Friends of Utah: Conrad Liveris

Mr. Conrad Liveris, an Australian native, is a writer, researcher, and advocate of gender equality and diversity issues. He currently serves as a corporate advisor educating companies on how to enhance their diversity and inclusion practices by providing frameworks that support the inclusion of the LGBT community and the promotion of women in management positions. He is also a regular contributor to media discussion on gender equality and diversity, and his writings on these issues have been featured in numerous publications.

In September 2017, Mr. Liveris traveled to Utah to participate in the Advancing and Sustaining Civic Engagement program. He cites his visit to Utah as a key plank in his understanding of civic engagement, and saw that many of the issues facing advocacy organizations in Utah were similar to those faced by organizations in Western Australia. His visits with Action Utah and Alliance for a Better Utah—two nonprofits striving to give Utahns a voice in policymaking—were particularly meaningful. Mr. Liveris describes these organizations as understanding there will be little change in their communities unless they organize and take action themselves.

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These two nonprofits also helped Mr. Liveris understand the vital role organizations play in bringing people together to discuss community goals. Liveris realized that while he is skilled at fostering interest in challenging issues, he needs to work on bringing people together to affect change. Upon returning to Australia, Liveris was able to replicate some the practices and concepts he had learned in Utah at his own organization, and is currently developing other procedures to implement in the future.

Calling Utah “the best part of the program,” Mr. Liveris was amazed by the state’s breathtaking geography and the friendliness of its people. He felt Utah had everything for him: quality government, community engagement, and a business community that is doing fascinating things. Liveris expresses his wish to return to Utah and Utah Global Diplomacy hopes he can experience our great state again soon.