Judith Rafferty (nee Herrmann)

Judith is a distinguished "Pracademic”, adeptly connecting theory with practice. She integrates over 12 years of experience as a conflict resolution practitioner, researcher, and educator/trainer both in Australia and internationally.

Judith has conducted research in Rwanda, project-based work in the Central African Republic, and is an internationally respected researcher with notable expertise in qualitative studies with vulnerable populations in international conflict and post-conflict settings. Her PhD, focusing on justice for victim-survivors of sexual violence, has earned her multiple awards, including the Dean's Award for Research Higher Degree Excellence 2022. Her thesis can be accessed here. Judith has published on a wide range of topics, including conflict-related sexual violence, conflict resolution, genocide, and tertiary education, and has presented at multiple national and international conferences. She has recently published an ebook on Neuroscience, Psychology and Conflict Management, which can be viewed here. 

In her past role as Senior Lecturer (2012 – 2023) and Director of the postgraduate Conflict Management and Resolution program at James Cook University (2014 – 2017), Judith has significantly enhanced curriculum development in conflict studies and provided conflict management training across various sectors, including face-to-face, online and in blended mode. She has also created multiple training resources and practical tools to assist individuals in analysing and engaging constructively in complex conflict situations.

Judith is a nationally accredited mediator under the Australian Standards (NMAS) and trained in conflict management coaching, group facilitation and restorative justice group conferencing. Judith has been practising as a conflict management specialist since 2011 through her consultancy "Conflict Coaching Cairns" and as mediator on the mediation panel at the Cairns Dispute Resolution Centre. 

Judith's commitment to conflict resolution extends beyond her professional duties, evident in her leadership role at Mediators Beyond Borders Oceania (MBBO) and her involvement in multiple professional associations. Beside her PhD, Judith's holds a Master of Conflict and Dispute Resolution, a Graduate Business Administrator Diploma, and a Graduate Certificate in Psychology.

Judith's expertise also extends to public speaking, with a repertoire of hundreds of presentations, guest lectures, and webinars covering diverse topics such as conflict resolution processes and skills, cross-cultural conflict resolution, transitional justice, genocide, and violence against women. She has given a TEDx talk on building resilience through forgiveness, relating to her PhD research in Rwanda, which can be viewed here. She also won the JCU 3-Minute-Thesis competition in 2020 and the People’s Choice Award in 2020. Her presentation can be viewed here.