Who we are

The Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education is a respected advocacy, education and research organisation advocating for social and climate justice and human rights. The Centre is built on a legacy started over 300 years ago by Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice and is now part of Edmund Rice Community services Ltd. Blessed Edmund Rice was a passionate Irish educator and missionary whose tireless vision for social justice spoke to the issues of his time. Today the Edmund Rice Centre pays homage to the original founder, engaging with a unique approach to deep listening, community capacity-building and social justice, and working in solidarity with communities across the Pacific at the frontline of the climate crisis, refugees and people seeking asylum, and First Nations peoples in Australia.

Our Director

'Alopi Latukefu

'Alopi Latukefu joined the Edmund Rice Centre as Director in February 2023. Prior to accepting this role 'Alopi was most recently the Director for the Global Education and Scholarships team in DFAT - managing amongst other thing Australia’s prestigious and long-standing inbound scholarship program - the Australia Awards. 

'Alopi brings to the role knowledge and experience from nearly two decades of work on Australia’s aid, economic diplomacy and foreign policy. During this time he also worked as an adviser and chief of staff to the Minister responsible for the Pacific (2008-09), as well as work on China, Japan and India.

Prior to joining the public service 'Alopi had a career working in the university sector, as well as with First Nations organisations and communities in northern Australia, including with a project to improve telecommunications access to remote communities - the outback digital network - and for nearly two years as CEO of Goolarri Media Enterprises in Broome.

'Alopi has extensive experience working on Pacific issues, including establishing one of the first web-based network and information sites (the South Pacific Information Network - SPIN) during his time with the Islands-Australia research program (ANU) in the mid-nineties. On joining AusAID in 2005 he worked on governance, growth and private sector development in the region, as well as global food security and rural development.

'Alopi grew up in PNG as a child where his late parents Rev. Dr Sione Latukefu and Dr Ruth Latukefu (nee Fink) worked for twenty years educating many of the Pacific’s future leaders and scholars. His father Sione, a highly respected historian and theologian from Tonga, was also Principal for the Pacific Theological College (PTC) in the late eighties/early nineties. His mother Ruth was a well-known anthropologist who worked with First Nations communities in Brewarrina in northern NSW, as well as in Mullewah in the Murchison (WA) in the 1950s. As the grand-son of Jewish-German refugees on his mother’s side 'Alopi also brings a strong passion for refugee rights to the role.

Along with his extensive and varied career 'Alopi also has a passion for music and singing, and continues to do occasional jazz gigs and other performances.

Our Team