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Australian Volunteers International Magazine
Edition Two 2011
“Sustainable development with longterm
change can only be achieved
when communities own their future.”
– Dame Carol Kidu
A Sustainable Livelihood
Inside >
> Women’s business in Timor
> Meeting PNG’s tourism vision
> A healthy trade in Swaziland
> From Palestine to Ernabella
www.australianvolunteers.com

Contents
02
» Contents
A sustainable livelihood
05 > Resourcing PNG’s sustainable nation
building efforts
By Dame Carol Kidu.
07 > A healthy market place
Taking health services to Swaziland’s
Market Traders.
08 > Finding a women’s place
Tales from a Timorese woman and an
Australian Volunteer show how one
organisation can change the place in
the world of many.
10 > Tourism strengthening cultural identity
A united effort to running the
Warwagira and Mask Festival in PNG,
raises community spirits in Kokopo.
12 > Shaping island life
Three Kolombangara Island
Biodiversity Conservation Association
staff refl ect on the work of an
Australian Volunteer.
14 > Reversing realities
UNRWA’s commitment to people
with disabilities.
15 > A local approach to food
security challenges
An innovative guide draws on local
knowledge, network and connections
to help Melanesian farmers tackle
issues of food security and
climate change.
16 > Learning from others – from Palestine
to South Australia
A journey to a remote Aboriginal
community changes the perspective
of two Palestinian women.
18 > Children of the Rainbow Serpent:
Australian roadshow
AVI screens this amazing fi lm in
Tamworth, Adelaide, Echuca
and Narrandera.
P > 14
19 > Engaging with Africa
A global partnership working
together to achieve local visions
in Ethiopia and Kenya.
20 > A balancing act in Tuvalu
Managing drought and political
uncertainty while strengthening
Tuvalu’s legal and fi nancial systems.
22 > Learning in action in Nauru
PACTAM fi rst aid training
delivers results at the Republic
of Nauru Hospital.
24 > ANZ’s global perspective
ANZ celebrate its fi rst volunteers
as part of its Super Regional
Volunteers initiative.
26 > Learning by doing
Over 85 Macquarie University
students enrich their learning
experience through PACE International
this year.
26 > Celebrating 60 years of volunteering
A report on where and who we have
celebrated with so far.
Regulars
03 > CEO’s Comment
04 > In brief
27 > Book Review
Suffi cient for the Day: Towards a
Sustainable Culture by Geoff Lacey.
29 > Dates to remember
30 > Fundraising appeal
31 > Photo Gallery
People of the Middle East program.
P > 10
Australian Volunteers International
connects people and organisations
internationally to learn from each
other and achieve shared goals.
AVI enables Australians to join in
global efforts to reduce poverty;
promote human rights, good
governance and gender equality;
enhance health and education
services; and protect the
environment.
AVI is a member of the International
FORUM on Development Service
and the Australian Council for
International Development (ACFID).
AustralianVolunteer is AVI’s free
magazine, published twice a year.
Contributions and good quality
photographs are encouraged.
Send enquiries and submissions to:
The Editor, Australian Volunteer,
PO Box 350, Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065,
Australia.
Email > mystory@australianvolunteers.com
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mailed personally to you, sign up as a
member of our website at
www.australianvolunteers.com,
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info@australianvolunteers.com
Editors > Christine Crosby, Fran Noonan
Sub-editors > Dan Sybaczynskyj,
Elmarie Pareezer
Graphic Design > Bree Manley, Tim Allan
Printing > Printed on recycled paper
Distribution > Complete Mailing (posted
in biodegradable plastic wrap)
Advertising enquiries >
mystory@australianvolunteers.com
Cover > Australian Volunteer Sustainable
Livelihoods Coordinator Deb Salvagno
working on a weaving project with Otelia
Da Consesat at Coperativa Tais Kultura
No Dezenvolvimentu (CTKDS) in Lautem,
Timor-Leste. CTKDS receives support from
AVI Australian Partner Organisation, the
East Timor Women Australia (ETWA).
Photo > Louise Cooper/AVI
© Australian Volunteers International
December 2011
www.australianvolunteers.com
Left > UNRWA delivers disability services to
Palestinian communities in Gaza.
Photo > Courtesy UNRWA
Right > PNG Mudman.
Photo > Elizabeth Brennan

» Comment
» In October this year I had the
opportunity to participate in the International
Volunteering Cooperation Organisation
conference in Kenya. This annual event brings
together delegates from international
volunteering organisations from around the
world, and it was a true privilege to be in Africa
and learn about the philosophies and actions
of volunteering organisations in the region.
In her opening address at the conference
Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, the Director of
Policy for VSO International shared with us
the story of ubuntu and its relationship to
volunteering. Archbishop Desmond Tutu says
this age-old African ideal “speaks of the fact
that my humanity is caught up and is
inextricably bound up in yours. A person with
Ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable, warm and
generous, willing to share.”
This spirit is imbued in volunteering throughout
Africa. In an inspirational presentation by
Musa Sibindi from the Matebeleland AIDS
Council (MAC) from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, she
described volunteering as the practice that not
only works to improve quality of life but a
movement that produces better human beings
by the act of working on behalf of others.
In articulating the philosophy of MAC and how
they work with community volunteers, she
said, “It starts from the principle that within
any community there is a wealth of knowledge
and experience which, if used in creative
ways, can be channelled into a collective.”
It is an approach to community development
that embraces ubuntu, it relies on humans
making those deep connections that enable
people to act together, foster an inclusive
approach to change that empowers people,
communities and countries to own their own
development process.
For Musa and her colleagues at MAC, they
believe, “The greatest resource in
development is the human resource and if
well managed can yield positive results.”
As I refl ect on my past six months, the
message of ubuntu has followed me as part
of my discussions with a range of politicians
and heads of government at CHOGM, in my
conversations with the fi rst midwifery
graduates from the Hamlin College of
Midwifery in Ethiopia and when speaking at
the National Midwives Conference in Sydney.
Together we have talked positively about the
value of human solidarity and community
ownership of development, cooperation
between community structures and
government and establishing stronger
connections between all pillars of society.
At AVI this approach is not new to us. We are
committed to expressing our commitment to
people to people links and mutual support at
all levels of society. As we prepare to place
the fi rst three ANZ staff on international
volunteer assignments in Indonesia, Fiji and
Solomon Islands as part of our new
partnership with ANZ, we also know we are
preparing for a greater mutual understanding
of each organisation and community involved
in this partnership. An experience that will
deliver stronger connections and learnings for
all involved.
Increasing awareness of the value of strong
connections has also inspired stronger
support for AVI’s, Volunteering SA & NT’s and
Volunteering SA & NT’s Aboriginal Reference
Group’s effort to establish a volunteering
program for Aboriginals across Aboriginal
communities. Following the screening of AVI’s
fi lm documentary Children of the Rainbow
Serpent in Tamworth, Narrandera, Adelaide
and Echuca in June, AVI is closer to making
the dream of such a program a reality through
the generosity of a range of fi nancial partners.
The fi lm documents the experiences of four
young Aboriginal Australians’ volunteering in
India. Screening the fi lm in each of their home
towns, the “story telling” format resonated with
audiences, consisting of friends, family and
members of their local communities. While it
did inspire fi nancial support, most importantly
it raised awareness of how just one
opportunity to connect and work with others
can change the lives of so many.
In this magazine you will also have the
opportunity to read about the journey of two
Palestinian teachers to the remote Aboriginal
community of Ernabella. Accompanied by two
AVI staff, Malak and Iman met community
members and talked to teachers about the
challenges and rewards they faced in working
in this remote community. While the
experience was confronting for Malak and
Iman they have developed a profound
understanding of the impact of strong
Our Board
Justice Richard Refshauge (Chair)
Ms Alison Crook AO (Deputy Chair)
Mr Kurt Fearnley OAM
Ms Jenny McGregor
Mr Robert McLean
Ms Sam Mostyn
Mr Greg Thompson
Our President
Ms Margaret Jackson AC
Our Life Members
Mr Bill Armstrong AO
Mrs Betty Feith
Dr Bob Meyenn
Mr Hugh O’Neill
Our Patrons
Hon Elizabeth Evatt AC
Hon Michael Kirby AC, CMG
Sir Gustav Nossal AC, CBE
Prof Lowitja O’Donoghue AC, CBE
Mr David Scott AO
Rt Hon Ian Sinclair AC
Hon E G Whitlam AC, QC
Our Programs
• Australian Africa Community
Engagement Scheme
• Australian Volunteers for International
Development
• ANZ - Super Regional Volunteers
• AVI / VSO Partnership
• AVI Worldwide
• Cambodian Midwives Project
• Children of the Rainbow Serpent
documentary
• Hamlin Fistula Hospital Project
• Lawyers Beyond Borders
• Macquarie University PACE International
• Pacifi c Technical Assistance Mechanism
connections. I will leave you with some
thoughts from Malak about this and how it
has affected them, “No person gets in contact
with another person and gets nothing…. The
more you get in contact with others the more
you acquire, whether you felt it directly or not.
If you feel it, you have to make use of it.” For
Malak and Iman the opportunity to make
contact with the community and teachers of
Ernabella and how they feel about the future
for the Palestinian people they say, “Our belief
in the [ability to] change has become real.”
Warmest regards and in peace
Dimity Fifer
Chief Executive Offi cer
Above > (l-r) AVI Program Offi cer Tanzania Musa
Naroro and CEO Dimity Fifer with Hamlin College of
Midwifery Director Annette Bennett and Jacqueline
Bernhard, Dean Hamlin Midwifery Colleage at the
second Hamlin College graduation in Ethiopia.
Photo > Sandra Johannessen
Comment
03

In brief
04
A commitment to
Indigenous Australians
On 18 November 2011, Reconciliation
Australia Co-Chair Dr Tom Calma launched
AVI’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Dr
Calma said reconciliation was all about
understanding, respecting cultures and
learning about each others situations and
AVI’s RAP embraced these elements.
“Reconciliation Action Plans currently cover
20 percent of the Australian workforce, which
is a major achievement,” he said. “An
objective of the RAP plan is to change
attitudes and the more people become
informed, the more they can put pressure on
political and social systems to drive change.
That is why Reconciliation Action Plans are so
important.” AVI CEO Dimity Fifer said, “AVI
has had a long history of working with
Indigenous communities, however launching
a plan of action to work with communities
now and long into the future is a major and
significant milestone for the organisation.
Indigenous volunteering
initiative launched
AusAID’s Deputy Director General –
Corporate, Humanitarian and International
Group Ewen McDonald with AVI CEO Dimity
Fifer, launched the International Indigenous
Volunteer Network (IIVN). This new initiative,
to be Co-Chaired by Dr Tom Calma and Prof
Larrisa Behrendt, will strengthen the
linkages, dialogue and networks between
Indigenous Australians working in the aid
and development sector, and those who
have participated in international
volunteering. “The International Indigenous
Volunteer Network will provide a great
opportunity to promote the mutual benefits
international volunteering brings to overseas
communities and those back in Australia,”
Mr McDonald said. “This is a wonderful
initiative that AusAID look forward to
providing ongoing support to in the future.”
The network is in its development phase, but
to indicate your interest in the IIVN email
info@australianvolunteers.com.
Volunteer effort recognised
AVI returned volunteer physiotherapist
Glenys Davies is a state finalist in the WA
Senior Australian of the Year 2011 in
recognition of her work with Palestinian
communities in the Middle East and at the
Handicapped Children’s Clinic in Port
Moresby, PNG. At 70, Glenys is still
committed to providing physiotherapy
support to children in Palestinian refugee
camps in Lebanon.
Ethiopia’s midwifery
graduates celebrate
Thirteen Ethiopian midwifery students
recently celebrated the completion of their
three year degree program in midwifery at
the Hamlin College of Midwives graduation
ceremony in September. AVI CEO Dimity
Fifer and current Australian volunteer English
Language Tutor - Maternal Health, Sandra
Johannessen, attended the ceremony with
college staff, supporters and families and
friends of the graduates. Working in
conjunction with the Ethiopian Government
Ministry of Health, will see Hamlin College
midwives placed in 11 different rural health
centres across four different regions of
Ethiopia.
AVI’s new offices
Over the past six months AVI has celebrated
the opening of new offices in Arusha in
Tanzania, Amman in Jordan and Pohnpei in
the Federated States of Micronesia. The new
offices are in response to the increasing
commitment to vulnerable and displaced
communities in the Middle East and the
growth of AVI’s programs in Africa and the
North Pacific. The move is also responding
to the Australian Government’s increasing
commitment to international volunteering
with the launch of the Australian Volunteers
for International Development (AVID)
program and the expansion of programs
such as the Pacific Technical Assistance
Mechanism (PACTAM) which is dedicated to
responding to the needs of more Pacific
communities. <
Top > (l-r) AVI Chair Justice Richard Refshauge, AVI
President Margaret Jackson, Reconciliation Australia
Co-Chair Dr Tom Calma, AVI CEO Dimity Fifer and
AusAID’s Deputy Director General – Corporate,
Humanitarian and International Group Ewen
McDonald at the launch of AVI’s Reconciliation Action
Plan and the International Indigenous Volunteer
Network.
Photo > Bree Manley/AVI
Left > Australian volunteer Physiotherapist Glenys
Davies (front) taking an exercise and laughing class in
the Dbayeh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
Photo > Courtesy Glenys Davies

