About Us
The Courageous Conversation® South Pacific Institute (CCSPI) was established in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2016 and began working in Australia in 2018. Over the past eight years, we have worked with numerous organisations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, including government ministries and agencies, hospitals and health services, city councils, schools and tertiary institutions, NGOs and corporate entities.
The Courageous Conversation® Protocol is designed to engage, sustain, and deepen intra and interracial dialogue about race. As such, it is an essential foundation for examining and addressing institutionalised culture and structures that promote racial disparities.
We accept the healing power of Truth Telling which entails the sharing of the full account of Australia’s history, highlighting the stories of both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is only by understanding their histories and experiences, that we can understand today’s Australia and ourselves
Having this conversation is not only the right thing to do; it’s the bright thing to do. The Courageous Conversation® Protocol creates an environment where people of every race and ethnicity can achieve at their highest levels. When everyone thrives, the result is a dynamic and empowered team that works effectively together to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
For me, racial equity, rather than functioning as a program or initiative, is a value that we foster. Having a belief in the importance of achieving equity, and having the courage to apply passion, practice and persistence to such a belief, is what fuels success. The essence and hallmark is our passion; demonstrated by our heightened engagement and our willingness to change. We derive little honour from holding back, limiting our participation, accepting mediocrity, and finding comfort in the status quo. With passion, we engage our mind, body and soul in this work. With passion, we reclaim our hope and belief in the possibility of a future devoid of racial injustice—a future governed by racial equity and a true quest for human equality.
Glenn E. Singleton
Founder – Courageous Conversation
Meet The Team
Dr. Mathew Farry
Managing Director
For 25 years, Mathew’s personal and professional purpose has been building meaningful connections between individuals, organisations and communities that transcend historical, national, ethnic, racial and religious differences. His focus has been partnering with individuals and organisations to build equitable inclusion through systemic transformation. He has supported numerous leaders and organisations to unearth and navigate the historical, cultural and racial differences that make a difference in people’s lives. He has worked extensively, as a leader, educator, researcher and consultant in the field of migration, settlement and resettlement, intercultural communication and relations, anti-racism, and equity and inclusion in organisational development.
After obtaining his PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, in 2000, he relocated to his ancestral homeland, Lebanon. During his time there, he held positions at the Lebanese University (Institute of Social Sciences), American University of Culture and Education (Director of Communication) and at the Lebanese American University and Notre Dame University in Beirut (Assistant-Professor in the Division of Social Sciences and Education). On his return to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2006, Mathew worked at the Office of Ethnic Communities in the Department of Internal Affairs establishing the intercultural advisory team. In 2009, he joined Unitec to establish Equity and Diversity Services. During his tenure at Unitec, he also held the positions of Associate Dean International Education and Head of Postgraduate Studies in the Te Miro Trans-Disciplinary Network. In 2013,
Mathew authored Scattered Cedars: stories from the Lebanese Community in Dunedin. In 2014, Matthew received the International Racial Equity Leadership Award for his work with Courageous Conversations about Race, and in 2016 he and his colleagues were awarded the Diversity Works NZ Cultural Celebration Award. In 2016 and 2017, he co-led the international think tank on achieving racial equity in higher education at the National Summit for Courageous Conversations about Race in Austin, Texas (2016) and Detroit, Michigan (2017). In 2020, Mathew was the lead facilitator for the Ministry of Ethnic Communities National Interfaith Dialogue programme. In 2021, Mathew established Courageous Conversation Aotearoa Foundation so that the ground-breaking, transformational Courageous Conversation Protocol could be shared with youth and community. Mathew is co-editor of Race and Indigeneity, Courageous Conversation in Aotearoa, soon to be released.
Kimina Andersen
Business Development Support/ First Nations Lead
Kimina Andersen is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Queensland. Her maternal heritage is Wuthathi Eastern Cape York and Erub (Darnley) Island in the Torres Strait, and her paternal heritage is Wakka Wakka in the South Burnett region.
She is a social worker with over 30 years’ experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and mental health in both the public and non-government sectors, holding numerous roles encompassing clinical, policy, research, and executive functions.
Kimina is a previous state-wide coordinator for Indigenous Forensic Mental Health in the Queensland Forensic Mental Health Service where she was a co-investigator on Australia’s largest study of the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in custody, and a co-author of the report, “Inside Out: The Mental Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait lslander People in Custody”.
