The Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning

Management Committee 2010

Mary Dickins, President
Mary has a Bachelor of Science in International Business, a Masters in Development Studies and is currently studying a Masters in International Law and works at the Hobart Department of Immigration and Citizenship. She has been interested in equality among all people sharing the world since high school. Mary was introduced to TCGL through her involvement in the United Nations Association of Australia Tasmanian Division. Mary fully believes in the Centre's aim of educating Tasmanian children to become global citizens and the power they have to make a difference in the world. Read about Mary's time as a Youth Ambassador in the Philippines...

Robin Bowden, Vice President
Robin has been associated with the Centre since the planning meetings which resulted in TASDEC in 1985! A social worker by profession, Robin worked for the Commonwealth Government in the areas of aid, refugee resettlement and Indigenous affairs and was Deputy Manager & CoAG Partnerships Officer with Indigenous Coordination Centre Tasmania before retiring in 2008. The 'liberating energy' toward social justice which is achievable through global learning remains a strong motivation for Robin's involvement with the Centre.

Greg Sawyer, Vice President
Greg had been a SOSE/English teacher since 1980 and is currently the Assistant Principal at Rose Bay High School. Greg spent much of his childhood in less developed and developing countries and has always had an interest in development education and social justice issues. He had been a member of the TCGL from the early TASDEC days and has always found it an essential resource for students and teachers.

Maureen Aiken, Secretary
Maureen’s involvement with TCGL began in May 1995 when she was a Welfare Studies student sent there on a Fieldwork Placement. The hard work, commitment and absolute dedication of the staff, volunteers and allied community groups impressed and inspired her then, as it still does now. Through the resources in the Library, Maureen had access to real information and statistics about global issues and learnt how much the world was benefiting from the efforts of aid agencies working at a grassroots level. Being involved with TCGL changed Maureen’s life for the better and has been a real and precious privilege.

Frank Leibfried, Treasurer
Frank has been Treasurer of the United Nations Association of Australia Tasmanian Division for the past 10 years, he is a retired accountant and member of CPA Papua New Guinea and CPA Australia. He has also completed formal studies in TESOL, Law, Anthropology and Government. The greater part of his working life has been spent in Papua New Guinea initially as a Patrol Officer, then in a variety of financial roles for development related projects. Frank is a keen pilot and is Flying Captain of the Aero Club of Southern Tasmania.

Amy Fogarty


Jeff Garsed
Jeff Garsed is Research Officer at the Australian Education Union (Tasmanian Branch). In this role he provides information and analysis on a range of teacher professional and industrial issues as well as drafting union policy. Previous to working with the AEU Jeff was a classroom teacher. The AEU works to improve conditions for its 6000 members in Tasmanian schools and for a better deal for public education. The AEU has long been a supporting organisation of the Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning.

Rhonda Jackson


Jess Jacobson
Jess is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Tasmania and is the Director of the Oaktree Foundation in Tasmania. She has always had a keen interest in human rights, but only in the last four years has had the drive, independence and capacity to dedicate her life to the cause. During her Rotary Youth Exchange in France in 2006 Jess realised just how lucky she was and how many people go without the basic necessities.  Realising the position Australians are in to make a difference, Jess hopes to one day work in the area of women's and children's rights.  Jess has greatly appreciated her time on the TCGL committee already - sharing and enriching her views on social justice - and hopes this will continue for many years to come.

Ros Lewis
Ros is State Coordinator (and past Chair) of the Tasmanian State Committee of Oxfam Australia (both voluntary positions). Born at Wynyard, she studied at UTAS in Hobart and taught in Launceston where she now lives. In retirement, Ros is active in the community, working for organisations such as the Migrant Resource Centre, Climate Action group, Northern Suburbs Neighbourhood House and Make Poverty History. She has had a long association with the Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning and the ruMAD? Program and is particularly keen to promote opportunities for people from all age groups and backgrounds and from regional areas.

Jeremy Picone
Jeremy works with TCGL as the ruMAD? Schools Coordinator, having a strong background in voluntary work to 'make a difference' which has taken him as far afield as Kenya. On the Committee he represents RESULTS Australia for which he is the national Group Development Coordinator. He is also the Tasmanian Coordinator for the Global Poverty Project. Jeremy has always understood that being an Australian means he has access to a standard of living matched by few other countries. He has found the TCGL to be central in enabling him to act upon his commitment to overcoming poverty and he highly values the Centre for allowing other Tasmanians to learn about and act upon their global concerns. Jeremy has an Arts-Economic degree with First Class Honours in Political Science.

Eamonn Pollard
Eamonn is Deputy Principal at Sacred Heart College, where he also has responsibility for justice and outreach programs. Eamonn has taught mainly in the Religious Education and SOSE areas and coordinated the Amnesty International Hobart School network - which became the  Justice Action Network in 2007 - for a number of years. One of the initiatives this network helps to coordinate is Justice Action Day. Eamonn is passionate about justice, outreach and global learning issues.

Yabbo Thompson
Yabbo has been a member ever since TCGL was known as TASDEC and Coordinator from 1988 until 2003. She is passionate about global issues and believes having a global perspective gives us optimism to work towards a fairer, more sustainable and peaceful world. Global education aims to develop an understanding of the interacting factors that cause poverty, injustice, inhumanity, conflict and environmental abuse. Most importantly it develops the skills, values and attitudes that lead to a commitment to act for change, to preserve and fairly distribute the earth's resources and to create a more just society.

Josie Young-Shisanya
Josie has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Masters in International & Community Development and is currently studying a Masters in International Relations and works at the St Vincent de Paul Society as the Youth Coordinator. Josie is passionate about poverty eradication and providing opportunities to children. In 2007 she co-founded the Mutaho Children’s Foundation, an organisation working with children in Western Kenya who have been orphaned by AIDS and poverty.

Helen Hortle, Public Officer and Coordinator
Helen was introduced to the Centre in 1999 after returning to Tasmania from volunteering in Tonga. Her experience overseas brought her to a belief that education is the key to overcoming poverty and other forms of injustice: provided that education develops in young people the knowledge, skills and values that would motivate them to be active citizens. At the Centre, Helen found an impressive balance between strong ideals and practical projects – an exemplar of the “think global, act local” philosophy. Helen is a qualified accountant (CPA), teacher (further education) and has a Master of Social Science (International Development).