Featured from left: Munya Andrews and Carla Rogers
“The harmonious co-facilitation by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal facilitators working together, had exceptional value, as it modelled the very skill we wanted to teach our staff”.
Kristen Toohey, Cancer Council NSW
About Munya
Munya grew up in a remote community in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Her fascinating journey has taken her from author, academic and senior public servant to solicitor and then barrister. These achievements are all the more remarkable coming from a socially disadvantaged background, including not having spoken for the rest 5 years of her life.
Her intellect and academic prowess are recognised by many. Melbourne University describe her as one of Australia’s ‘Leading thinkers’. The legal fraternity holds her in high regard – the former Chief Justice of the Federal Court, His Honour Michael Black, describes her as an ‘excellent advocate’ while his colleague, former Federal Court judge, Justice Peter Gray simply exclaimed, “There’s only one Munya.”
From a young age, like many Aboriginal people, Munya has learned to work and live in two worlds. Her dream is to bring them closer together. One way of making that happen is through sharing what they have in common and moving forward together in mutual respect. Cultural awareness is an invaluable tool that can help in the process.
About Carla
Carla is a respected leading provider of stakeholder engagement, collaborative design and creative facilitation services. She has always had a deep respect and desire to learn from our First Australians. With an adventurous spirit and fresh from high school, she ventured to the remote Kimberley, while most of her friends were doing their ‘gap year’ in Europe. Through a Churchill fellowship she continued this adventure within and beyond Australia to discover innovative collaboration approaches. Carla packaged these ideas into award winning solutions such as the Meeting Marketplace™ engagement model and, with Munya, the Songlines Engaging Pathways™ framework.
Before establishing Evolve in 2005, Carla enjoyed a range of roles in the private and public sector: from urban planner, environmental manager to senior manager and leader. She is always looking for better ways of doing business and connecting people: “I have been privileged to work with Aboriginal people through my entire career. Their wisdom, especially that of the Elders, holds the key to problems otherwise dismissed as insolvable”.
Carla has provided significant leadership in the participatory planning and facilitation professions in Australia and internationally. Carla is a Churchill Fellow and has qualifications in urban and regional planning, coaching, facilitation, community engagement and management.