practitioner and a motivational
speaker on strengths approach in social work and
self-reliance.
Most recent writings through Journals and
Books are in green social work, spirituality, coping
resilience and building hope. Research interests include
poverty interventions, health rights and transition
countries. A confluence of the Schools of Positive
Psychology, Appreciative Inquiry, and strengths based
practices and Mindfulness practices describe the
evocative approach of Dr Venkat Pulla.
Dr.venkat.pulla@gmail.com,
www.impetusglobal.com
Peter Binyon BSW (Hons),
Consulting in: Strategic & Business Planning
Peter Binyon graduated with an Honours
degree in Social Work from the University of South
Australia in 1991. He is one of the foundation members
of the Brisbane Institute of Strengths Based Practice,
and is a member, and past management committee member,
of the AASW- Qld. Peter has worked in management and
planning roles in government and non-government social
services in Australia and the United Kingdom. Peter
provides facilitation and consultation services in
relation to strategic, business and service delivery
planning, organisational development and quality
management systems. Peter has applied his management
practice in community sector settings including, State
Level Coordination for Canteen – The Australian
organisation for teenagers living with cancer and as the
President of Brisbane’s leading community Musical
Theatre company, Ignatians Musical Society since 2001,
producing large scale musicals that have played to
critical and popular success to ten’s of thousands of
patrons. Peter Binyon is a Manager in Queensland Public
Sector.
Peter.binyon@gmail.com
Dr Abraham P. Francis
teaches social work at James Cook
University in Australia with international exposure and
extensive experience in community development and mental
health. He taught social work at the Delhi University in
India and also worked as a senior mental health social
worker with Country Health South Australia, before
moving to Townsville to join James Cook University. He
held a stint in Queensland health as Assistant Director
of Social work. Dr Francis is associated with many
voluntary organisations, associations, professional
bodies and developmental projects both in Australia and
India. Dr Francis has established international
partnerships and research collaborations with
universities and non-government organisations in Asia.
He is the convener of the international consortium on
strengths based social work practice in mental health
and has been the founding honorary director of the
DePaul International Centre for Wellbeing, India. Dr
Francis is passionate about working and researching in
strengths based practice in mental health. His other
research interests are in the field of communities,
criminal justice, international social work, and
gerontological social work.
Abraham.francis@jcu.edu.au
Dragan Bombek,a creative media developer and publisher ,
www.liberopublishing.com.au who designs websites for
non profits companies and medium sized businesses.
Dragan has worked on all conference material for International
Conferences.
Dragan is one of the foundation members of of the
Institute.From 2001 -
2004 Dragan worked on Zena
21 (Women 21) - Project of
NGO from Sydney supported by STARTTS www.startts.org and
Federal Department of Family and Community Services.
Australia. He has founded a Dream Band Club Inc - that
organized Multicultural Performances for former
Yugoslavian Diaspora in Australia. Dragan has
previously designed art exhibitions since 1993 in
Vienna, Austria and in Essen, Germany, He also organised
the first satellite broadcasting to Bosnia since war,
with help of the Eurovision Geneva. Dragan was scenario
and director of the short movie Sarajevo is ...Sarajevo.
libeordb@aol.com
Mukesh Mistry,
CPA (Honorary Adviser) began as a Chartered
Accountant in India in the financial capital of India
Mumbai, with leading principals and then moved his
practice to Brisbane Australia.
Palani Thevar,
BSW ( University of Queensland) was
born in the small village of U. Pudukkottai to an
agricultural family near the Madurai district of Tamil
Nadu. Palani has always been deeply impressed by the
legacy of Mahatma Gandhi’s work and has worked
extensively in the community sector throughout India. He
obtained his Master’s degree in Peace Making from the
Madurai Kamaraj he Madurai Kamaraj University and
completed a Master of Philosophy at Gujarat Vidyapith
(founded by Gandhi in 1920). Since 1996, Palani has
lived in West End, Brisbane. Presently Palani is
employed by the Communities department at Oxley
Disability Service Centre. He is currently the
President of the Federation of the Indian Communities in
Queensland.
palanithevar@gmail.com
Duncan Williams,
an aboriginal Mura Ama Wakaana
Duncan Williams
identifies himself as an aboriginal person. 'Mura Ama
Wakaana' literally means 'people working together’.
Duncan has put together a wonderful training package
that sensitizes public servants in Queensland to the
history of the aboriginal communities in Australia.
Duncan's mother was instrumental in seeing that Duncan
kept his contact with his nativity, culture and his
people from his father's side. Duncan's maternal
heritage is part Irish. Duncan is one of the founding
members of the Brisbane Institute of Strengths Based
Practice.
Molly
Mullany is a recent graduate of a Bachelor of
International Development Studies (Australian Catholic
University) and has a passion for promoting sustainable
development that respects all humans inherent human
rights. She has previously undertaken intercultural
immersion experiences in Timor-Leste and Sri Lanka,
learning about the hindrances both countries face as
they develop post-conflict. Molly is looking forward to
volunteering with the Brisbane Institute of Strengths
Based Practice, as a Research Intern to work with
strategies for a more positive world both in Australia
and overseas.
Samir Kabadaja
graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary
Science. He was considerable time in a war zone, and
learned a great deal about how inner strength can help
to overcome life's difficulties. During the conflict in
Sarajevo, he was instrumental in the organisation and
production of food such as cheese (derived from milk
powder), eggs... . This enabled a large proportion of
Sarajevo's populous access to more reliable resources
rather than humanitarian aid. After arriving in
Australia he was studying a diploma of counselling as
well as finishing a number of courses including, Working
with homeless people (Drag Arm) and Grief and Loss
(Paradise kids). He is open minded when it comes to
innovative ways of solving problems.
