Cath Finney Lamb
Founder

Cath is the founder of voice2words, which realises her vision of an organisation that helps make all voices heard. Her work blends her passions for dialogue and a research approach that captures voice fairly and authentically.

Cath has spent nearly 20 years of her professional life listening to the voices of people at society’s margins – and representing their challenges and capacities on the page.

A skilled qualitative researcher with a commitment to justice, Cath is dedicated to supporting social harmony and rebuilding trust where it has been lost.

Her experience of health promotion, cultural negotiation and advocacy has given her a deep understanding of the complex web of factors that lead to change. Her experience in health promotion has given her a broad range of skills – from training and group facilitation to program development and media liaison. Her project management experience gives her an eye for detail and a knack for keeping things on track.

Working in the health and academic sectors, Cath’s focus has been on cross-cultural health research, drug health and refugee health. Hundreds of hours spent interviewing individuals and facilitating groups have given her a flair for establishing rapport with people from a wide range of cultures and communities.

It has also made her reflect deeply on the dynamics of trust and communication in the face of stereotypes and misunderstandings. This complements her interest in governance models for non-government organisations, and strategies to build trust between their constituencies.

As a writer, Cath has used many different registers, tailoring the style to suit the need. Possessing the rigor of a successfully published academic author, she is equally able to write in a concrete reporting style which clearly translates information into action.

Cath holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Wollongong. This complements a Bachelor of Science, where she studied botany and zoology, and a Diploma of Applied Science in Food Technology. More recently, she has received training in mediation.

Encompassing research, international development and professional writing, Liz’s career has spanned the public and private spheres.

As a researcher, Liz has worked in the health and academic sectors. Pursuing a passion for qualitative inquiry, her research has focused on refugee health, injecting drug use and social policy issues like income support and aged care.

Working in international development, Liz has lived in Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. As a teacher, she gained a very practical understanding of refugee issues from her two-year stint in a camp on the Thai-Burma border. She worked in Papua New Guinea as a health promotion project manager, focussing on HIV prevention and care in rural villages and unplanned urban settlements. She has also refined her advocacy and policy development skills; working closely with the Indonesian National Aids Commission and Corrections Directorate to address HIV/AIDS in prisons and the community.

As a professional writer, Liz has worked as an advertising copywriter, publicist and web content producer. A fast-learner with a broad general knowledge, she has written on topics as diverse as architecture, real estate, technology and parenting. She has also managed media campaigns for community organisations.

Liz holds a Bachelor degree in Communications from the University of Western Sydney, and a Master degree in Public Health from the University of New South Wales. Dedicated to continuing education, she also holds a Diploma in Languages (Indonesian Studies) and an Associate Diploma in Drama Teaching. In addition to her native English, Liz speaks Bahasa Indonesia, Melanesian Pidgin and S’Gaw Karen in descending levels of fluency.