Resourcing PNG’s
sustainable nation
building efforts
» It begs the question “Why?”
Perhaps, as a nation, we have been too
preoccupied by our rich natural resources
and the global interest it brings to PNG, and
have spent too little time critically analysing
the relationship between community
development and national development.
I would argue that you cannot have one
without the other and that community
development is the basis of sustainable
nation-building.
Above > Dame Carol Kidu. Photo > Christine Walton
Sustainable Livelihoods
Papua New Guinea (PNG), Australia’s nearest
neighbour, has been described by one of its
senior Members of Parliament as an island of
gold sitting in a sea of oil. PNG’s natural resource
base has positioned the country for a future
economic boom far exceeding past and present
mining booms. PNG’s former Minister for
Community Development Dame Carol Kidu writes
on the high expectations for national prosperity
and how these expectations are tempered by the
knowledge that revenues from the existing and
past extractive resource developments have not
translated into equitable development and
improved basic services for all.
At Independence, Papua New Guinea
inherited social development policy models
based on Western welfare models. This
model contravened the extensive informal
“wantok” welfare system. No policies
recognised that family, clan and community
are the basis of PNG society. Thus, when I
was appointed as a Minister in 2002, one
priority was to spearhead the development
of a package of social development policies
more appropriate to the cultural reality of
PNG.
Considering the fact that PNG is a nation of
over 800 languages and cultural groups, it
was not an easy task to set the bureaucrats.
Clearly it could not be a “one-size-fits-all”
policy imposed from the top down. It had to
have the flexibility to encompass the vibrant
community development activities already
existing throughout the country. Five years of
in-country research, comparative global
research and broad based consultation
resulted in the Integrated Community
Development (ICD) policy as the umbrella
policy for the Department For Community
Development.
Resourcing PNG’s sustainable nation building efforts > Dame Carol Kidu
05

06
Sustainable Livelihoods
The ICD policy is about developing
communities from inside out and developing
PNG from the bottom up to balance
top-down development. It is about building
from and strengthening what already exists
and works on the ground and encompassing
a human rights framework to development. It
is about government working in partnership
with and strengthening the work of churches,
NGOs and civil society activities.
The ICD policy recognises that sustainable
development with long-term change can only
be achieved when communities own their
future. “Mobilisation should start from
national leaders but sustainability depends
on continuing community participation”
James Grant, former Director, UNICEF 1980
-1995. The key is in the community. There is
a need for a shift in attitudes at all levels so
that our families and communities have
access to opportunities to take ownership of
development and build their communities
from inside out.
The development of the policy took five years
of hard work by the Department for
Community Development but continued
implementation will be even harder.
Community-driven Community Learning and
Development Centres (CLDCs) are central to
the policy implementation and the District
Focal Point Co-ordinator of the Provincial
Divisions for Community Development is the
connection between the CLDCs and
government.
The ICD policy does not provide an instant
remedy to the multitude of social problems
in PNG today. However it does recognise the
strength and resilience that already exists in
communities throughout the nation and
provides a framework for growing the nation
from that foundation. It is framed in a 50
year vision for generational change
recognising that introduced socio-economic,
religious and cultural paradigms are often a
thin veneer over complex and diverse
traditional cultural psychologies and
lifestyles. It recognises also that there is
little attention given to the impact of the
interactions between the layers and
multiplicity of culture and a need for further
About Dr Dame Carol Kidu
indigenous sociological research to
underpin policy and legislative interventions.
In the post Independence development
process there has not been enough focus
on the micro-issues which require endless
patience and dialogue and often end up in
the “too hard” basket. There is a need to
re-think community development knowing
that sustainable developmental can only be
achieved when communities own their
future. Sustainability is a social process and
Dr Dame Carol Kidu is a member of Parliament in PNG and is a former Minister for
Community Development. Dr Kidu is the second female cabinet minister in PNG, and she
has been re-elected to parliament three times since 2002. In 2002, Dr. Carol Kidu was
appointed as a Minister for Welfare and Social Development, and between 2002 and
2007 she served as a Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee on Urbanisation and a
member of the Ministerial Appointments Committee. Her particular interests are in areas
of social justice, including poverty reduction, access to learning for all, development
strategies for the informal sector, and human rights with special focus on women’s,
children’s and indigenous rights.
must be based on cultural understanding and
cultural relevance. Community development in
PNG has a history of mismatched
expectations and priorities with disappointing
outcomes. The ICD policy of the Department
For Community Development aims to change
that history.
I encourage any volunteers working at the
community level to visit the Department For
Community Development to see how they can
contribute to making that change happen. <
Above > Participants of the AVI/Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)
Indigenous Women’s Tour with Dame Carol Kidu on the
steps of PNG’s Parliament House.
Photo > Carole Howlett/AVI

A healthy market place
The life of a Market Trader is tough. This is especially true in Swaziland where a few
hundred women, aged mostly between 15-60, travel from all areas of the country to
form an informal market two days a week. Australian Volunteer Business Development
and Marketing Officer, Mike Merritt, writes about an initiative of local organisations
SWABCHA and the Ekululameni Rehabilitation and Training Centre that is working with
Market Traders to address issues of nutrition, health and wellbeing.
» Arriving in Manzini, based 37
kilometres south of the capital of
Mbabane, the women camp both Tuesday
and Wednesday nights. The temporary
home is usually an open bus shelter, where
they live and sleep on concrete floors
throughout all four seasons of the year to
ensure their livelihoods.
To compound the misery, many are seriously
ill. Swaziland has the highest HIV-AIDS
prevalence in the world with 26 percent of
adults being positive. The prevalence rate of
women aged 25 to 29 further increases to
49 percent. This is three times higher than
men and experienced in a social
environment which does not encourage
women to be proactive, equal partners,
married or not.
Individuals with HIV also have increased
incidences of tuberculosis (TB) and their
nutrition and general health is poor. In the
advent of the HIV-AIDS / TB pandemic and
the subsequent loss of life, women are often
faced with the double burden of being the
sole money earner for the family, and acting
as a caregiver due to related illnesses.
With socio-economic development being
severely hampered, and to help sustain
livelihoods, Australian Volunteers with their
colleagues from two local organisations,
SWABCHA and Ekululameni Rehabilitation
and Training Centre, got together and
developed the Manzini Market Women
Health Project. The initiative is working to
increase awareness on health issues and to
provide practical help through the delivery of
health services to the Market Traders.
Research indicates the average earning of a
trader at about E800 (AU$111) per month. It
is feasible to assume that each trader has at
least one dependent and that this meagre
income deters the beneficiaries from
accessing healthcare services, especially
screening and testing services, due to the
cost of transport and the impact on work
time. This initiative aims to go some way
towards alleviating hardship while providing
a degree of awareness and sustainability.
Activities of the project include visiting the
market over an eight week period to
conduct awareness sessions about
HIV-AIDS, TB and HIV testing, allowing for
the identification of the common myths and
the dangers of Multiple Concurrent
Partnerships (MCPs) and access to eye
testing services.
During the delivery of the project 30 people
on average a day are accessing HIV and TB
testing. So far the project has conducted
177 eye tests and supplied 140 pairs of
glasses and given away 59 free eye drop
bottles.
Future sessions and a community open day
with a range of local service providers
including Swaziland Breast Cancer Network,
Population Services International, Family
Life Association Swaziland, University
Research Council, Swaziland Malaria
Control Program and the Elizabeth Glaser
Paediatric AIDS Foundation, will cover
additional health issues including TB, heart
disease, diabetes, breast cancer, malaria
and eyesight problems.
Sustainable Livelihoods
Above > Attending a market-based mobile clinic in Swaziland. Photo > Courtesy SWABCHA
A Mobile Wellness Clinic will also be a part
of these activities, providing on-the-spot
diagnostic services such as HIV testing and
counselling, palliative and rehabilitative
advice, TB screening, and blood-glucose
and cholesterol testing. Eye testing will also
be offered with glasses provided free or at
cost to those in need. <
Mike Merritt is Business Development
and Marketing Officer with Ekululameni
Rehabilitation and Training Centre and
Michelle Drabarek is the Marketing and
Branding Officer with SWABCHA. As part of
their assignments with AVI, they have
collaborated to deliver the Manzini Market
Women Health Project.
For more information on the project visit
www.swabcha.org.sz
This is a position of the Australian Volunteers
for International Development program
(AVID). AVI is working in partnership with
AusAID to deliver AVID.
A healthy market place > Mike Merritt
07

Finding a women’s place > Fran Noonan
08
Sustainable Livelihoods
Finding a women’s place
Australian Volunteer Sustainable Livelihoods Coordinator Deb Salvagno and Mana Elsa
De Oliveira, a member of the Lautem Women Cooperative - Coperativa Tais Kultura No
Dezenvolvimentu (CTKDS) work together in Los Palos in Timor-Leste at CTKDS. They talk
to AVI’s Fran Noonan about rural women working towards progressing their development
in the region.
Fran: What were the motivations behind
starting up CTKDS?
Deb: Before I started my volunteer
assignment, there were three women’s groups
whose common bond was the language they
spoke (some women were also former
resistance leaders), but they lived in isolated
communities quite far from each other. Trying
to work with disparate communities across
borders is impossible, so we realised we had
to have one centralised organisation that
allowed the women to maintain the identity of
their communities, while bringing them
together as an organisation.
Fran: What do you see as the reason for
needing a women’s cooperative group?
Mana Elsa: Our culture is communal in
nature. People do things together and
preserving our traditions is important to us,
so a cooperative structure is more aligned
with how we organise in our villages. For
women in our communities, fi nding work to
sustain their families is diffi cult, so we hope
that CTKDS can help them in this way.
We aim to empower women through the co-op
so they can be involved in directing the
development of their communities more
broadly. Even women from rural areas who are
illiterate have a legitimate place in the
organisation. One of the unique things about
CTKDS is that there are many illiterate women
in the structure that have large responsibilities.
This provides them with dignity and respect,
and allows them to participate in their own
processes of development.
Fran: What would women be doing in the
community without CTKDS?
Deb: If you’re a young person in these
communities and couldn’t weave you would
most likely be child-rearing and your husband
would be working in the garden. Sometimes
you may also collect things from your
families’ veggie plot. Many single young
women are living in the villages without an
education as it is very hard for women of this
status to afford the $500 annual school fees.
There is a high school in the region, but
around 75 percent of women are illiterate.
For the lucky few that are able to speak
English, it is a massive advantage, but it
usually means as ‘skilled people’ they will
leave their villages. Opportunities that are
created through CTKDS are important for
keeping skilled people living locally.
Mana Elsa: Looking after the family keeps
women incredibly busy in rural areas
especially as they have to tend their gardens,
collect fi re wood and water along with
looking after children. Sometimes when they
become involved in CTKDS, their husbands
pitch in and help them with their chores but
other times they say things like ‘you can’t
read why do you even bother getting involved
in that organisation’. But CTKDS certainly
offers these women a place and if we make
this organisation a success, we will help
reduce that kind of discrimination. CTKDS
should feel proud that we can give these
women a place and that the programs are
relevant to their lives.
Fran: How does CTKDS support women and
sustainable livelihoods in the region
surrounding Lospalos?
Deb: The organisation acts as a foundation
from which more sustainable livelihoods can
be built. In the beginning there was a large
focus on marketing handcrafts, such as Tais
but as a result of this being export dependent
and only bringing in small returns, the women
decided to diversify their market, to improve
the returns and gain additional profi ts to help
pay for their children’s education. Agriculture
and increased crop production were identifi ed
by the women as an incredibly important way
of improving their revenue; however not every
single woman had an interest, the capacity, or
access to land to participate in agriculture

