People
Executive
Nasser Mashni
President
Nasser is the son of a Palestinian refugee. He is a co-founder of Australians For Palestine and a founding board member of Olive Kids. With his father’s legacy in mind, Nasser is determined to continue the struggle for justice and a free Palestine.
Claire Moore
Vice President
Claire was a Senator for Queensland for 17 years including holding the portfolio of Shadow Minister for International Development. Claire is the President of the UN Association in Queensland. Claire visited Palestine on an APAN study tour in 2017 that confirmed her commitment to action.
Professor Jon Jureidini
Secretary
Jon Jureidini is a child psychiatrist who also trained in philosophy. He is a professor in the Disciplines of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Adelaide. Jon is the chair of the Australian Palestinian Partnerships in Education in Health, an incorporated DGR Charity.
Bruce Francis
Treasurer
Bruce has spent the last 16 years working in the International development sector campaigning for systemic change. Prior to that Bruce held leadership roles in community broadcasting and worked in the community development sector. Bruce is a former chairperson of the Fitzroy and Carlton Community Credit union and has a long-term interest in justice for Palestine.
Hiba Farra
Executive Member
Hiba is a Palestinian based in Perth, who was born outside Palestine and lived in many Middle Eastern Countries before settling in Australia 18 years ago. Hiba is a lawyer who practiced in the Middle East, predominantly in civil law. She is an active member of the Palestinian Community of Western Australia and has volunteered with refugees in Perth.
Ramia Abdo Sultan
Executive Member
Ramia is a senior lawyer who runs her own legal practice, and sits on various boards and committees, including the Gaza Children’s Fund, Charity Right, ANIC, and an advisory body with the Australian Human Rights Commission. She is Australian born with Palestinian and Lebanese heritage, and is passionate about seeking justice for and raising awareness on the plight of the Palestinian people, especially seeing she has family residing in Gaza, Palestine.
Dr Jordana Silverstein
Executive Member
Jordy is a Jewish historian and writer based at the Law School at the University of Melbourne. She has worked extensively with Palestinians in Australia, Palestine and elsewhere. She’s a member of Loud Jew Collective (based in Naarm), and has been involved in numerous other Jewish and justice-focused organisations.
Lama Alqasem
Executive Member
Lama is a Palestinian Australian from the City of Jenin, and grew up between Palestine (Nablus, Jenin) and Jordan. She grew up during the first Intifada, and lived the struggle of her people and experienced the injustice. That period shaped who she is now, a passionate advocate for her people and a loving member of her community.
Staff
Lauren Salathiel
Political Engagement & Media lead
Lauren joined APAN in 2023 with a background in journalism, non-profit communications and social justice policy and advocacy work. Her interest in Palestine stems both from her commitment to justice and the principle of care, and from her time spent living, studying, building relationships, and interning with an environmental non-profit in Jordan.
Noura Mansour
Community Organising & Advocacy lead
Noura is a Palestinian educator, writer, political analyst, and community organiser, involved in community development for almost 20 years. Noura has worked with NGOs in Palestine, as well as international solidarity movements in South Korea and Australia. Her interest in Palestine is a manifestation of passion about community and human rights values.
Rand
Digital Communications, Fundraising & Events
Rand is a Palestinian advocate and community organiser. Born in the ’48 territories, she is passionate about intersectional solidarities. Rand has worked with the student union at the University of Sydney and the National Union of Students on Palestine solidarity. She has recently been working on a documentary highlighting the Palestinian experience with the Dare to Struggle film unit.
Patrons
Bishop George Browning
Patron
Bishop Browning served for many decades as an Anglican Priest and Bishop in Australia, most recently for 15 years as the Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn. He has recently completed his PhD “Sabbath and the Common Good” – a challenge to communities of faith to take the lead in environmental responsibility. George has been a frequent visitor to Palestine and host of Palestinian leaders in Australia.
Wendy Turner
Patron
Wendy is a Brisbane-based unionist, and committed social justice and human rights advocate with first-hand experience of Israel’s illegal conduct in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank. She has extensive networks in the broad Labour Movement enabling collaborations and awareness raising to build on the important growing convictions in support of freedom, equal rights and justice for the Palestinian people.
Major General Ian Gordon AO (Retired)
Patron
Major General Gordon served for nearly 40 years in the Australian Army, including as Deputy Chief of the Army. General Gordon’s final posting was as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation where he witnessed first-hand the realities of the Middle East. ‘I can’t stay silent about what I see as a dreadful situation’ he says.
Lisa Arnold
Study Tour Coordinator
Michael Shaik
Project Officer
Michael has been a pro-Palestine activist since 2003. He was one of the founders of the FREE GAZA campaign to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip and is a contributor to three books on the role of non-violent direct action in the struggle for Palestinian independence.