Program
A dynamic two-day program of expert-led sessions, hands-on workshops and networking designed to foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change in information integrity the Pacific region.

VENUE: S05 – QCA Lecture Theatre, 226 Grey Street, South Bank Campus, Griffith University, Brisbane
DAY 1 MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER | DEMOCRACY & ELECTIONS
8:00am
Registration
9:00Am
LECTURE HALL S05
Conference Opening (including Acknowledgement of Country)
- Prof. Juliet Pietsch – Head of the School of Government and International Relations,
Griffith University - Damian Cardona Onses – UNIC Pacific Director, United Nations, Canberra
- H.E. Gabriele Visentin – European Union Ambassador to Australia, Canberra
- The Hon. Curtis Pitt MP – Speaker, Queensland Legislative Assembly
9:30Am
LECTURE HALL S05
KEYNOTE SPEECH: Creating a More Humane Information Ecosystem [ONLINE]
By Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, United Nations
10:00Am
Coffee Break | Courtesy of Griffith Advantage Executive Education Program
Includes group photo opportunity
10:25AM
LECTURE HALL S05
1 MINUTE SILENCE @ 11.00AM
Panel 1 | Disinformation and Democratic Resilience [CLOSED SESSION – IN PERSON ONLY]
- Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Lee Morgenbesser – Griffith University
Panelists: - Sajib Azad – Digital Democracy Manager, UNDP Pacific
- Anne Dunn-Baleilevuka – Online Safety Consultant (Former Online Safety Commissioner for Fiji)
- Jenna Hand – Strengthening Democracy Taskforce, Department of Home Affairs, Australia
- Dr Nicole Matejic – Christchurch Call, New Zealand
12:15PM
Lunch
1:00PM
SESSION 1 - WORKSHOP
THE SPIN ROOM | S02_6.37
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
Using Media Literacy to Combat Disinformation
Facilitators: Assoc. Prof. Tanya Notley – Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney
University and Dr. Aimee Hourigan, Fellow, Addressing Misinformation Using Media Literacy
Project, Western Sydney University
This workshop will draw on cutting-edge research to train attendees on enhancing media literacy
and detecting and combating disinformation.
1:00PM
SESSION 2 - RESEARCHERS ROUNDTABLE
LECTURE HALL S05
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
What Do We Know and Not Know About Disinformation?
Political trust and disinformation researcher Dr. Max Groemping leads an expert academic panel
in an open and interactive discussion of state-of-the-art disinformation research findings.
- Moderator: Dr. Max Groemping, Senior Lecturer in Political Science, Griffith University
Panelists: - Prof. Andrea Carson, La Trobe University
- Assoc. Prof. Timothy Graham, University of Queensland
- Prof. Michelle Riedlinger, Queensland University of Technology
1:00PM
SESSION 3 - WORKSHOP
THE FACT LAB | S07_2.16 / SO7_2.18
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
Truth and Technology: Spotting Deep Fakes, Disinformation and AI
Facilitators: Lachlan Ulyett, Griffith University and Taase Tavita, Principal IT Programmer for the
Office of the Electoral Commission, Samoa
This training session focuses on giving participants the tools they need to spot and counter ever
more sophisticated deep fake technology in photos, videos, audio and other media
2:30PM
LECTURE HALL S05
PANEL 2: Safeguarding Elections from Disinformation [CLOSED SESSION – IN PERSON ONLY
- Moderator: Dr. Ferran Martinez i Coma – Griffith University
Panelists: - Ana Mataiciwa – Supervisor of Elections, Fijian Elections Office
- Pat Vidgen PSM, Electoral Commissioner of Queensland, Electoral Commission of Queensland
- Julie Igglesden – Director, Defending Democracy Unit, Australian Electoral Commission
- Alexander John Stanley – Electoral Commissioner, Office of the Electoral Commission Samoa
4:00PM
LECTURE HALL S05
PRESENTATION: European Union Anti-Disinformation Policy: Regulation and Resilience Building [ONLINE]
- Prof. Carme Colomina, Professor of Communications College of Europe, Bruges
PRESENTATION: European External Action Service [ONLINE]
- Siim Kompas, Head of the Policy, Strategy and Partnerships Team; Information Integrity and Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) Division, EEAS
4:30PM
DAY 1 CLOSE
