activating and supporting communities for social & ecological justice
Borderlands aims to initiate, support and nurture community development and education, and support communities in advocacy and organising – providing and sharing resources; promoting working together; amplifying impact; and helping communities read, navigate and confront government, bureaucracies and corporate elites.
Borderlands Board of Directors
As of November 2025.
Marie Brennan
Marie Brennan has a background working in various sectors of education. She started as a Humanities teacher in Victorian Technical Schools, then worked in the Access Skills Project team in the Curriculum & Research branch of the Education Department, action researching with schools. She also worked with the parent and school council organisations and teacher unions promoting participatory local evaluation involving students as co-evaluators as part of a collaborative approach to School Improvement. She moved into the university sector in 1991, after studying for her PhD in Madison, Wisconsin (USA), taking up positions at Deakin, Central Queensland, Canberra, University of South Australia and finishing up at Victoria University (Melbourne), before she retired in early 2016. Since retiring, Marie has continued to write, research and contribute to community groups. She is particularly interested in becoming an ally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and with other community groups around issues of sovereignty, environment, supporting young people, families and teachers in community-based research and activism. She lives in West Footscray, Boon Wurrung Country and pays her respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.
Jorge Jorquera
Jorge has over four decades of experience as a community advocate and organiser. Jorge has worked in Australia and Latin America in a wide range of social, community and environmental justice movements, campaigns and organisations. Jorge came to Australia with his family exiled from Chile, after Pinochet’s military coup, and soon became active as a teenager in various political, social and Catholic grassroots organisations. He has been a full-time community and political organiser in several Australian cities, and in recent years a local government councillor in Melbourne’s west. Jorge is an educator and has worked training advocates and activists. He also has experience co-ordinating community development and human rights projects.
Terri Soumilas
Terri Soumilas, as a devoted advocate for social justice and human rights, I have spent the past 30 years living, studying, and working in the western suburbs of Melbourne. My deep connection to the area has given me a profound understanding of the challenges faced by our community. Additionally, I recognise the importance of maintaining a global perspective and comprehension of broader issues of our communities. I welcome the opportunity to be a member of Borderlands, and be part of its contributions to empowering and supporting communities for social and ecological justice.
Claire Sidlow
Claire Sidlow is deeply passionate about community development, evidence-based practice, and harm reduction. She enjoys staying informed about the latest research and policy developments in these areas. Claire holds a Master’s in Social Work from RMIT and a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences with a major in Health Promotion from Monash University. She has a strong research background, her experience includes extensive fieldwork, clinical trial management, and evidence-based practice. Additionally, Claire’s academic background and professional experiences reflect her dedication to making a positive impact in public health and community services, driving her work with Borderlands and beyond.
Peter Gartside
Peter Gartside is a primary school teacher and resident of the Inner West. He has also worked in health and mental health program design and management. In 2024/5, Peter project managed the establishment of the Footscray Community Garden and Learning Place. Through that work, he has fostered excellent relationships with a variety of community groups. Peter continues to lead on grant applications to develop the garden project and the work of Borderlands more generally. He wants to see the garden become both a place of social connection, and a means to promote Borderlands to the local community.
Paul Adams
Paul Adams has been a strong advocate for social change throughout his career. He was an active member of the Unemployed Workers’ Union and served as vice-chairperson of the Coalition Against Poverty and Unemployment. He also worked as a tenant advocate with the Public Tenants Union. A founding member and spokesperson for the Hazardous Materials Action Group, he helped lead campaigns to have hazardous chemicals and toxic industrial facilities relocated away from residential neighbourhoods. Paul later completed a PhD on the communist writer Frank Hardy and went on to publish the first full biography of him. He then spent 30 years as an academic at Deakin University and Victoria University, teaching and researching in community development, sociology, literature, professional writing, and communication. He also served as President of both the Victoria University Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union and the Victorian State Branch.
Sophie Rudolph
Sophie Rudolph is a teacher, researcher, unionist and resident of the inner west. She has worked as a primary school teacher and volunteer in Australia, England, South Africa and Thailand, is currently working in teacher education and education research, and is a National Tertiary Education Union delegate. She is against the corporatisation of education and works with students, teachers, community organisations and community members to build education practices and community spaces that enable collective action, reciprocity and care towards justice for people and planet.