projects - particularly widows. So we thought
about different areas we could focus on to
create more diversity, and what kind of
mechanism would best suit the geographical
location, the culture and the relationships
between the three groups.
Mana Elsa: Due to the diffi culties of living in
rural areas, women have little opportunity, but
if a women’s confi dence is improved by being
involved in CTKDS, they won’t feel shame and
are likely to push themselves to be more
involved, which of course strengthens their
sense of self-worth as women. This is a key
element of sustainability as the women have
a passion for learning and they must run their
organisation independently if CTKDs is to last
well into the future.
Having an opportunity to work with Mana Deb
has given me an insight into another nation
and it’s attitudes towards women. This
exposure has motivated me to think deeper
about ways to make the organisation
sustainable, because if we focus on only one
area of work in one geographical location, it
won’t be effective. Through a systematic
approach, we have started to explore our own
capacities, giving us a greater opportunity to
participate and contribute to our own
sustainable development.
Fran: Do you think the Tais (weaving)
products are important in sharing Timorese
culture and identity?
Deb: The Tais cloth is a traditional form of
weaving created by the women of Timor-Leste,
and an integral part of their culture and what
women do within their communities. Having
access to global markets is one way that can
help generate more income, as without it the
weaving enterprise wouldn’t necessarily be
sustainable. Tourists are always happy to
come and buy a product once they’ve
connected with the creator as they can better
appreciate the cultural value, and are willing
to pay a bit more. So how we access different
markets is something we are exploring.
There’s always that danger of commodifying
or over commercialising a culture, but I guess
it’s up to communities themselves to make
that decision.
Mana Elsa: Absolutely. Tais demonstrate
women’s capacities to visitors, and as a
medium for development, weaving can inspire
the public here in Timor-Leste to start thinking
about who women are, about the role we play
and about our importance in our society. We
need to start examining the aspects of our
culture that don’t advantage women and
focus on the aspects that give women power
such as tais weaving.
Fran: How else does CTKDS benefi t the
three communities?
Deb: In addition to diversifying the agricultural
market we’ve also started looking at other
ways CTKDS can assist with positive
development within the communities. To
determine what the communities wanted we
designed resources so that the women could
do their own research and collect data from
within each of their communities. After this we
all sat down and analysed it together, and
some of the main things that we looked at
were: education levels, ages of kids, how often
they are sick and what are the most prominent
illnesses. In doing so we can establish
programs to target these areas and help
improve the situations in each community.
Mana Elsa: Supporting women’s rights is
fundamental to economic development. I
have a deep interest in my land and my
nation but the thing that motivated me to
originally become a defender of the rights of
rural women in Timor-Leste was because I
heard many stories about the victimisation of
women during the struggle for independence.
I was not a luta nain (directly involved in the
struggle) but I learnt much about the
sacrifi ces they made during the resistance.
Sustainable Livelihoods
Now, as an independent nation, many of the
things we fought for have not been realised.
This is why, for me, I’m prepared to sacrifi ce
my personal interests to struggle together
with rural women to realise our rights and to
speak loudly about our dignity. This is a
fundamental thing that the CTKDS has to do
in order to help women in our communities;
we have to help them fi nd the confi dence to
create something that will last into the future.
So many local projects have started and
closed because of a range of issues,
particularly access to new information and
because we as Timorese women have never
really been in roles of management and we
have to learn how to do this.
CTKDS is also lucky because we have support
from Australian women. In my dreams, I’ve
wanted to work with women who are
interested in supporting rural women as I have
skills but I can’t implement things without
support. We’re fortunate that we have an
opportunity with women from a developed
country to come and share their ideas with us.
Fran: Where do you see CTKDS heading in
the future?
Deb: As a result of the positive development
outcomes from CTKDS, I would love to see the
co-op be an absolute beacon for appropriate
and sustainable development - not just in
Timor, but other parts of the Pacifi c. Building
more sustainable livelihoods will result in
more vibrant and confi dent communities, and
by empowering women’s groups in
particularly, villages can fl ourish without the
dependence on Western intervention.
Mana Elsa: I would like to see CTKDS help
more women all over the Lautem district
become a strong organisation with women in
positions of leadership to lead their
communities. It’s not going to be easy and
this is why I want to stand up with my sisters
to help them become more independent.
Secondly, I want us to seek ways that
demonstrate our capacity and inspire women
who haven’t joined us yet. I want to show
them that together we can do things beyond
our imagination. <
The Australian organisation East Timor
Women’s Association provides signifi cant
support to CTKDS and Deb Salvagno’s
volunteer assignment.
This is a position of the Australian Volunteers for
International Development program (AVID). AVI is
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.
Opposite > (r-l) Australian Volunteer Sustainable
Livelihoods Coordinator Deb Salvagno weaving Tais
with her friend and colleague Mana Elsa De Oliveira, a
member of the Lautem Women Cooperative -
Coperativa Tais Kultura No Dezenvolvimentu (CTKDS) in
Los Palos, Timor-Leste.
Above > Weaving beautiful Timorese handicrafts at
the Coperativa Tais Kultura No Dezenvolvimentu
(CTKDS) in Los Palos, Timor-Leste.
Photos >Louise Cooper/AVI
09

Tourism strengthening cultural identity > Elizabeth Brennan
10
Sustainable Livelihoods
Tourism strengthening
cultural identity
» The strong cultural traditions in all
areas of PNG life provide an anthropological
treasure trove and unique marketing
opportunity for sustainable tourism options. In
recent years however, some of the traditional
ways of life have fallen by the wayside and
community pride has been forgotten.
After experiencing snapshots of traditional
cultural practices at last year’s Warwagira and
Mask Festival, a nine-day event showcasing
masks, dancing and music from all over PNG,
I saw an opportunity to use these events as a
way of assisting the community in building up
its cultural identity, increasing overall
community participation and developing
more sustainable livelihood options.
Local group members also realised the
importance of fostering the growth of events,
not only as a tourist drawcard but also as an
opportunity to cultivate their culture. Starting
almost from scratch, the East New Britain
Tourism Authority built a new committee of
dynamic local individuals, calling forth
members of the tourism industry to take part
in creating a unifi ed public-private
partnership to breathe life and passion back
into the annual festivals.
Industry members have long been promoting
the festivals as a huge pinnacle on the
tourism calendar, but they did welcome a
more united and sustainable approach to
management of the events. My role was to
facilitate the process, maintaining momentum
throughout, and upskill the local committee in
event management, sponsorship and
marketing.
Instead of little businesses trying to move
mountains on their own we worked together to
build an industry which combined resources
and shared thoughts on the local
community’s vision for tourism in the
province, and collaboratively set about
achieving these goals. By keeping
communication channels open and freefl
owing, we were able to bring together
provincial departments, local businesses and
various community groups, raising
PGK136,000 (AUD$57,500) in fundraising,
and helping communities to realise the
importance of putting on a spectacular
cultural show.
The event itself saw hundreds of musical
enthusiasts fl ock to the Takubar Sports Field
to enjoy the fun and frivolity of the opening
While tourism is still considered a
relatively fl edgling industry in Papua
New Guinea (PNG), for the past 12
months Australian Volunteer Project
Coordinator, Elizabeth Brennan, has
been working with the PNG Tourism
Authority in Kokopo, East New Britain,
to assist in the delivery of projects
identifi ed by the Province’s Tourism
Plan. Elizabeth explains how the
island’s rich cultural practices and
local customs are a source of
unrealised potential for local
communities to generate sustainable
income in a way that does not affect
the preservation of natural resources
or cultural heritage.
weekend of the Warwagira. Melodious tunes
echoed through the streets as traditional
string bands strummed soulful rhythms and
in the evening the Baining Fire Dancers
amazed tourists from around the world with
colourful displays of traditional dance. For the
remainder of the festival groups from all
regions of PNG showcased their own unique
costumes, cultures and traditions, while local
businesses benefi ted from the swelled
numbers of visitors.
Aside from the fi nancial success and
sustainability of the Warwagira and Mask
Festival, the most rewarding outcome was
having industry members, whom were not
previously actively involved in the community,
all come together and assist in the huge
success of the event. The strong support
shown from the performers, community,
business networks and organisers alike, have
proven the passion for maintaining and
nourishing the culture and sustainable
tourism opportunities within PNG.
Being a volunteer can translate very
differently depending on the context you are
in, particularly if you are a woman operating
in a patriarchal society. Purely because you

come from a different background, you will
never fully understand the intricacies of an
unfamiliar culture, of which there are many in
PNG, and because of this, you may be seen
as an outsider. I believe as is the case with
many people working in these types of roles,
it takes a very long time for the community
to accept you and for you to earn their trust.
This was a steep learning curve for me as
trust is something I value quite highly, and
give quite freely.
Although I don’t pretend that I will ever fully
comprehend the culture and custom of this
land, through my patience and practiced
intuition, I have earned trust not just within the
tourism industry but also the wider community.
The most profound experience I’ve had in my
time in PNG, has been during my involvement
with the Warwagira and Mask Festival.
Opposite > Australian Volunteer Project Coordinator, Elizabeth
Brennan with local elders and a mask from the highlands of PNG.
Left > Sepik Cultural Group at the Warwagira Festival.
Below Right > Getting decorated for the Warwagira Festival.
Australian Volunteer Elizabeth Brennan with local Sepik woman.
Below Bottom > An Osaro Mudman at the Warwagira Mask Festival.
Photos > Courtesy Elizabeth Brennan
“Melodious tunes echoed through the streets as traditional string
bands strummed soulful rhythms and in the evening the Baining
Fire Dancers amazed tourists from around the world with
colourful displays of traditional dance.”
Historically a man’s domain, having a young,
white, female outsider come into the
committee and facilitate the event revival,
was a challenging undertaking. On the closing
night of this year’s Warwagira and Mask
Festival there was a meeting of the
community elders, and being a man’s realm, I
respected this was not something I should be
attending. Whilst in the process of
considerately departing, the most senior elder
grabbed my arm giving me a shock, but
nowhere near the shock I received after
hearing his remark – ‘Eli, you are an honorary
man. Stay.’ <
This is a position of the Australian Volunteers for
International Development program (AVID). AVI is
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.
Sustainable Livelihoods
11

Shaping island life
12
Sustainable Livelihoods
Shaping island life
Kolombangara is a heavily forested, almost perfectly
round volcanic island in the Western Province of the
Solomon Islands. The untouched oasis welcomes tourists
for adventurous treks and bird watching. For
Kolombangara citizens, the island’s beauty is the key to
improving their quality of life. Most recently former
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Danny Phillip declared
20,000 hectares of the region a conservation area, a
step to protect the island from destructive activities that
were impacting the livelihoods of rural communities.
© 2011 Google
» In December 2008 at a meeting of
leaders, elders and chiefs of Kolombangara
villages, communities and tribes, the
Kolombangara Island Biodiversity
Conservation Association (KIBCA) was
formed. KIBCA now protects Kolombangara
Islands’ rich marine and forest biodiversity
and aims to educate, promote and encourage
sustainable management of natural resources
through viable economic and social ventures
for communities.
Five dedicated Kolombangara residents are
volunteering full-time at the association until
it becomes economically suffi cient. Here,
three of the staff and partners of KIBCA refl ect
on how Australian Volunteer Technical Advisor,
Andrew Cox, has assisted them to achieve
goals in their strategic plan for the island.

