Our Executive Committee
The primary responsibilities of the Executive Committee are:
- Describing the vision and values
- Setting direction and strategy
- Ensuring the necessary resources
- Providing oversight
- Board operations and the
- Appointment of the Executive Officer.
The Interfaith Committee is a highly skilled, experienced Committee motivated and committed to ensuring exceptional governance whilst ensuring that the vision and values of the organization is at the ‘heart’ of all we do and promote.
For further information about the Committee, please contact the Executive Officer, Livia Carusi, via executive@interfaithnetwork.org.au
Our Executive Committee Members
Mehtap Williams
IFN President
Mehtap Williams is a dynamic professional with a diverse background spanning community services, banking, and information technology. Committed to lifelong learning and societal betterment.
Driven by her personal experiences, Mehtap’s commitment to fostering interfaith understanding is deeply rooted. Her marriage to a Christian husband while being a devout Muslim herself has ignited her passion for promoting dialogue and cooperation among different faith communities. This personal journey inspired her to join the Interfaith Network, where she actively participates in initiatives aimed at bridging religious divides and promoting mutual respect and understanding.
Beyond her professional endeavours, Mehtap actively engages in discussions on global politics, volunteers at community events, and enjoys exploring different cultures through travel. Her career journey includes roles such as ASRC Centre Coordinator, Freelance NAATI Accredited Professional Translator & Interpreter, and positions in organizations like AMES and Brotherhood of St Laurence and Berry Street. Mehtap’s unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on society drives her to continually seek opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Anita Davine
(President, August 2023 – September 2024)
Anita comes from a 45-year education background. Since retiring from teaching, she has become involved with the Interfaith Network of Greater City of Dandenong, Stillness Meditation Therapy and involvement on local and international levels with Ignatian Spirituality. She is happily married with a married daughter. Anita comes from a Christian/Catholic background.
Kathy Kaplan OAM
IFN Association Secretary
Kathy was a secondary Maths teacher, hence her nickname of K2. Most of Kathy’s teaching career was in Far North Queensland working with Aboriginal and Islander adolescents before, as a single mum of three children since they were the age of 5, 3 and 8 weeks, she spent the better part of her professional life working in the fields of educational management and fundraising.
The daughter of a holocaust survivor, Kathy is a self-professed learning-junkie who must have drunk the spirit of volunteerism with her mother’s milk.
A six-time breast cancer survivor, Kathy has been a passionate presenter advocating for breast cancer research and has supported young single mums facing their breast cancer journey. She has had the sad privilege of sitting with several such women during their last moments.
Actively involved in Melbourne’s Jewish community, Kathy is passionate about both intra- and inter-faith work. Kathy’s role in helping prepare the dead for burial is a task she describes as an absolute privilege.
Perhaps Kathy is best known for her establishment of Impact for Women in 2006 ‘as an accident’ Impact makes a difference to Victorian women and children escaping extreme violence at home. Until just before Kathy’s retirement in 2024, Impact was not only completely volunteer run and but also ran on the smell of an oily rag.
While Impact developed and delivered a range of different programs and services, including the highly successful free Court Child Care and Interest-Free Loans programs, Kathy is most proud of the sense of community Impact built and that, just through the charity’s flagship project alone, its Bags of Love program, had made a difference to some 60,000 Victorian women and their children before she retired as President.
When Impact turned 18, Kathy felt the time was right to hand over the reins to a new generation of leaders to take the charity into its next iteration.
Kathy is extremely proud of her children who she describes as ‘warriors’: one is a paramedic, one a police officer and one is involved in the mental health field. Kathy is also the doting Safti, grandmother, of three grandchildren.
IFN Treasurer (Position Vacant)
Imran Furkan
Imran Furkan FCPA (Aus), FCMA (U.K), CGMA (GLOBAL), MBA (AUS), BA (Hons) (U.K) CEO- Tresync, Australia.
Imran advises Boards and CEOs on Personal Leadership, Strategy as well as Geo Political and Technology Risk Management. Imran is passionate about one thing – fostering collaboration. Connecting people,communities and businesses together, fostering industry partnerships, and advising on macro socio-economic technological strategy. This is evidenced by his achievements in Senior management and Board Directorship roles in industries such as Regulatory and Industry Bodies, IT/GBS, Finance, Commodities, Media, NGOs and Professional Services in the Asia-Pacific region.
Venerable Pannasobhana Thero
Venerable Pannasobhana Thero, an Australian Sri Lankan monk, transitioned from a successful career as a doctor and medical administrator to chaplaincy and religious ministerial services in Australia. With a profound dedication to empathetic support and care, he has served in hospitals, educational institutions, and community settings, providing compassionate assistance and guidance. Thero excels in establishing meaningful connections and addressing the emotional and personal needs of diverse demographics, leveraging his extensive medical knowledge, counselling skills, and deep understanding of spiritual care.
