Speakers from the Edmund Rice Centre are available for local and interstate events, including conference presentations, seminars, forums, training programmes, rallies and school and community group workshops.

For information about the availability of ERC speakers, please contact us by completing the online form here, calling (02) 8762 4200 or emailing [email protected] 

Guest Speakers

Phil Glendenning - Director 

Phil has been the Director of the Edmund Rice Centre since its inception in 1996 and is currently the President of the Refugee Council of Australia. With a background in education, law, political science, and overseas aid and development, today he is primarily involved in human right advocacy and education, peace and reconciliation work, raising awareness of the impact of climate change on marginalised peoples. His work with Indigenous people saw him co-found Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) in 1997, and for ten years he was National President. For more information about Phil, click here.

Corinne Fisher - Coordinator of the Pacific Calling Partnership

Corinne is the Coordinator of the Pacific Calling Partnership (PCP) at the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice & Community Education.  The PCP began in 2004 in recognition of the negative impacts of climate change on the peoples of Kiribati, Tuvalu and islands of the Torres Strait.  Members of the PCP are committed to listening to what Pacific leaders are saying about imminent threats to their way of life and collaborating with them in passing on this important message.

Before taking on the role of PCP Coordinator, Corinne spent 20 years working on public policy development and advocacy in the environmental and social justice fields, both in the Government and NGO sectors.

In 2013, Corinne was awarded the Nature Conservation Council of NSW's Myles Dunphy Award for ‘most outstanding environmental effort by an individual’ and in 2014, she received a Pride of Australia Medal in the NSW Environment category. 

Jill Finnane - Eco-Justice and Pacific Calling Partnership

Jill was the coordinator of the Edmund Rice Centre’s Eco Justice campaign and the Pacific Calling Partnership. Jill helped establish the PCP in 2006 and has a background in fair trade and sustainable development. Jill has helped the PCP develop a vibrant team of people dedicated to ensuring that the voices of the Pacific are heard more clearly both within the global community and the Australian community. Jill had been part of many delegations to Kiribati and Tuvalu, as well as many international conferences on climate change and small island developing states. Jill is a trained facilitator. Jill is a strong believer in the importance of creating space for Pacific Island voices to be heard, and the value of working in partnership with Pacific communities.

Maria Tiimon - Pacific Calling Partnership

Maria works as Pacific Outreach Project Officer for the Pacific Calling Partnership and comes from the island nation of Kiribati right on the equator in the Pacific and one of the places in our region most at risk from the effects of climate change.

Maria presents the face of climate affected communities that have few resources to adapt. Maria is working to build links between Pacific Island Migrant Communities and the PCP, and to increase their awareness of how climate change is affecting islands in the Pacific.

Claude Mostowik - Just Comments, Faith and Justice

Claude, a Catholic priest and member of the community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, came to the Edmund Rice Centre in 2004. Claude works tirelessly to liaise with a multitude of groups on behalf of any issue or situation that calls for a social justice response. The scope of this work is both within and beyond Australia. Claude works to protect the human rights of many groups including Indigenous Australians, those who seek asylum, LGBTI people and any disadvantaged people in our community. Claude is a member of the Love Makes a Way movement - a group who are seeking to challenge government policy for people seeking asylum. He has been arrested on a number of occasions during these actions to express opposition to the government's current policies towards refugees and people seeking asylum. Claude produces the Edmund Rice Centre's Just Comment publication, a regular information sheet on current topics. He also serves as National President of Pax Christi Australia.