Mobilising the masses
Ferguson Vaghi - Pioneer staff member/
KIBCA Coordinator
Andrew made a tremendous contribution to
me, and to KIBCA, by teaching me how to
deal with people. This will help me to perform
my responsibilities and achieve what I am
supposed to do for Kolombangarans. I
already knew what we were supposed to be
doing here, but I lacked the knowledge about
how to go about it and how to mobilise. The
way Andrew shaped me in approaching the
government is a very big contribution for
KIBCA and for myself. If ever I leave KIBCA to
work with any other organisation this is a
lifetime input for me.
When I look over the last year’s work, I am
surprised to learn that in a very short period
of time we had achieved most of the
organisation’s fi ve-year goals that we set late
last year. Andrew has been responsible for
helping me to do this. Thank you Andrew Cox
for all your hard work. You have helped shape
my life.
A logistical lesson
Tim Bula - Personnel Manager,
Kolombangara Forest Products Limited
(KFPL)
Andrew’s presence has brought good
things for KIBCA in three important areas:
the administration, our partnerships and
the promotion of KIBCA and the
conservation area.
When KIBCA started, we were all right behind
getting things moving because we accepted
that it was good for the island and the
people, but we were doing this without giving
due thought to what is good and bad, what is
important and not important and where it’s
best to spend money. The offi ce systems and
the new administration and procedures that
Andrew has helped put in place have paved
the way for future people coming into KIBCA.
Andrew has also helped foster a closer
relationship with one of our key partners,
Kolombangara Forest Products Limited
(KFPL), by helping us improve the way
meetings between KIBCA and KFPL are run.
Now we understand each other much better,
we see each other’s importance and we
complement each other. Andrew’s coming has
bridged the problems with the meetings and
the relationship with KFPL has thus gone from
strength to strength.
Opposite Top > Ministers Gordon Darcy and Mofat
Fugui are offi cially welcomed by Kolombangara girls.
Western Province Deputy Premier, Pie Robert, in the
background.
Oppostie Below One of the Choiseul custom
dancers.
Top Left > (l-r) Andrew Cox, AVI Solomon Islands
Country Manager, Jen Wiggins, and Ferguson Vaghi at
Ringgi Cove - Kolombangara Island.
Top Right > Simon Le Gassicke.
Left > Mofat Faneri outside Patu Kolo Hut.
Photos > Andrew Cox
Sustainable Livelihoods
Planning, procedures and profile
Simon Le Gassicke - Kolombangara Forest
Products Limited (KFPL)
The most signifi cant change since Andrew
came is relating to KIBCA’s structure and
planning. When we started there were lots of
ideas and agreement of what to do, but no
structure around which to work.
Andrew listened to all the ideas and then put
that into a plan, and then installed
procedures that have enabled the master
plan to be implemented and monitored. The
structure and planning now enables members
and others to understand the what, why, when
and how of KIBCA. It is a fl edgling
organisation but can now muster local and
national government support.
Even simple things like offi ce hours and the
identity of the offi ce gave the profi le to KIBCA
that it didn’t have before – invisible things
that make a big difference to an organisation.
Andrew was able to put in place his plans
because of his willingness to take a
supporting rather than a leading role. Most
importantly, he has enjoyed being on
Kolombangara. Language was not a barrier to
his work, and his ability to enjoy things inside
and outside of work meant he has been
appreciated locally. <
Read more about KIBCA at
www.kolombangara.org
This is a position of the Australian Volunteers for
International Development program (AVID). AVI is
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.
13

Reversing realities UNRWA’s commitment to people with disabilities > Kirstin Lange
14
Sustainable Livelihoods
Reversing realities
UNRWA’s commitment to people with disabilities
Around the world, people with disabilities are often marginalised in society and denied
access to basic services; due to stigma, a lack of awareness, physical inaccessibility and
other barriers. Australian Volunteer Disability Policy Adviser, Kirstin Lange, writes about
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East, and their efforts to reverse these realities and embed their work with people with
disabilities as one of the agencies’ fi ve cross-cutting issues.
» UNRWA has operated in Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza for over 60
years to provide essential services to
Palestinian refugees, in the areas of health,
education, social services, microfi nance and
job creation. A recent agency review of its
strategic delivery areas saw UNRWA
strengthen their work with people with
disabilities as one of its cross-cutting issues,
placing greater focus and attention on its
disability services and programs.
UNRWA identifi ed the agency needed to build
its own capacity to improve and develop its
response and services to people with
disabilities. AVI has worked with UNRWA to
achieve this and has informed my work as an
Australian Volunteer Disability Policy Adviser
with UNRWA. Developing UNRWA’s fi rst
Disability Policy and Strategy was a core
objective of my role.
The fi rst few months of this assignment were
focused on gaining a better understanding of
the situation in each of UNRWA’s Fields of
Operation, which varies both in terms of
UNRWA operations and the broader political
context. This followed with the policy drafting
process, which was carried out in
consultation with local and international
staff. My challenge was to ensure policy
balanced the needs of the overall agency, its
fi eld offi ces and various areas of service
provision.
In October 2010, it was rewarding to witness
UNRWA adopt the Disability Policy by its
senior management, which was the catalyst
for the Agency to move forward in more
practical ways to enhance service delivery to
people with disabilities. It also was the
impetus for my assignment objectives to move
from a policy focus to identifying opportunities
to support the implementation of practical “on
the ground” initiatives.
This has seen disability receive greater
attention in agency biennium planning
processes; promoted cooperation between
departments to deliver rehabilitation services;
provided a series of awareness raising
activities on International Day of People with
Disabilities; and inspired the development of
project proposals related to the rights of
people with disabilities.
On completion of my assignment, UNRWA has
made a real commitment to people with
disabilities in Palestinian communities
throughout the Middle East. They have taken
those vital steps to improve services, increase
participation and to promote rights of people
with disabilities.
The more visible this work by UNRWA, the
greater the awareness of the issues facing
people with disabilities and the more positive
their role will be in communities. As steps are
now underway to turn this commitment into
action, AVI will continue to work in partnership
with the Agency to make this movement a
reality. <
This is a position of the Australian Volunteers for
International Development program (AVID). AVI is
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.
Top > UNRWA delivers disability services to
Palestinian communities in Gaza.
Photo > Courtesy UNRWA
Above Right > Australian Volunteer Kirstin Lange.
Photo > Courtesy Kirstin Lange

A local approach to
food security challenges
A groundbreaking guide, developed by long term AVI overseas partner Live and Learn
Environmental Education (Live & Learn), is assisting Melanesian farmers respond to the
current and long-term challenges of food security and climate change in the regions. AVI
Marketing Manager, Christine Crosby, writes how long-term connections, local knowledge
and strong partnerships have been at the heart of the initiative’s success.
» Throughout the Pacific the level of
climate change understanding at a national
policy level is high, but the solutions to
counteract the challenges posed by climate
change are few.
Live & Learn Solomon Islands, Papua New
Guinea and Vanuatu responded to these
challenges by mobilising a large scale food
security program in 2011. An initiative that
revitalised local knowledge and knowledge
networks to enhance the use of climate
resilient crop and innovative farm
technologies. With the development of a
leadership program for farmers throughout
the region lead to the development of two
guides: Farm Technology: Protecting food
security through adaptation to climate
change and the complementary Leadership
Manual: Protecting food security through
adaptation.
For Live & Learn the positive response and
uptake of the guide by Melanesian farmers
and agricultural workers demonstrates an
overwhelming desire for communities in the
Pacific to have access to practical information
that will protect food resources into the
future.
Above > An illustration by Lawrence Talo
demonstrating processing of taumana from the Farm
Technology guide.
Photo > Courtesy Live & Learn
According to Live & Learn Executive Director
Christian Neilsen, the backbone to the
success of the guide, which was funded by
AusAID, has largely been due to the process
undertaken to compile the document. The
activity brought together information on a
range of traditional and modern technologies
including soil fertility, agro-forestry, cultivation
and emergency gardens from individuals,
organisations and industry networks that was
relevant to the practices and issues facing
Melanesian farmers.
“It has been a process involving strong
community engagement and tapping into
local networks and knowledge, as the
outcomes in the guide have been very action
oriented, with on the ground solutions,” he
said. “To achieve this we produced the guide
using the “writeshop” approach, which was
developed by the International Institute of
Rural Reconstruction in Indonesia.”
The workshops consisted of farmers, field
workers and representatives from local
organisations such as Kastom Garden from
the Solomon Islands and Farm Support from
Vanuatu.
Workshop facilitator and former Australian
Volunteer Tony Jansen said the “writeshop”
method supported an approach to
information gathering that was responsive,
relevant and owned by the people that
would be using the manual.
“As part of the “writeshop” approach the
illustrators, resource people and editors were
in the workshop and developed materials as
they were discussed by participants.
“The workshops were also a success because
Live and Learn’s ability to work with and tap
into local individuals, organisations and
networks that have a strong understanding of
current activities and issues.
Sustainable Livelihoods
“One reason why Live & Learn involved me in
the process is I do have an understanding of
the “writeshop” method and a long history of
working with farmers in the Pacific. I also have
worked with the Kastom Garden Association
in several capacities, including as an
Australian Volunteer. From these experiences
I have developed some strong connections
with local organisations, networks and
farmers, which supported the development of
the guide.” <
Visit www.livelearn.org/resources/
farm-technology
A local approach to food security challenges > Christine Crosby
15

Learning from others – from Palestine to South Australia > Jane Macdonald
16
Learning from others – from
Palestine to South Australia
As Palestinians from Lebanon, Iman Masriel and Malak Fakhreddine had
never dreamed of visiting Australia, let alone doing it as part of their work.
Employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA) in the Near East, Iman and Malak help deliver education
direct to a refugee population that cannot access most government services
or professional employment open to the Lebanese population. In August
2011, they travelled from the Middle East to a remote Aboriginal community,
Pukatja (Ernabella) in South Australia with AVI Marketing Coordinator, Jane
Macdonald, and Middle East Country Manager, Vicki Mau, where they stayed
for four nights as part of a month-long professional development fellowship
through Australian Palestinian Partnerships (APP). Jane writes about the
outback experience.