DAY 2 TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER | CLIMATE & PUBLIC HEALTH
8:15am
LECTURE HALL S05
Registration
8:55am
LECTURE HALL S05
Welcome & Acknowledgement of Country
9:00am
LECTURE HALL S05
KEYNOTE SPEECH
By The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water of Australia
9:15am
LECTURE HALL S05
PRESENTATION: Moving Towards Information Integrity: A Call for Truth in the Digital Age [ONLINE]
By Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO
9:25AM
LECTURE HALL S05
PANEL 3: The Climate Crisis and Disinformation
- Moderator: Prof. Brendan Mackey – Director of the Griffith Climate Action Beacon, Griffith Universit
Panelists: - Rosita Rokubuli – Pacific Youth Representative, Nauru
- Emmanuel (Manu) Peni – Project Sepik, Papua New Guinea
- Dr. Evan Center – Senior Manager Environment & Climate Change, UN Global Compact Network Australia
- Ana Tiraa – Accredited Entity Advisor, Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, Cook Islands
10:45AM
Coffee Break
11:10AM
WORKSHOP
THE FACT LAB | S07_2.16 / SO7_2.18
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
Information Integrity Advancing Climate Action: Tackling Disinformation for a Sustainable Future
Facilitated by Dr. Anurag Deep, UNESCO
Countering Climate Change Disinformation: Representatives of UNESCO lead this training
workshop aimed at giving participants the most up to date tools for recognising and responding to
the increasingly prevalent misinformation on climate change.
11:10AM
WORKSHOP
THE RUMOUR MILL | S07_2.17
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
Misinformation and Health: Addressing the Challenges
Facilitators: Dr. Becky White and Lenka Dojcanova, World Health Organization (WHO)
Participants in this interactive training session will learn leading-edge techniques for countering
misinformation and deliberate disinformation on health
11:10AM
WORKSHOP
THE SPIN ROOM | S02_6.37
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
Prebunking Disinformation: Next Generation Workshop
United Nations interns Afreeda Germean, Lachlan Ulyett and Mekenzie Mulligan, along with
Samantha Iyar, a journalist from Palau, guide participants through practical strategies for
recognising and ‘prebunking’ instead of debunking disinformation.
11:10AM
WORKSHOP
THE BIAS BUNKER | S07_2.19
Breakout Sessions (Parallel)
Disinformation & Education: Navigating the Impact of Misinformation in Modern Education
Facilitator: Rashan Senanayake (Founder & CEO of Inspired Education Australia
This session focuses on the specific challenges teachers face from misinformation, as well as
broader impacts on curriculum integrity and skills shortages. Participants will discuss proactive
strategies to combat misinformation and foster a safer, more informed learning community.
12:30PM
Lunch
1:15PM
LECTURE HALL S05
PANEL 4: Public Health: Managing the Infodemic
- Moderator: Prof. Sara Davies, Deputy Director (Indo-Pacific Research), ARC Centre of Excellence
for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW), Griffith University
Panelists: - Dr. Becky White, Infodemic Management Consultant, RCCE-IM Team, World Health
Organization (WHO), Geneva - Lenka Dojcanova – Risk Communications Officer at Division of Pacific Technical Support, WHO
- Dr. Rachel Devi, Head of Family Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Fiji
- Folau Hola Mafi, Risk Communications and Community Engagement (RCCE) Coordinator,
Ministry of Health, Tonga
3:00PM
INTERACTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION
THE SPIN ROOM | S02_6.37
Breakout Sessions | Pacific Open Dialogues (Parallel)
Democracy & Elections
Facilitator: Karim Dickie, UNANZ and Nicole Matejic, Christchurch Call
3:00PM
INTERACTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION
THE FACT LAB | S07_2.16 / SO7_2.18
Breakout Sessions |
Pacific Open Dialogues
(Parallel)
Climate
Facilitators: Dr Donnell Davis, UNAA and Manu Peni, Project Sepik PNG
3:00PM
INTERACTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION
THE RUMOUR MILL | S07_2.17
Breakout Sessions |
Pacific Open Dialogues
(Parallel)
Public Health
Facilitators: Prof Sara Davies and Dr Phyu Phyu Oo, Griffith University
4:30PM
LECTURE HALL S05
The Way Forward
Closing Remarks
5:00PM
Day 2 Close