About us

Community Praxis is a worker’s co-operative that provides the collaborative infrastructure for members, friends and colleagues to earn an income by forming self-managed teams for project, consultancy and training work. We will consider any work for which we can bring together a team with appropriate skills and experience, in which there is an opportunity to contribute towards building more peaceful, just and sustainable communities.

As a result of our work all of us in Community Praxis Co-op hope to contribute to the reduction of exploitative competition; the expansion of productive collaboration; the celebration of the unique gifts of all people, especially those on the edge; and the equitable utilisation of our common resources.

The Co-op seeks to practice traditional co-operative principles, encouraging the development of acceptance and respect, spirituality and compassion, solidarity and participation, responsibility and competence in the individuals, neighbourhoods and organisations with whom we work.

Our current members are:

Dave Andrews - Emeritus Senior Social Practitioner/Director

Dave, his wife Ange and their family, have lived and worked in intentional communities with marginalised groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal and for more than fifty years. Dave and Ange together with their friends started Aashiana, Sahara, Sharan and Sahasee – four well-known community organisations working with slum dwellers, sex workers, drug addicts, and people with HIV/AIDS in India. They are currently a part of the Waiters Union, an inner city community network working alongside Aboriginals, refugees and people with disabilities in Brisbane.

Dave is interested in intentional community, interfaith engagement  and the dynamics of personal and social transformation. He is author of many books and articles, including 'Not Religion, But Love', 'Building A Better World', ‘Living Community’, ‘Down Under – In-Depth Community Work’ and most recently 'To Right Every Wrong'. He is a Senior Social Practitioner, Educator and Mentor for the Praxis Community Co-operative.

Howard Buckley - Senior Social Practitioner/Director

Howard Buckley, who is currently a director and senior practitioner with Community Praxis Co-operative; a part-time community development worker with the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards; and has had long-term experience as Manager of Deception Bay Community Youth Programs. His work experience includes six years as a Social Planner with Caboolture Shire Council and 35 years of work in the community sector.  His work with Community Praxis Co-op includes a passion for community development training and facilitating the Building Better Communities courses to activate citizenship and community sustainability. He has had many years of experience in paid professional roles and also volunteering in community work and sitting on management committees, his most enduring as being one of the founders of the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre.

After more than 30 years living in Maleny Howard recently moved to Caloundra with his partner to be closer to his two young grandchildren and is so pleased being their Poppy. Howard loves bushwalking and camping, being near the beach and pretty well any outdoor activity with his family and friends. He is a passionate Richmond supporter and is still relishing in the 2017, 19 and 20 premierships!

Peter Westoby - Senior Social Practitioner/Director

Peter is a highly sought-after thought-leader in community and social change work. Combining a long history of domestic and international practice, along with a rich academic life, Peter brings practice wisdom and rigour to organisational efforts and effectiveness.

Peter has worked in youth, community and organisation development for 30+ years, within places such as South Africa, Uganda, Vanuatu, PNG, Nepal the Philippines and Australia.

He has published 15 books, and 60+ professional journal articles, his most well known being monographs such as Dialogical Community Development (2013), Soul, Community and Social Change (2016), and The Sociality of Refugee Healing (2009).

Peter's work is informed by reflective social practice, story, and theory. He has a love of both critical theory as a way of reflecting on the forces that shape the world and our work, and also phenomenological inquiry, ensuring embodied consciousness is foregrounded in practice, learning and research. 
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Peter is currently:
Director/senior social practitioner at Community Praxis Co-op;
a P/T practitioner at Hummingbird House;
Co-Director of Three Rivers Initiative
an Honorary Associate Professor, Deakin University, School of Humanities & Social Science; and,
Visiting Professor, University of the Free State, South Africa.

Peter is currently based on Jinibara Country, Maleny, Queensland, Australia.

Rachael Donovan - Social Practitioner/Member

Rachael Donovan has an academic background in international development, environmental management and business administration, and has worked in the public and not-for-profit sector in Australia and India for the past two decades. Utilising a framework of being, connecting and transforming she has worked at the intersection of environmental issues and social justice and is passionate about creating wholeness and healing with people and the planet. 

She worked in various roles for a grassroots NGO in India for 5 years, developing programs in collaboration with community stakeholders in the areas of health, sustainability, education and economic development. In 2016 she returned to Australia to work in remote parts of Arnhem Land, working with community to provide training and employment opportunities for Indigenous youth. Since 2017 she has worked in systems change and lived-experience inclusion in both the government and non-government sectors to ensure that people's voices are heard and used to inform government policy and practice.

As a facilitator and guide at Three Rivers Initiative, Rachael also creates supportive environments where individuals can come together to build genuine connection within themselves, throughout their communities and in deep communion with the natural world.

Rachael is passionate about strengthening and supporting people, communities and environments through collaboration, partnership, dialogue and action.