» The purpose of the visit was to consult
with Ernabella Anangu School staff and to
share knowledge on teaching English as a
second language, literacy support and
engaging young people and disadvantaged
communities in the education process. As
well as the professional training and
discussions at the school, the fellows had the
opportunity to learn much more about
Aboriginal Australia, and to share their own
stories about Ramadan, Palestinian history
and culture. School Principal, Lisa Salomon
noted, there were important similarities
between teaching in Ernabella and Beirut.
“Children who are not thriving are not easily
educated, we are each trying desperately to
make a difference and education is a
pathway to power and a sense of future.”
Ernabella has been a permanent settlement
since 1937 in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara
Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in
northwest South Australia and is home of
more than 600 Anangu. Their culture and
language is well preserved and the town is
famous for having the oldest arts centre in
Australia. The township includes a TAFE
campus, a health clinic and an aged care
clinic, each employing Agangu assistant staff.
“Before, I only ever thought
about the Palestinians and
their conditions, but this
experience has pushed me
to get out of my community.
There are other people
suffering.”
At the heart of the community is the vibrant
and successful Ernabella Anangu School,
providing not only education but pastoral
support, hope and a safe space for kids to be
kids.
Malak and Iman were asked about their
expectations and refl ections prior to, during
and after their journeys.
Malak Fakhreddine: “Prior to going to
Australia I googled the school at Ernabella. I
knew that the people were poor, that they
didn’t speak English and that there were
programs set up to help them, but I really
wanted to hear how they overcame the
diffi culties in teaching, especially for those
who maybe don’t want to learn.”
“Upon arriving in Ernabella, I was taken aback
with what I saw. The situation was hard to
comprehend and was very much beyond the
frame of my expectations. Everyone needs to
travel there to see it, and understand what is
going on. The teachers are very hard workers
and the students are very poor, but they are
all doing their best. I’ve learnt that we, as
Palestinians, have more chance than the
people living here, and that we are very lucky.”
<
Iman Masriel: “Since returning to Lebanon,
we’ve had plenty of time to absorb and process
the experience, and despite the very small
period of time we spent there, all day and each
night, I was just thinking about the children. I’m
still thinking about them even now.
“We expected to fi nd at least similar
situations to those in Palestine, but the
situation at the Ernabella school is much
more confronting than we thought. The
students and the conditions they are living in
are very diffi cult, this is especially hard for the
teachers who come here as it is a challenge
to keep up sustained learning under these
circumstances – especially when they are
teaching to different year levels at the same
time.”
Before, I only ever thought about the
Palestinians and their conditions, but this
experience has pushed me to get out of my
community. There are other people suffering. I
feel I need to put myself in their place to do
much more to help the community.”
The next step
APP is currently undertaking an evaluation of
the whole fellowship program, in the hope
that the lessons learnt can inform future
fellowships and initiatives. APP hopes to
second a Department of Education and
Children’s Services (DECS) staff member to
Beirut for three months to support new
initiatives through ongoing mentoring and
training. In addition, AVI will continue to work
with UNRWA to indentify areas where
volunteers can contribute their technical
expertise to ensure that Palestinian refugees
in Lebanon have access to a strong,
inclusive and dynamic education system
through UNRWA. <
About the experience
The opportunity to visit Ernabella was
initially driven by Australian Volunteer
Richard Steele, an English Language
Adviser with UNRWA in Lebanon.
Several organisations through their
support behind it including APP for
Health and Education, AVI, UNRWA -
Lebanon, the Ernabella Anangu School
and the Department of Education and
Child Development in South Australia.
Opposite > Iman and Malak on a journey of a lifetime,
seen here walking in the beautiful Anangu Pitjantjatjara
Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands).
Above Left > Malak and Iman during a technical
session with Sue Record, the District Literacy
Coordinator at the Ernabella Anangu School.
Above Right > Malak saying her farewells to
Ernabella Anangu School Principle, Lisa Salomon.
Left > Iman impressed with the preservation of
Aboriginal cave paintings during a visit to Uluru.
Photos > Jane Macdonald/AVI
17

Children of the Rainbow Serpent: Australian Roadshow > Fran Noonan
18
Children of the
Rainbow Serpent:
Australian Roadshow
400 people attended the screenings of AVI’s
documentary fi lm, Children of the Rainbow Serpent, in
Tamworth, Adelaide, Narrandera and Echuca in June
2011. The purpose of the 28 minute documentary was
to grow awareness of a community-based, youth-led
program in a ‘story-telling’ format that would resonate
with Aboriginal communities. The documentary follows
the journey of four young Australian Aboriginals as they
participate in an AVI/Restless Development 10-week
volunteer project in the Tamil Nadu region of India.
» Screening the fi lm in each of the volunteer’s communities saw family, friends and
members of local Aboriginal communities share in the professional and personal
experiences of Kelli Bartlett, Lorelle Kennedy, Trent Turner and Michael Galluzzo. In
Adelaide, the documentary was given high praise by the South Australian Minister for
Volunteers and Aboriginal Affairs, The Hon Grace Portolesi MP, with the volunteers
recognised for their positive contributions in advancing community-based, youth
leadership programs.
The documentary has since been used as a tool to garner support for the pilot of a
similar program in an Aboriginal community here in Australia, drawing on the values and
principles of the development program in India. With funding from the Australian
Community Foundation’s Social Justice Fund, planning is now underway to begin a pilot
program in the community of Oodnadatta.
The success of the initiatives to date is a result of the collaborative efforts of AVI’s work
with Volunteering SA & NT and their Aboriginal Reference Group. This is an exciting
opportunity, one which will provide young Aboriginal people with the chance to make a
real difference in Aboriginal communities, and in their own lives as well. <
“I’d always done reception and
in class tutor jobs, but after
India I went to work in Sydney
at the Australian Bureau of
Statistics. The confi dence and
self esteem boost that
happened really made me
realise what skills I have. I
don’t think I would be doing
the job I’m doing in Sydney, I
don’t think I would’ve had the
confi dence if I hadn’t gone to
India”.
- Lorelle Kennedy
Above > The cover of the Children of the Rainbow
Serpent DVD.
Left > The stars of the Children of the Rainbow
Serpent, (l-r) Michael Galluzzo, Lorelle Kennedy, Kelli
Bartlett and Trent Turner.
Photo > Christina Jenkins

Engaging with Africa
For the Afar people, a nomadic pastoralist community in Ethiopia, addressing issues of
accessibility to child and maternal healthcare services is vital in reducing the high child
mortality rates and improving maternal health outcomes. AVI’s Fran Noonan writes
about how the Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES) is working with
the Afar to achieve their maternal health vision.
» Living in a mobile community brings
with it many challenges, especially for
women and children who are at greatest risk
in childbirth. Living in remote areas and
great distances from essential healthcare
services means that almost all pregnant
women are left without antenatal care, so if
things go wrong, there are no clear pathways
for referral.
To support the plight of the Afar and other
marginalised communities within Africa,
AusAID has established AACES; consisting of
10 accredited Australian NGO’s working in a
range of partnerships to progress the areas
of child and maternal health, water provision
and sanitation, and food security.
For the next five years AVI, Anglicord, and
the Nossal Institute will use a strengthbased
approach to work in partnership with
the Afar Pastoralist Development Association
(APDA) in Ethiopia, and the Mother’s Union
of the Anglican Church (MUACK) in Kenya, to
deliver Millennium Development Goal gains
in child and maternal healthcare. The
consortium will also engage with other
agencies including national and local
government, NGO and academic institutions.
The initial focus of the partnership will
concentrate on supporting the APDA with
a needs analysis, research, capacity
building, technical assistance and service
delivery, and aims to increase community
access to health services, improve conditions
of daily living, and promote policy dialogue
between stakeholders in a sustainable and
positive manner.
Introducing AVI’s AACES
partners
The Afar Pastoralist Development
Association
The Afar Pastoralist Development Association
was founded by the inspirational Australian
nurse, Val Browning and her Afar husband
Ismel Ali Gardo in 1994, and has worked
tirelessly to improve literacy for the Afar,
promote maternal and child health and tackle
the growing problem of HIV and AIDS. APDA is
the local partner organisation for the AACES
project and is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Above > Women of the Afar, Ethiopia.
Photo > Jay Mahasweran/Anglicord
Anglicord
Anglicord is an overseas relief and
development agency of the Anglican Church
of Australia. Building on their long standing
relationship with the AFPDA, Anglicord will
work together with the AACES partners to
train local health workers in basic maternal
and child health services, to improve pre and
post-natal care for women and children,
increase access to water and sanitation, and
provide better access to adequate nutrition.
Australian Volunteers International
As part of this exciting project AVI will provide
future technical assistance through skilled
volunteer deployment in Ethiopia and Kenya,
and locally take on a leading role in creating
public awareness about the Afar people and
the AACES project within Australia.
Nossal Institute for Global Health
The Nossal Institute for Global Health utilises
the multi-disciplinary research and educational
capabilities provided by the University of
Melbourne to improve global health, through
research, education, inclusive development
practice, and training of future leaders. During
the fi ve year AACES project the Nossal Institute
will provide comprehensive research and
documentation on the challenges and issues
facing the nomadic pastoralist community. <
Engaging with Africa > Fran Noonan
19

A balancing act in Tuvalu > Rebekah Prole
20
A balancing act
in Tuvalu
As drought hampers Tuvalu and the government of this Pacifi c Island nation rebuilds,
PACTAM deployees negotiate the balancing act of responding to the long and short
term needs of the country’s fi nancial and legal institutions. AVI PACTAM Administrator,
Rebekah Prole, reports on the fi ndings from the recent assignment evaluations from
two PACTAM deployees working in Tuvalu.
The state of the nation
Home to over 10,500 people living on a
physical land size of 26 square kilometres
spread over nine coral atolls, Tuvalu is the
fourth smallest country in the world.
Based in the South Pacifi c, the Government
of Tuvalu has worked closely with the
Australian and New Zealand Governments to
address the ongoing issues the country faces
around high unemployment, governance,
scarce resources and the environment.
Since 2007 the Tuvaluan Government has
accessed technical assistance through
PACTAM to strengthen the countries’
fi nancial, legal and governance processes.
PACTAM is an AusAID initiative, managed by
AVI. This mechanism provides technical
assistance from Pacifi c governments and
agencies by recruiting professionals from
Australia and other countries for assignments
that cannot be fi lled locally.
About PACTAM
The Pacifi c Technical Assistance
Mechanism (PACTAM) is an Australian
Government, AusAID initiative
managed by AVI. This program
responds to emerging or urgent
technical assistance needs of Pacifi c
Island governments, statutory
authorities and regional organisations.
PACTAM program participants extend
from specialist medical and surgical
roles in Vanuatu to infrastructure
advisers in Solomon Islands or
biomedical engineers in Nauru.
While current PACTAM deployees in Tuvalu are
taking steps to implement long-term
strategies in the fi nancial and legal sectors,
they are currently facing a balancing act of
addressing a number of short-term challenges
facing Tuvalu. In December 2010, there was a
vote of ‘no confi dence’ in the Tuvaluan
government; this resulted in the election of a
new government on 24 December 2010. This
change brought a three to six month standstill
on all Acts passed through the government.
Following this the Tuvaluan Government
declared a state of emergency in the nation
on 28 September 2011 due to the impact of
the drought. Tuvaluans were limited to two
buckets of water per day and communicable
diseases have risen. International response to
the crisis include the Australian, New Zealand
and United States militaries delivering a
desalination plant to Tuvalu, which is capable
of turning 50,000 litres of sea water into
clean drinking water.
“... a high for me has
been the assistance in
decision-making
surrounding the
strategic goals and
directions of the Tuvalu
Audit Offi ce, and then
witnessing the results of
the decisions.”

Monitoring effectiveness
To monitor the effectiveness of PACTAM
assignments all deployees participate in an
annual Assignment Evaluation Group meeting.
The development partners, AusAID
representatives and AVI project staff attend the
meeting, which provides an opportunity for
deployees to report on their work. This includes
discussions on their achievements, risks,
challenges, capacity building, the sustainability
of their role and how their work is responding
to the strategic goals of PACTAM, the Australian
aid program and the Tuvalu Government.
The current PACTAM deployees in Tuvalu
provide targeted technical assistance in key
central economic and legal institutions, and
these assignments support the strategic
areas of good governance and
macroeconomic growth.
The evaluation meeting identifi ed the areas
deployees were signifi cantly contributing to
the long term needs and changes of the
Tuvaluan Government.
Opposite > Daniel Gorman, Legal Advisor and staff
member in Offi ce of the Attorney-General.
Above > (l-r) Eli Lopati (Deputy AG), Feiloiga Tausaga,
Asau Leauma, Isaako Kine (AG), Tony Prcevich, Selai
Managreve, Toligi Paueli, Mase Tumua in their new
uniforms purchased under PACTAM Procurement
Fund
Photos > Rebekah Prole/AVI
Improving financial accountability
Name: Tony Prcevich
Position: Technical Adviser to the Tuvalu
Auditor General
Employer: Attorney General’s Offi ce
Location: Tuvalu
As Technical Adviser to the Tuvalu Auditor
General, PACTAM deployee Tony Prcevich has
assisted the Tuvaluan Government to identify
the areas that require improvement to ensure
Tuvalu’s fi nancial accountability. This includes
implementing a more effective auditing
process which is compliant with International
Auditing Standards and the development of
an online fi ling system.
While changes are underway, Tony
acknowledges that he and his local
colleagues have faced a range of delays and
unexpected obstacles as a result of the
state of emergency and new government.
Despite this, Tony has been inspired by the
staff in the Auditor-General’s department,
through their input into training on complex
topics and their assistance in the
development of audit templates.
Within his review Tony acknowledged, “... a
high for me has been the assistance in
decision making surrounding the strategic
goals and directions of the Tuvalu Audit
Offi ce, and then witnessing the results of
the decisions.”
Strengthening legal systems
Name: Daniel Gorman
Position: Legal Adviser
Employer: Attorney General’s Offi ce
Location: Tuvalu
Daniel Gorman has been in Tuvalu for four
years as Legal Adviser to the Attorney-
General. His role involves advising the
Attorney-General on all matters of legal
importance, drafting legislation for Parliament
and, under the supervision of the Attorney-
General, prosecuting serious criminal cases
and representing the Government in civil
proceedings.
According to Daniel “one of the most
professionally satisfying aspects of my time
in Tuvalu has been to observe and play a
role in the development of a legal sector in
the local economy.”
In late 2007, there was only three Tuvaluan
lawyer’s practising in law, all within the Offi ce
of the Attorney-General. Although Tuvalu had a
number of law graduates, many had chosen to
pursue careers outside of the law. In 2011,
there are now nine practising Tuvaluan lawyers.
Four of the nine practising lawyers, including
the Attorney-General, are female lawyers. <
21