Committed to promoting individual welfare through understanding, advocacy, and comprehensive support, Thero’s work ensures that individuals receive both emotional support and spiritual guidance creating a balanced and nurturing environment conducive to healing and growth.
Fluent in English and several other languages, Venerable Pannasobhana Thero has travelled to over fifty countries, dedicating his time to learning, teaching, sharing, and practicing. He inspires and encourages the discerning individuals to engage in meditation for ongoing spiritual exploration and development, benefiting both individuals and the broader community for the betterment of the world.
Rev Fr Jean Mawal
Rev Fr Jean Mawal is currently serving as Parish Priest of St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Dandenong and has been involved in the IFN for almost a decade. Fr Jean is a family man with three children, who together, live to serve the growing community within the parish and its surrounds. Fr Jean served as the previous president of the IFN and continues to serve on the executive team striving to fulfill its important mission in our sacred community of Dandenong.
Venerable Bodhicitta
The Venerable Bodhicitta is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist nun based in Melbourne. Ven Bodhicitta is the Spiritual Director of International Centre for Inner Peace and Happiness Inc in Victoria, Abbot of “Nisala Arana” Buddhist monastery in Agalawatta, Sri Lanka and the Buddhist Chaplain at RMIT University, Melbourne.
She has conducted numerous meditation retreats, Lecturers, Dhamma talks and discussions in Australia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. She is a renowned meditation teacher with over 25 years of experience. Venerable Bodhicitta is the founder and the Spiritual Director of the International Centre for Inner Peace and Happiness Inc in Victoria, a first by a Sri Lankan Theravada Bhikkhuṇi. She has also founded the “Nisala Arana” Nuns Forest Monastery and Retreat Centre in Sri Lanka.
Loreto Cannon
IFN Ordinary Member
Loreto’s background is in teaching, educational leadership and theology, along with her involvement in community welfare, and highlights her dedication to serving young people, migrant, refugee, and disadvantaged communities. Her work in various regions of Australia, and in the multicultural areas of Springvale, Dandenong, and Pakenham, underscores her commitment to fostering inclusion and support for vulnerable groups.
In her role as Assistant Principal: Engagement, Operations and Community at Killester College in Springvale, Loreto’s focus on encouraging genuine dialogue between multi-faith communities demonstrates her passion for creating an environment of respect, diversity, and collaboration. Her efforts in promoting engagement and community welfare are deeply rooted in her experiences within the Catholic Church, her travels to over thirty countries and her work with food banks and other welfare organisations.
Interfaith Network Staffing Team
Together, the IFN Staffing Team supports the Executive Committee, Faith Leaders, the City of Greater Dandenong, IFN friends, supporters and other stakeholders committed to our shared vision of ‘Many Faiths, One People’.
The Interfaith Network office hours are Monday – Wednesday, from 8.00am – 5.00pm.
Our office is located at Level 1, 39 Clow Street, Dandenong VIC 3175.
The email contact details of our Staffing Team are:
Livia Carusi, Executive Officer, Interim Executive Committee Secretary, executive@interfaithnetwork.org.au
Paris Sard, Community Education Officer, education@interfaithnetwork.org.au
Lilian Poke, Administration Officer, administration@interfaithnetwork.org.au
Interfaith Network, City of Greater Dandenong – Our IFN Team!
Liv Carusi
Liv has been part of the community services sector, primarily in homelessness, for almost three decades. She has undertaken positions including directly assisting people experiencing homelessness, human rights and advocacy, social and public policy reform as well as senior management positions.
She holds formal qualifications in political science, sociology, urban research, and a master’s in public policy. She has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Theology with a focus on Social Justice.
She has a deep interest and passion in social justice and believes firmly that through connections, understanding and collaboration, we can all make a positive difference in the lives of others and community and by doing so enrich our own lives.
Lilian Poke
Lilian’s work history for many years was in supportive roles in law. Together with the skills Lilian has gained from her working life and her Christian faith, she is delighted to serve within the Interfaith Network, getting to know and value people from other faiths and working with staff and Executive Committee members to bring people together within the City of Greater Dandenong – “Many Faiths, One People”.
Paris Sard
Paris Sard has been actively working in the community for the past eight years, supporting and educating New Muslims. Currently completing a Bachelor of Islamic Studies, she brings a professional background in risk and compliance to her role as Community Education Officer. Her commitment to fostering understanding across different faiths highlights the importance of interfaith dialogue in building inclusive communities.