She has a social justice focus and is committed to ensuring First Nations community members who encounter mental health and criminal justice systems receive culturally sensitive and responsive care. Her ministerial appointments include member of the Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol & Drug Advisory Council (2019 – 2022) and currently as a community member of the Queensland Parole Board.
Dr. Teresa De Fazio
Business Development Support/Partner in Australia via Intersect Global Partners
Dr. Teresa De Fazio has 30 year’s experience in education, training and leadership development. Her work has always had a significant focus on Equity, Inclusion and Belonging as a way of ensuring strong workplace and community outcomes. Her work centres on creating belonging as a way of challenging discrimination, racism and marginalisation.
Teresa is the director of Intersect Global Partners, which has partnered with Courageous Conversation South Pacific Institute® (CCSPI) to deliver programs in Australia.
Teresa was a former Commissioner with the Victorian Multicultural Commission and continues to have a strong leadership and community profile.
She has held various board, management, and academic roles. She is an accomplished author, public speaker and leadership mentor. Her employment history includes industry and university training, inclusive leadership practice, intercultural competence training, mentoring, research, and online delivery pedagogy.
Kat Poi
Programme Manager/ Lead Equity Transformation Specialist, Indigenous
Kat Poi (Tainui; Te Arawa; Tonga) is an educator, speaker sovereign story-teller and emotive intellectual. She has leadership and governance experience in mainstream higher education, prison education and training, and Māori-medium primary and secondary education settings. Currently, she is Programme Manager and Lead Equity Transformation Specialist – Indigenous for Courageous Conversation South Pacific Institute and co-director of the Courageous Conversation Aotearoa Foundation. Her specialist areas of work are in racial equity transformation, anti-racist adult professional learning, development and coaching and anti-racist programme design and delivery.
In 2016, she and her colleagues were awarded the Cultural Celebration Award at the New Zealand Diversity Awards for their work in bringing Courageous Conversations about Race to New Zealand. In 2017, she was awarded the Maharaia Winiata Prize for her pūrakau-approach to writing into the intersection of whiteness and te ao Māori. Also in 2017, she was awarded a Blue Award for her sustained contribution to racial equity transformation in the South Pacific. In 2021, she was chosen to be featured in Qiane Matata-Sipu’s best-selling book, NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous women. Also in 2021, her racial autobiography was published in Glenn Singleton’s international best-selling book, Courageous Conversations about Race, 3rd edition.
She can be heard on various podcasts including NUKU and Down to Earth
Conversations. Kat maintains a belief that the type of systemic and transformative leadership needed to facilitate racially equitable outcomes must be activated at a deeply personal level.
She holds a Masters in Indigenous Studies from University of Auckland and is currently completing her PhD. Kat is co-editor of Race and Indigeneity: Courageous Conversation in Aotearoa, soon to be released.
Sonya Collie
Lead Equity Transformation Specialist/Business Operations Manager
Sonya grew up in South Africa where she completed her Masters qualification in Medical Anthropology at the University of Cape Town. She then travelled extensively, living in Ireland, Britain, and Australia, before moving to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sonya’s expertise includes collaborating to lead anti-racism, intercultural communication, equity and inclusion programmes. She has been working with Courageous Conversations About Race® methodology since 2014 and is a Lead Equity Transformation Specialist and the Business Operations Manager for Courageous Conversation South Pacific Institute®. She is also a coach and a facilitator for local and international Courageous Conversation® workshops and Affiliate programmes and has presented and co-led sessions at the National Summit for Courageous Conversations about Race® since 2017.
A focus of her anti-racist practice is engaging and working collectively to raise racial consciousness, primarily with people of European ancestry. Her hope is that by doing this, a new way of being in conversations about race will emerge leading to more effective transformation.
Sonya is a contributor to Race and indigeneity, Courageous Conversation in Aotearoa, soon to be released.
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT RACISM TO END RACISM.
TO DO SO, WE WILL NEED THE COURAGE TO HAVE HONEST CONVERSATIONS.
The constant exposure to racism in our daily lives, in the media, hearing it in our parliament, dealing with it everywhere, undermines our sense of self. It erodes our self-worth and confidence. It certainly contributes to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness that leads to far too many of our own people taking their own lives. As a country, we need to listen to the real experiences of people, the truth about how racism impacts their lives across this nation. It’s crucial that our voices and experiences are heard…