Learning in action in Nauru > Sharon Humphries
22
Learning in
action in Nauru
In August 2011 AVI Learning and Development trainer, Sharon Humphries, delivered a
four-day fi rst aid workshop to Republic of Nauru Hospital community workers and
medical staff as part of the Pacifi c Technical Assistance Mechanism (PACTAM). Sharon
writes about her experience of working alongside PACTAM Health Educator deployee
Min Lene and Nauru Nurse Educator Vania Scotty and witnessing capacity
development in action.
Monday, 1 August
I arrive in Nauru at 4am after fl ying all night.
Everyone on the fl ight knew each other. This
surprised me. I was asked immediately upon
boarding “Who are you? What are you doing
in Nauru?”
After a great sleep that morning in the hotel,
Min picks me up and we drive to her offi ce at
the Republic of Nauru Hospital (RON). I ask
as we are driving through the gate “who is
RON” and she laughs at me. I soon realise
my mistake. It [the hospital] looks run down
and a tree has just collapsed that morning,
falling on the fence and a car with a woman
in it. Min informs me that the woman is OK
but her car is written off and the engineering
men are fi xing the fence and the tree.
Min and I tie up any loose ends around the
workshop. I leave thinking this will be like any
other workshop I have delivered in Australia.
Tuesday, 2 August
I arrive to deliver the Level Two First Aid
training to the community workers at 8.30am.
It is a two-day program for 20 participants.
There has been a huge response to the
training and Min has had to turn people away.
That is until it’s 9.30 and only 11 people are
there. They spend the next 10 minutes madly
ringing up colleagues and seeing if they want
to participate. There’s nothing I can do but
wait. We fi nally get underway at 10am. Six
more participants drift in over the next half
hour. A media group come in and take photos
while I am trying to get everyone’s attention
and want to interview participants. I keep
taking deep breaths. My approach to training
involves punctuality and focus. We do get
through the day and wrap up at 4pm. I explain
how important it is to have everyone here on
time the following morning otherwise they will
miss parts and possibly not pass their
assessment.
I am concerned that not all of the participants
will be able to train fi rst aid and Vania and I
have a discussion about allowing them to
decide if they want to just receive certifi cation
or whether they want to train and set up
another assessment for those people.
Wednesday, 3 August
The shower doesn’t work properly this morning
and there is no hot water. None of the electrical
appliances work. No cup of tea this morning!
I get to the training at 8.30am, dubious that
anyone will be there but I arrive to fi nd all of
the participants waiting for me. I start on time.
Halfway through the morning the power cuts
out so I have no projector, powerpoint or
cooling. We swelter through the day as we
complete the fi rst aid information. To
compensate for the loss of access to
electronic learning material I work hard doing
lots of actions and writing on the board.
They all complete their assessments with fl ying
colours – a surprise to me again considering
the power outages, disruptions, occasional
language issues and that this was the fi rst
time they were taught fi rst aid. Some of the
quiet participants do incredibly well. The group
present me with a gift of a Nauru t-shirt and
phosphorous necklace. I am genuinely
touched. They are very pleased to have passed
and to receive their certifi cate. We take a
group photo and as I stand there relieved the
two days were successful I realise I have sweat
dripping everywhere. I am exhausted, hot and
tired but very happy and proud.

Thursday, 4 August
Back into the training room at the hotel at
8.30am for the nurses and doctor’s CPR
training. We start both sessions of the day
late but they are responsive to the new CPR
processes and all practise. Some are
defi nitely better than others and they do all
need to be encouraged to have a go. There
are lots of questions and the education team
and I are surprised at their responsiveness.
Friday, 5 August
I have a day off and I enjoy relaxing at Min’s
house. Min drives me to the hospital and it’s
the fi rst time I get to see around the hospital. I
meet some of the doctors and nurses on the
wards so it’s great to say hello and see them
in action. I also start to get a greater
understanding of the issues they face on a
daily basis and conditions they are working in.
While the hospital is clean, I see they face a
range of challenges with the minimal facilities
and resources available to them. There is a lot
of equipment and medications, but they tell
me there has been little training and few
protocols put in place in regards to use.
Saturday 6 August
Min and I head off to the training in the
education room at the hospital. Both sessions
of the day start 15 minutes late but I have
discovered that is very good for Nauru. All of
the doctors and nurses turn up, which is
excellent. I go through the presentation about
advanced life support and explain the new
guidelines in place from 2010. They have a
practise of CPR again and move through the
drug station and the airway station. We get
the anaesthetists involved in running the
airway station and that works well as the
doctors and nurses practise assisting skills.
There is a real positivity about the new
guidelines and great teamwork during the
pretend code. The head falls off the
mannequin and everyone dissolves into
laughter. We discuss the importance of the
automatic external defi brillator to the patient
and the code team (AED).
Then the phone rings and there is a woman
unconscious at emergency and she is not
breathing. The doctors rush off and Vania also
attends the emergency. I talk to the four
nurses left behind encouraging them to
participate during a code. I then pace the
room until the staff return 20 minutes later.
They ran the code just like they had practised
minutes before. They worked like a team and
it was successful. They are excited to tell me
it is the fi rst successful code blue they have
had for fi ve years.
Vania delivered seven defi brillations (in AED
mode) while coordinating CPR and performing
CPR herself. She coordinated the
administration of drugs after the doctors put
in a drip and placed a tube down the lady’s
throat to connect her to the AED.
Having dinner with Min that night, we couldn’t
help being amazed at how the training had all
worked out and the success of the code blue.
The protocols, equipment and methods of
working in a team were completely new to the
hospital’s medical staff and they
demonstrated competence in all components;
administering drugs, CPR, defi brillation and
management.
Sunday, 7 August
Min heads into the hospital to see how our
patient has gone overnight and she returns
home to report the patient died in the early
hours of the morning after another attempt at
CPR. Despite this, the doctors on duty were
able to provide a report on how effective the
resuscitation team was and how during the
process they were able to use the AED.
Monday, 8 August
I am up at 4am to catch a plane back home.
On the fl ight I think about what I have learnt
about me, Nauru and the RON staff. I felt
proud to see the knowledge and skills that I
had passed on to the doctors and nurses
over the past week, being put into immediate
action at the Nauru Hospital. I was impressed
by the basic nursing and assessment skills
the hospital staff demonstrated and their
willingness to increase their competency and
knowledge. One of the greatest rewards was
to see how the opportunity to participate in
training has increased confi dence in
themselves and teamwork.
I also think about how effective PACTAM has
been in providing access to human resources
like Min throughout the Pacifi c and providing
professional development opportunities such
as the fi rst aid training.
It’s been a rewarding experience for me and
small step towards building the capacity of
Nauru’s health sector. <
Opposite > AVI Learning and Development trainer
Sharon Humphries with Republic of Nauru Hospital
doctors, participants in the First Aid training.
Left > Republic of Nauru Hospital community
development workers participated in First Aid training
delivered by AVI Learning and Development trainer,
Sharon Humphries and funded by PACTAM.
Top > AVI Learning and Development trainer and
Republic of Nauru Hospital Health Educator Sharon
Humphries Vania Scotty doing CPR as part of the
PACTAM-funded First Aid training in Nauru.
Photos > Courtesy Sharon Humphries
23

ANZ’s global perspective > Michelle Chea
24
ANZ’s global perspective
In January 2012, ANZ’s fi rst international volunteering staff will commence international
volunteering assignments as part of ANZ’s Super Regional Volunteers program, an
initiative of the AVI/ANZ partnership. Here the volunteers, with AVI’s and ANZ’s CEO talk
about the program and the expectations of the up and coming assignments.
A volunteer’s perspective
Caroline Novak - ANZ Divisional
Human Resources Consultant
Volunteer position: Human Resources,
Solomon Islands Development Trust,
Solomon Islands
Why did you apply for the position?
I wanted to apply my professional skills
outside of work and I was interested in
living and working in a completely different
culture.
Whilst ANZ offers a volunteer day, I thought
this would be an opportunity to make a
signifi cant difference in a partner
organisation.
What are your hopes or expectations for the
volunteer placement?
I expect that I will learn new skills about
adapting to different work environments and
working in a different culture. In return, I hope
that I am able to provide the Solomon Island
Development Trust with some key HR tools
and tips which they will be able to use and
build on as they grow and develop.
What will this mean for your career
development?
I believe this secondment will provide me with
a fantastic opportunity to use my HR skills in
an organisation where there is limited
exposure to HR processes and policies. On my
return, I believe that the understanding I will
have developed from the culture and
environment in the Solomon Islands will be
benefi cial for my career and ANZ’s continued
focus on the Asia Pacifi c region.
Michelle Webb - ANZ Senior
Marketing Manager - Small
Business
Volunteer position: Communications and
Marketing Adviser,
Pekerti, Indonesia.
Why did you apply for the position?
The secondment will help to provide me with
an insight into the differences of operating in
business in another culture. ANZ has a super
regional focus and will continue to grow
across Asia. This placement in Indonesia
provides the opportunity to trial working in
one of these countries and will help
determine if an overseas placement in the
longer term is right for me. I previously worked
at World Vision prior to coming to ANZ and
still have passion for supporting local
communities. Working to help develop a
marketing plan to increase sales of fair trade
products seemed like a fantastic opportunity
to leverage my not-for-profi t skills.
What are your hopes or expectations for the
volunteer placement?
I hope to immerse myself in the Indonesian
culture and a gain a deeper appreciation of
the challenges and opportunities that Pekerti
face in achieving their goals and eat some
great food!
What will this mean for your career
development?
This opportunity will help broaden my
marketing skills, particularly marketing to a
different culture and at home it will also
benefi t my work in Australia. As ANZ continue
to align and work more closely with other ANZ
offi ces across Asia, this will help provide me
with a deeper understanding of how the
different operating models and markets work.
Casey Morecroft - ANZ Senior
Relationship Manager -
International Agribusiness
Volunteer position: Financial Services
Adviser, PIPSO, Suva, Fiji
Why did you apply for the position?
Working in a developing country in a role that
is heavily involved in the local community is
one which I am incredibly excited about as it
will allow me to apply my skill set in a
completely different environment. Working in a
skilled volunteering capacity is also a great
opportunity to gain exposure working in an
organisation with different goals and
perspectives, which I felt would broaden my
experience and allow me to see the fi nance
industry from a different perspective.
What are your hopes or expectations for the
volunteer placement?
This will provide me with an extremely
challenging yet highly rewarding experience
that will push me outside of my comfort zone.
I look forward to working with and learning
from a range of different people from various
cultures and backgrounds and across multiple
organisations, and believe it will provide a
valuable and memorable experience. Most
importantly, I hope that my placement will be
benefi cial for the local team in Suva, and that
I will be able to share some of my knowledge
and experience that will make a difference
and contribute to PIPSO achieving its goals.
What will this mean for your career
development?
I believe that this role will be incredibly
valuable in allowing me to fast-track my
leadership skills, and provide an opportunity
to develop a more in-depth understanding of

