Brad Lewis 2022 Brisbane Agents of Peace
Brad Lewis has contributed towards building greater peace in our communities through decades of services in mediation; peacebuilding; training and professional development; education; policy and program delivery within government; and extensive community based-work. Brad's extensive work history includes executive and senior level appointments within the public service (both Australian Government and Queensland Government), the private sector and community-based NGOs; as well as, extensive independent freelance work, self-initiated community projects and volunteering. He has specialised experience in areas including cross cultural peace-building and mediation; land/water and natural resource management; multi-party mediation and large group facilitation; dispute resolution policy and program delivery with government; strategic planning, community development and governance.
Brad’s work with PaCSIA
Brad has worked as an associate and project contributor on many occasions with the locally based Peace and Conflict Studies Institute of Australia (PaCSIA) – a progressive not-for-profit NGO deeply committed to culturally appropriate engagement, best practice peacebuilding and conflict management. His collaborative work with PaCSIA has included community peacebuilding initiatives, facilitation of community dialogue; restorative conferencing; and provision of conflict management training. Notable examples include PaCSIA’s peacebuilding leadership role in “This is Our Story” Australian South Sea Islander 150th Anniversary Commemoration events and the “Scenic Rim Community Peacemaking Forum” held as part of the ANZAC Centenary events program. A community-based project of regional, state, national and international significance.
- The project partners worked to raise awareness and bring about a respectful community commemoration event paying tribute to the arrival of South Sea Islanders as indentured labourers in 1863 to the Scenic Rim region of Queensland, (near Beaudesert). The commemorative event took place on 24th August 2013. Project partners included: Vanuatu Australian South Sea Islander Community Representatives, Mununjali Traditional Owners; Local landowners including descendants of the original plantation managers; Local Government representatives; Beaudesert Historical Society members; Project patron; Peace and Conflict Studies Institute Australia (PaCSIA) team.
Brad was a member of the Project Steering Committee and a lead facilitator for this project (as part of the PaCSIA Team) playing key roles in process design; co-facilitating a restorative community circle in complement with extensive community engagement and educational events.