The SAFE + BRAVE Method
Real change does not happen through awareness alone. It happens when people and organisations feel safe enough to be honest, and brave enough to act.
The SAFE + BRAVE Method
Building the Foundations for Change
Why I Created It
As a Mununjali and Migunberri man (Aboriginal Australian), I have spent my life moving between two worlds. I have worked in systems that were not made for First Peoples, and I have watched how those systems shape people’s confidence, identity and potential.
I saw talented Aboriginal people walk away from workplaces that did not feel safe. I saw leaders in government who wanted to help but did not know how to listen or act. I saw communities carrying trauma that organisations did not understand.
But over time, I realised this was not only happening to First Peoples. I saw the same pattern playing out across almost every industry and workplace. I saw teachers, executives, health workers and managers struggling to have honest conversations. I saw people too scared to speak up, too tired to lead change, or unsure of how to even begin.
What was missing was a shared language for growth, a way for people and organisations to build safety and courage together.
SAFE + BRAVE was my way of creating that pathway. It is a framework that helps people find stability first, then step forward into accountability, trust and transformation. It gives leaders the tools to rebuild the systems they work in so that safety, respect and inclusion become part of everyday practice.
I created the SAFE + BRAVE Method because I kept seeing the same pattern repeat itself.
Across government, schools, community and corporate Australia, people talked about change, inclusion and reconciliation. There were workshops, policies and training sessions, but very little shifted beneath the surface. People left inspired but systems stayed the same.
What I saw was that people were trying to fix broken systems by working harder inside them. But you cannot fix a system that was never designed for you. You have to rebuild it, with safety, care and culture at the centre.
The SAFE + BRAVE Method was built from that realisation. It was not developed in a boardroom or a textbook. It grew out of truth-telling, leadership and healing work in communities, where people were struggling to feel heard, respected and safe.
It started with one question: what would it take for people to feel safe enough to tell the truth, and brave enough to act on it?
What It Is
The SAFE + BRAVE Method is a strengths-based framework that helps people and organisations build stability first, then step into transformation. It is both cultural and universal.
SAFE is the foundation. It stands for:
Self: Identity, reflection and healing. Safe people create safe systems.
Action: Turning good intentions into consistent behaviour and measurable change.
Family: Connection, belonging and the support networks that hold us together.
Environments: Workplaces, communities and systems that are designed to hold people in safety and respect.
Once people and systems are stable, BRAVE begins. It stands for:
Belonging: Creating spaces where everyone feels they are part of something bigger.
Respect: Valuing culture, identity and difference.
Accountability: Doing what you say you will do.
Voice: Encouraging people to speak honestly and listen deeply.
Empowerment: Building the confidence and capability to lead.
SAFE is where trust grows. BRAVE is where transformation begins.
How It Works
The SAFE + BRAVE Method helps people move from reflection to action. It gives leaders, teams and communities a shared language for change.
It is being used across the Buneen Group ecosystem:
Buneen Consulting: To build systems of cultural safety, strong governance and truth-telling in organisations.
Buneen Employment: To reshape workplaces so that First Peoples can thrive, and managers know how to lead with cultural safety.
Dreaming Futures: To support Aboriginal children in care to rebuild identity, connection and hope.
In each space, the process is the same.
We start by creating stability and trust. Then we build the courage, structures and accountability needed for lasting reform.
SAFE + BRAVE is used by executives, boards, community leaders and educators because it creates measurable change that lasts beyond a single workshop or project.
Why It Works
This method works because it came from lived experience. It was tested in places where safety and courage were not ideas but necessities. It was shaped by truth-telling sessions with Elders, leadership programs for Aboriginal organisations, and conversations with people who wanted to change but did not know where to start. We tested it on real people who desire real change.
SAFE + BRAVE bridges the gap between good intentions and real action. It helps people see that safety is not about comfort, it is about trust. Bravery is not about being loud, it is about being honest and accountable.
When people feel safe, they can listen. When they are brave, they can lead. When both exist, systems change.
Moving Forward
SAFE + BRAVE continues to evolve. It is now a framework for leadership programs, cultural safety audits, organisational reviews and coaching across Australia. It gives people a structure to understand themselves, their teams and the systems they work in.
It helps organisations shift from statements to measurable results. It helps leaders balance care with courage. It helps communities heal and move forward.
That is what it was created for. To turn awareness into action. To make safety real. To make bravery possible.
“SAFE gives us grounding. BRAVE takes us forward.”– Shawn Andrews