the markets in which ANZ operate in.
Working in an environment that is more
isolated and less resourced will challenge
me to adapt and have greater fl exibility in
how I collaborate with others and problemsolve
to achieve the goals and outcomes of
the placement. I also believe that working
with the local communities in Fiji will be
incredibly humbling, and will allow me to
gain an understanding of cultural differences
and how to better manage teams and
develop a ‘wide angle’ lens. Whilst the
volunteer placement will be very different
from any of my previous roles, I believe
many of the skills and experiences over my
time in Fiji will be able to be applied upon
my return to ANZ and will be benefi cial for
my career development going forward.
For more information on the overseas partners visit
www.pekerti.com, www.pipso.org and www.voisblongmere.org.sb
“For ANZ to realise the full potential of our super regional
strategy, we need our leaders to have well-rounded experiences
and capabilities, an international mindset and a capacity to see
more of our world and to create real value for our stakeholders.”
Dimity Fifer
AVI CEO
AVI have made considerable efforts towards
expanding linkages with non-traditional areas
of community development and encouraging
all elements of society to become citizens of
the world. Working in partnership with ANZ, AVI
has been able to facilitate targeted
community engagement opportunities,
allowing ANZ staff to invest in the Asia Pacifi c
region through volunteering. This year marks a
signifi cant achievement for the ANZ-AVI
partnership, as it builds up to place its fi rst
three volunteers through the Super Regional
Volunteers initiative. AVI wishes each of the
volunteers well on their journies.
Mike Smith
ANZ CEO
ANZ has a strong tradition of supporting our
communities through volunteering. It is a
powerful way for us to connect with our
communities, understand the issues and
causes important to them, and be able to
make a difference.
For ANZ to realise the full potential of our
super regional strategy, we need our leaders
to have well-rounded experiences and
capabilities, an international mindset and a
capacity to see more of our world and create
real value for our stakeholders.
With this in mind, ANZ have offered three
international skilled volunteering
secondments working with AVI and their
established partner organisations - the
Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT),
Pekerti Nusantara PT and the Pacifi c Islands
Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO). Through
these secondments ANZ seek to support
socio economic development while further
developing our staff’s super regional mindset,
leadership capabilities and a wide angle lens
of the world.
In 2012 the fi rst of our Super Regional
Volunteers, Caroline Novak, Casey Morecroft
and Michelle Webb will travel to the
Solomon Islands, Indonesia and Fiji
respectively, and spend three months
applying their professional skills in a way
that contributes to thriving communities. We
support this signifi cant undertaking and
wish each volunteer well in their prospective
endeavours.
I hope the Super Regional Volunteer pilot
program marks the beginning of many
mutually benefi cial partnerships, which will
allow other ANZ staff to take part in this
valuable learning opportunity in the future. <
Left > (l-r) ANZ Super Regional Volunteers Casey
Morecroft, Michelle Webb and Caroline Novak, attend
an AVI pre-departure briefi ng in Melbourne.
Photo > Michelle Cheah /AVI
25

Learning by doing > Fran Noonan
26
Learning
by doing
A collaborative effort
Since 2008, AVI’s collaboration with Macquarie University and the Participation and
Community Engagement (PACE) International initiative, has allowed Macquarie students
the opportunity to broaden their academic and personal horizons, through international
placements with partner organisations around the globe. AVI’s Fran Noonan writes
about the latest achievements of the program.
» Initially a pilot program with 40
students contributing to six short-term
international development projects, PACE
International has since grown considerably.
This year it boasts 85 students taking part in
community development projects in Peru, the
Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam
and India. Overall, 205 students have now
successfully participated in PACE
International to date.
Since the conclusion of the pilot phase
earlier in the year, AVI and Macquarie
University have signed another agreement,
endorsing an additional three-year
partnership. Complementing existing
operations, AVI will also work with Macquarie
University to provide strategic advice to
further develop and embed PACE
International across other sections of the
university, allowing opportunities for more
students and staff to engage with community
development projects.
A learning experience in Peru
In 2011 students from Macquarie University
spent fi ve weeks at Peru’s Challenge, a
Peruvian based NGO in Cusco, working with
local counterparts to develop resources and
strategies for rural Indigenous communities to
manage and address livelihood issues.
Students worked alongside community
members on a school and community
construction project; delivered school lessons
in art, English, sport, dance and music;
contributed to community health initiatives
and promoted healthy hygiene practices to
school children; and assisted local social
workers in undertaking home visits to improve
general household well-being.
Erin Smith
Macquarie University Student
Above > Farryn Gaddin assisting Quilla Huata students with their English classes.
Below Left > PACE participants making adobe bricks in Quilla Huata, Peru.
Below Right > PACE participants assisting the children learning healthy hygiene practises.
Photos > Courtesy PACE International
“I cannot put into words how phenomenal and
life-changing this experience has been. It feels
like we have gained so much more from this
experience than we could ever give back.
Working with the community; with the
mothers, fathers, teachers and students has
been so humbling, and has taught me more
about humility than I can express. On our
farewell, we could see the impact that we had
made on the community; from the kids with
shining faces and smiles, to the women of the
village who as a result have a place to make a
sustainable income. It was just amazing.”
Jane Gavel
Founder of Peru’s Challenge
“The appropriateness of PACE participants
refl ects the collaborative work of PACE
stakeholders – Macquarie University, AVI and
partner organisations – in defi ning what
makes an effective participant. The students
came well prepared and are extremely
motivated. They complete work that would
otherwise cost us a lot of time and money and
enable us to keep our commitments to local
communities. In the past 12 months 90
percent of projects achieved their project
objectives and partner organisations reported
a high level of satisfaction with student
contributions.”

Book Review
By Helen Dwan
Sufficient for the Day:
Towards a Sustainable Culture by Geoff Lacey
Dr Geoff Lacey’s recently published book, Suffi cient for the Day: Towards a Sustainable
Culture explores possible causes and responses to current environmental issues such
as global warming.
Lacey was a member of the founding committee of the Overseas Service Bureau (which
later became Australian Volunteers International) and was also involved in establishing
credit unions and grassroots educational projects in Chittagong, Bangladesh in a
volunteering capacity. It was here that he observed the importance of local self-reliance
and sustainability, which he believes goes hand-in-hand with equity and ecological
sustainability.
He explains how the sustainable agricultural practices of the home gardens in lowland
Mexico, subsistence farming in Ethiopia and the Nayakrishi Andolon (New Farming
Movement) in Bangladesh are highly productive and produce nutritious foods which are
protective of biodiversity and environmentally sustainable. Within the book he also gives
examples of Victorian initiatives like the Friends of CERES urban farm in Brunswick,
Victoria, and the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group.
Lacey also analyses the historical and the current day relationship between technology
and nature, and the shifting attitudes towards the interconnectedness of the two.
You can purchase Suffi cient for the Day: Towards a Sustainable Culture by mail to the Yarra Institute,
PO Box 505 Box Hill VIC 3128, or ordered via admin@yarrainstitute.org.au.
(RRP $20) add $5 for postage and handling. Published by Yarra Institute Press www.yarrainstitute.org.au
Making people
internationally effective
Access 60 years of Australian Volunteers
International briefi ng, cultural and re-entry
training expertise through AVI Worldwide.
AVI Worldwide training and briefi ng programs
provide professionals and organisations
working overseas with:
> Improved cross-cultural understandings
> Detailed socio-political insights
> Strategies to improve business outcomes
> Perspectives on life as an expat
AVI Worldwide services maximise the potential
of professionals and their families living and
working overseas.
Contact the AVI Worldwide team for more
information:
Phone: 1800 331 292
Email: worldwide@australianvolunteers.com
www.aviworldwide.com
Book Review ‘ Suffi cient for the Day’ > Helen Dwan
27

Celebrating 60 years of international volunteering > Elmarie Pareezer
28
Celebrating 60 years of
international volunteering
From June 2011 to June 2012 AVI is celebrating 60 years of international volunteering
through a range of events and activities around the world. Hundreds of AVI volunteers,
overseas partners and supporters from Sydney to South Africa have joined us in
acknowledging the work of the communities we work with and the volunteers that work
alongside them. Check out the stories from our global celebrations:
Queensland – 19 May
At the stunning location of Government
House in Brisbane on 19 May, 150
Queenslanders celebrated with AVI at the
Queensland University of Technology, with
speeches from three generations of legal
volunteers; Hon Michal Kirby, Hon Cameron
Dick MP and Lyma Nguyen.
Above > The Hon Michael Kirby (centre) with the Hon
Prof Michael Lavarch (centre left) and QUT Law
Faculty colleague with special guest Nigerian lawyers.
Photo > Sam Boardman
Victoria – 15 June
On 15 June, over 250 friends of AVI returned
to the birthplace of Australia’s international
volunteer movement, the University of
Melbourne. On the evening we were
entertained with a talk by Jemma Purdey, the
author of the Herb Feith biography From
Vienna to Yogyakarta: The life of Herb Feith.
Returned Volunteer Roger Pryor talked about
lessons learned in cross-cultural
communication while in Samoa in the 1970s,
and Tamara Jolly confessed that chocolate
cake had been the catalyst for a memorable
time in Malawi, and continues to impact her
life back in Australia.
Above > (l-r) AVI CEO Dimity Fifer, Tamara Jolley,
Jemma Purdey, Roger Prior and AVI Board member
Jenny McGregor. Photo > Bree Manly/AVI
City to Surf (Sydney) – 14 August
Returned volunteers and AVI staff competed
under the team name, ‘The Herb Feith All
Stars’ in Sydney’s City2Surf on Sunday 14
August. Leading the team was AVI Board
Member and wheelchair athlete, Kurt Fearnley,
who won the elite wheelchair athlete event,
which was being staged in the City2Surf for
the fi rst time in 38 minutes and three
seconds. Kurt joined team mates and
returned volunteers after the race to
commemorate AVI’s 60th.
Above > AVI executive Bruce Campbell (centre)
addresses race participants and RVs.
Photo > Elmarie Pareezer/AVI
Kiribati – 17 August
On 17 August, at the Australian High
Commissioner’s residence, Kiribati’s
President Tong was our very special guest,
along with AVI’s development partners in
Kiribati, AusAID and DFAT representatives,
AVI staff and of course the wonderful
volunteers from AVI and other international
volunteer sending organisations.
Above > President Tong (centre) with Australian
and Japanese Volunteers.
Photo > Barbara Buckles/AVI
Northern Territory – 4 September
The Arafura Sea was the spectacular backdrop
of the NT celebrations on Sunday 4
September. Returned volunteer (RV) Tim Stats
refl ected on his volunteer journey as a Branch
Rehabilitation Architect in Timor-Leste and RV
George Butler shared tales from his role as
Communications Advisor in PNG.
Above > Tim Stats (left) and AVI executive Dave Jones.
Photo > Elmarie Pareezer/AVI
Cambodia – 7-8 September
AVI Country Manager - Cambodia, Eleanor
Loudon presented at The Cambodian Forum
on Volunteering, jointly supported by UNV and
AVI in which 300 people attended, including
Australian ambassador and representatives
from AusAID, the United Nations, government,
international and local NGOs, local and
international volunteers, academics and
Khmer University students. Eleanor presented
on AVI’s 60 year history and 27 years in
Cambodia, what it was like then and what we
are doing now.
Tour-de-Timor – 11-16 September
AVI returned volunteer Tim Stats, Melbournebased
Property Developer Michael Laing and
two Australian Volunteer Medical Service
Offi cers, David Natoli and Julie Souness,
currently working on AVI assignments in Timor,
competed in this gruelling 607km six-day
cycling event from 11 to 16 September. The
group competed under then name, ‘The Herb
Feith All Stars’ as a cycling tribute to 60 years
of AVI and the pioneering journey of AVI’s fi rst
volunteer, Herb Feith. The team also raised
funds for the AVI / ETWA Los Palos
Sustainability Centre Project (where Australian
Volunteer Deb Salvagno is working).

