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Concurrent Session 4A: Speaking Up and Loving It: Thriving While Advocating with Lived and Living Experience

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Thursday, August 7, 2025
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Ballroom 3

Details

Advocacy with lived or living experience often starts informally — stepping in to fill gaps that shouldn’t exist. This session offers a candid look at what it really takes to advocate effectively and sustainably. Hear personal stories, lessons learned, and honest advice for navigating the sector while staying true to yourself and your community.


Speaker

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Mr. Sione Crawford
CEO
Harm Reduction Victoria

Introductions

4:00 PM - 4:05 PM

Biography

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A/Prof Thomas Tu
Group Leader
University Of Sydney And Westmead Institute For Medical Research

Introductions

4:00 PM - 4:05 PM

Biography

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Ms Peta Gava
Lived Experience Peer Worker
Peer Based Harm Reduction WA

Panel Discussion

4:05 PM - 4:45 PM

Biography

Peta is a lived experience peer worker at Peer Based Harm Reduction WA. Peta has worked in mobile health clinics providing testing and treatment, developed and implemented HCV focused peer education projects, and provides HCV work force development training to other agencies as a part of WANADA’s HCV Care Capability Project.
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Nicky Guivarra
Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Lead
Hepatitis Queensland

Panel Discussion

4:05 PM - 4:45 PM

Biography

Nicky Newley-Guivarra (Nigooli) was born in 1967 and is a proud Wuthathi woman and a gifted artist. Nicky’s family heritage on her Grandmother’s side is from Shelburn Bay, Cape York Peninsula and from her Grandfather’s side from Darnley Island in the Torres Strait. Nicky currently resides in Brisbane, Meanjin with her family. Nicky possesses a natural strength in her desire to paint and the themes within her work reflect culture, spirituality and life experiences.
Sam Jones
Communications Lead
Harm Reduction Victoria

Panel Discussion

4:05 PM - 4:45 PM

Biography

Ms Mei Mak
Community Member
Liverwell

Panel Discussion

4:05 PM - 4:45 PM

Biography

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Dr. Su Wang
Medical Director | Senior Advisor, Global Health
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center | Hepatitis B Foundation

Panel Discussion

4:05 PM - 4:45 PM

Biography

Dr. Su Wang is a dual citizen. She is living with hepatitis B and also an internist who cares for people with hepatitis B. She is Medical Director for the Center for Asian Health and directs the Viral Hepatitis Programs at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and is associate professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She also serves as Senior Advisor for Global Health for the Hepatitis B Foundation and was president of the World Hepatitis Alliance, a patient led NGO dedicated to harnessing the power of people living with hepatitis to achieve its elimination.
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Ms Nafisa Yussf
Board Chair, Co-founder
Hepatitis B Voices Australia

Panel Discussion

4:05 PM - 4:45 PM

Biography

Nafisa Yussf is Co-Founder and Board Chair of Hepatitis B Voices Australia. Living with hepatitis B, she advocates for culturally safe, community-led approaches to health equity. With experience across policy, research, and community engagement, she’s committed to reshaping the hepatitis B narrative by centring the voices of affected communities.

Chairperson

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Sione Crawford
CEO
Harm Reduction Victoria

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Thomas Tu
Group Leader
University Of Sydney And Westmead Institute For Medical Research

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