Above > The Herb Feith All Stars with President Jose
Ramos Horta (centre).
Photo > Courtesy Tim Stats
Fiji – 14 October
The Acting Australian High Commissioner,
Judith Robinson was guest speaker at Fiji’s
celebration on 14 October. Australian
Volunteer Occupational Therapist Aleisha
Carroll shared her experiences after a two
year assignment in Fiji. Guests comprised of
AusAID representatives, host organisations,
AVI staff and volunteers from AVI and other
international volunteer sending organisations.
Above > AVI Staff with Australian Acting High
Commissioner, Judith Robinson (second from left).
Photo > Barbara Buckles/AVI
Western Australia – 24 October
Sailing boats provided a picturesque
backdrop at the celebration in Perth on 24
October. The audience consisted of returned
volunteers, WA politicians, Commonwealth
People’s Forum participants and AVI
supporters. Hon Richard Marles MP and Hon
Julie Bishop MP delivered keynote addresses
alongside RV Peter Creighton and fi ve times
returned volunteers, Sylvia and John Griffi ths.
Above > (l-r) AVI CEO Dimity Fifer, Hon Julie Bishop
MP and AVI Board member Greg Thompson.
Photo > Jane Macdonald/AVI
Africa – 14 November
Southern Africa program staff, volunteers and
partner partner organisations celebrated celebrated the the 1000 1000
Australians that have volunteered volunteered across across 15
African countries in nearly fi ve decades on 26
October. Along with AVI volunteers from
Lesotho, Namiba, Swaziland, Botswana and
South Africa, guests included AusAID
representatives and the partner organisations
from Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa.
Below centre > Former AVI Chair Bob Meyenn (left),
Australian Volunteers Pamela Whitman and Andrew
Lim and AVI’s Karla Wesley (centre right).
Photo > Justice Kalebe/AVI
New South Wales – 14 November
The RVs at the Sydney celebration on 14
November spanned the 60 year history of AVI.
Supporter and Australian Partner
Organisations, including Macquarie University
and ANZ Bank also attended. The Hon Tanya
Plibersek MP delivered the keynote address
with speeches from AVI CEO Dimity Fifer, RV
and former AVI Chair of the Board, Prof Bob
Meyenn and RV Ruth Bearpark. <
Dates to Remember > 2012
6 January
> Viet Nam 60 year celebrations
AVI Viet Nam celebrate international
volunteering with local partners
21 January – 13 February
> AVI Volunteer Recruitment Drive
More details at
www.australianvolunteers.com
AVI Information session roadshow
Talk to AVI staff and returned volunteers.
Check the AVI website for more details
31 January
> Adelaide Information Session
2 February
> Canberra Information Session
4 February
> Sydney (weekend) Information Session
6 February
> Sydney (weekday) Information Session
Check the AVI website to rsvp and for
more details
7 February
> Melbourne Information Session
> Brisbane Information Session
8 February
> Gold Coast Information Session
9 February
> Hobart Information Session
10 February
> Hobart 60 year celebration
Keep your eye on AVI’s website for more
details or email
events@australianvolunteers.com
11-26 February
> Sustainable Living Festival Melbourne
Come and visit our stall.
More details: http://festival.slf.org.au/
21 February
> Canberra 60 year celebration
Keep your eye on AVI’s website for more
details or email
events@australianvolunteers.com
Above > The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP and AVI CEO
Dimity Fifer. Photo > Elmarie Pareezer/AVI
March - date TBC
> Adelaide 60 year celebration
Keep your eye on AVI’s website for more
details or email
events@australianvolunteers.com
14 April – 14 May
> AVI Volunteer Recruitment Drive
More details at
www.australianvolunteers.com
14 – 20 May
> National Volunteer Week
A national volunteer celebration. More
details at www.volunteeringaustralia.org
12 – 27 May
> Human Rights Arts and Film
Festival - Melbourne
AVI will continue to support this amazing
festival. Also running in Sydney, Alice
Springs, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Perth and
Canberra. Visit www.hraff.org.au
for more information
Please note: These dates are correct at the
time of printing and may be subject to change.
Dates to Remember > 2012
29

Empower communities to lead their own development
30
Support Our Work
Empower communities to lead
their own development
…donate to Australian Volunteers International
By donating to Australian Volunteers International, you support an organisation that
puts people at the centre of development. Our approach is to listen to communities
and respond to their initiatives, and then identify the resources and knowledge
needed to make their development goals a reality. It’s such an effective way for
people to create a livelihood for themselves and their households; we know this
through research and from our 60 years experience in international development.
One example of this people oriented approach is our work with the Cooperative for Tais, Culture and Sustainable Development (Cooperativa Tais,
Kultura, Desenvolvimento Sustenavel, CTKDS) in Timor-Leste. You can read the full story on page eight of how Timorese women in remote villages are
working together to rebuild their livelihoods - with the support of AVI and volunteers like Deb Salvagno – so they can lead their own development and
determine a brighter future for themselves.
It’s a wonderful example of empowerment, and how through mentoring and guidance a community and economy can fl ourish. Our partnership with
CTKDS is just one example of an overseas organisation we support, and by investing a donation into AVI, you help enable us to expand our activities
and strengthen the work of our partners overseas.
Empower a community today by supporting the work of Australian Volunteers International. Together we can ensure everyone has access to the
resources they need, the opportunities to achieve their potential and the right to make decisions about the kind of development they want to
participate in.
Please give generously today and support the amazing work of our volunteers.
To donate to AVI’s maternal health appeal, visit
www.australianvolunteers.com/support or call 1800 331 292.
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support.
Above > Otelia Da Consesat (right) is one of the talented women in the
Cooperativa Tais Kultura Dezenvolvimento Sustantavel group, seen here weaving.
Photo > Louise Cooper/AVI
“I would like to see CTKDS help more
women all over the Lautem district
and become a strong organisation
with women in positions of
leadership to lead their communities.”
- Mana Elsa, CTKDS

» Photo gallery
Want to share your photos? Send six highresolution
images and short captions to
mystory@australianvolunteers.com
Since 1996 over 66 AVI volunteers have worked with refugee and displaced communities as part of its Middle East program. On
International Volunteer Day 2011, AVI celebrated the opening of its office in Amman, Jordan at the Australian Embassy. Below are
some of the faces and places of AVI’s Middle East program.
Australian Volunteer English Language Adviser Rick Steele
(left) and UNRWA Education Team’s School Supervisor Said
Teriyaki, show off the new English Language textbooks the
team developed for Palestinian refugee schools in Lebanon.
Photo > Alec Simpson
Current AVI Middle East Country Manager Vicki Mau with AVI
Liaison Offi cer and Jordan River Foundation staff member,
Tariq Al Shawarbeh and his daughter. Photo > Alec Simpson
Support the work of AVI...
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
I would like to make a single gift of $_________
OR
I would like to make a regular gift to AVI by pledging a
monthly gift of $_________
(Pledge program donors give a monthly donation of $25 or more that is
debited from their credit card on the 20th of each month until
notifi cation is received in writing to change or terminate their pledge).
Australian Volunteers Hamish Dunsford and Jihan Mirza with
their Arabic Language Teacher Saleh (centre), Amman, Jordan.
Learning Arabic is an essential part of any placement in the
Middle East. Photo > Alec Simpson
Recently appointed AVI Middle East Country Manager
Cassandra Mathie with Sister Antoinette Assaf from Sisters of
the Good Shepherd in Beirut, Lebanon.
Photo > Alec Simpson
Australian Volunteers Craig Bohm moved to Aqaba, Jordan, with
his family and is working with the Marine Park Management Team.
Here, Craig works with two of the park rangers to clear fi shing
lines. Photo > Alec Simpson
Australian Volunteer Ruth Campbell worked as a Physiotherapist at
the Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization in
Bourj-el-Barajneh Palestinian Refugee Camp from 2001-2003.
Photo > Courtesy Ruth Campbell
Please fi nd my cheque / money order made payable to:
Australian Volunteers International
Please debit my credit card:
Amex MasterCard Visa
Card no. ______ /______ /______ /_____ Expiry ___ /___
Name ________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________ OR OR
Signature _______________________ Date ___ /___ /___
________________________________ Postcode __________ donate online at www.australianvolunteers.com/support
AH Phone _________________ BH Phone ________________
or over the phone on tollfree 1800 331 292 (within Australia) or
+61 3 9279 1788
Mobile ___________________
Email _______________________________________________
Please send me more information on:
Becoming an AVI volunteer Leaving a bequest in my will to AVI
AV Magazine December 2011 Appeal (613) Post or fax form to AVI Melbourne offi ce. Details on back page.
Photo gallery – AVI’s Middle East Program
31

Are you aged between 18 to 80 years?
> Do you have skills, qualifi cations or experience to share?
> Do you want to make a difference around the world?
Volunteering overseas is a life changing and rewarding experience. Australian Volunteers International (AVI) has 60 years
experience sending skilled Australians to work with developing communities in Asia, the Pacifi c, Africa and the Middle East.
Volunteers receive airfares, accommodation, a living allowance, insurance, ongoing support and more!
To hear more, visit www.australianvolunteers.com and sign up to receive our free job alerts so you’ll be the fi rst to hear
about assignments and information on volunteering overseas.
tollfree 1800 331 292 www.australianvolunteers.com
The Australian Government is working in partnership to send volunteers overseas
through the Australian Volunteers for International Development program.
Australian Volunteers International
71 Argyle Street (PO Box 350) Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065, Australia ABN 88 004 613 067
Volunteering overseas:
the best thing you’ll ever do!
AVI WOULD LIKE TO GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR AUSTRALIAN SUPPORTERS:
ACE Insurance, AFAP, Anglicord, ANZ, Asialink, AusAID, Austcare, Australian Business Volunteers, ACIAR, Australian Development Gateway, Australian Doctors International,
Australian Disability and Development Consortium, Australian Federal Police, Australian Football League, Australian Sports Commission, Baptist World Aid Australia, Blake
Dawson, Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters, Boroondara City Council, Cabrini Health, Care Australia, CERES, Charities Aid Foundation, City of Ballarat, City of Melbourne, City of
Port Phillip, Coffey International, Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Commonwealth Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts,
Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Community Housing Ltd,
Corporate Traveller, Darebin City Council, Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW), Department of Premier and Cabinet (VIC), Department of Victorian
Communities, Department of Employment, Education and Training (VIC), Department of Planning and Community Development (VIC), Dubsat, East Timor Women Australia,
Engineers Without Borders, Ernst & Young, Freehills Lawyers, Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation, Global Poverty Project (GPP), Good Shepherd, Hume City Council,
Indigenous Business Australia, Insurance Australia Group, Interact Australia, Interchange Outer East, International Women’s Development Agency, Intrepid Travel, Jardine Lloyd
Thompson, Kiwanis, Leichhardt Council, Live and Learn Environmental Education, Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program, Macquarie University, Maddocks Lawyers, Mansfi eld Shire
Council, Marketing Printing, Marie Stopes International, Minter Ellison Lawyers, Mitchell Communications Group, Monash University, Moreland City Council, Mornington Peninsula
Shire Council, Motivation Australia, Occupational Services Australia, Offi ce of Indigenous Policy and Coordination, Order of Malta, Oxfam, Planning Institute Australia, Planet
Wheeler Foundation, ProjectAID, Reconciliation Australia, RMIT, Rotary Club of Doncaster, Ryder Cheshire Australia, Same Agricultural Services, Scope, Sexual Health and Family
Planning Australia, Sisters of Mercy, Stonnington City Council, Students Partnership Worldwide, Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning, Tendersearch, The Spastic Centre of NSW,
The Travel Doctor – TMVC, Transparency International, Trinh Foundation Australia, United Nations Volunteers, University of Sydney, Victorian Local Governance Association,
Victorian Police Department, Westpac, Youth Challenge Australia, Zoos Victoria, 3Fish.
tollfree 1800 331 292
www.australianvolunteers.com
Tel +61 3 9279 1788 Fax +61 3 9419 4280 Email info@australianvolunteers.com Print post approved PP350190/0006
Photo > Louise Cooper / AVI