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<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong> Magazine<br />
Edition Two 2011<br />
“Sustainable development with longterm<br />
change can only be achieved<br />
when communities own their future.”<br />
– Dame Carol Kidu<br />
A Sustainable Livelihood<br />
Inside ><br />
> Women’s business in Timor<br />
> Meeting PNG’s tourism vision<br />
> A healthy trade in Swaziland<br />
> From Palestine to Ernabella<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com
Contents<br />
02<br />
» Contents<br />
A sustainable livelihood<br />
05 > Resourcing PNG’s sustainable nation<br />
building efforts<br />
By Dame Carol Kidu.<br />
07 > A healthy market place<br />
Taking health services to Swaziland’s<br />
Market Traders.<br />
08 > Finding a women’s place<br />
Tales from a Timorese woman and an<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer show how one<br />
organisation can change the place in<br />
the world of many.<br />
10 > Tourism strengthening cultural identity<br />
A united effort to running the<br />
Warwagira and Mask Festival in PNG,<br />
raises community spirits in Kokopo.<br />
12 > Shaping island life<br />
Three Kolombangara Island<br />
Biodiversity Conservation Association<br />
staff refl ect on the work of an<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer.<br />
14 > Reversing realities<br />
UNRWA’s commitment to people<br />
with disabilities.<br />
15 > A local approach to food<br />
security challenges<br />
An innovative guide draws on local<br />
knowledge, network and connections<br />
to help Melanesian farmers tackle<br />
issues of food security and<br />
climate change.<br />
16 > Learning from others – from Palestine<br />
to South Australia<br />
A journey to a remote Aboriginal<br />
community changes the perspective<br />
of two Palestinian women.<br />
18 > Children of the Rainbow Serpent:<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> roadshow<br />
AVI screens this amazing fi lm in<br />
Tamworth, Adelaide, Echuca<br />
and Narrandera.<br />
P > 14<br />
19 > Engaging with Africa<br />
A global partnership working<br />
together to achieve local visions<br />
in Ethiopia and Kenya.<br />
20 > A balancing act in Tuvalu<br />
Managing drought and political<br />
uncertainty while strengthening<br />
Tuvalu’s legal and fi nancial systems.<br />
22 > Learning in action in Nauru<br />
PACTAM fi rst aid training<br />
delivers results at the Republic<br />
of Nauru Hospital.<br />
24 > ANZ’s global perspective<br />
ANZ celebrate its fi rst volunteers<br />
as part of its Super Regional<br />
<strong>Volunteers</strong> initiative.<br />
26 > Learning by doing<br />
Over 85 Macquarie University<br />
students enrich their learning<br />
experience through PACE <strong>International</strong><br />
this year.<br />
26 > Celebrating 60 years of volunteering<br />
A report on where and who we have<br />
celebrated with so far.<br />
Regulars<br />
03 > CEO’s Comment<br />
04 > In brief<br />
27 > Book Review<br />
Suffi cient for the Day: Towards a<br />
Sustainable Culture by Geoff Lacey.<br />
29 > Dates to remember<br />
30 > Fundraising appeal<br />
31 > Photo Gallery<br />
People of the Middle East program.<br />
P > 10<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />
connects people and organisations<br />
internationally to learn from each<br />
other and achieve shared goals.<br />
AVI enables <strong>Australian</strong>s to join in<br />
global efforts to reduce poverty;<br />
promote human rights, good<br />
governance and gender equality;<br />
enhance health and education<br />
services; and protect the<br />
environment.<br />
AVI is a member of the <strong>International</strong><br />
FORUM on Development Service<br />
and the <strong>Australian</strong> Council for<br />
<strong>International</strong> Development (ACFID).<br />
<strong>Australian</strong>Volunteer is AVI’s free<br />
magazine, published twice a year.<br />
Contributions and good quality<br />
photographs are encouraged.<br />
Send enquiries and submissions to:<br />
The Editor, <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer,<br />
PO Box 350, Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065,<br />
Australia.<br />
Email > mystory@australianvolunteers.com<br />
Subscriptions > If this copy was not<br />
mailed personally to you, sign up as a<br />
member of our website at<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com,<br />
and choose to receive new issues.<br />
Unsubscribe at<br />
info@australianvolunteers.com<br />
Editors > Christine Crosby, Fran Noonan<br />
Sub-editors > Dan Sybaczynskyj,<br />
Elmarie Pareezer<br />
Graphic Design > Bree Manley, Tim Allan<br />
Printing > Printed on recycled paper<br />
Distribution > Complete Mailing (posted<br />
in biodegradable plastic wrap)<br />
Advertising enquiries ><br />
mystory@australianvolunteers.com<br />
Cover > <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Sustainable<br />
Livelihoods Coordinator Deb Salvagno<br />
working on a weaving project with Otelia<br />
Da Consesat at Coperativa Tais Kultura<br />
No Dezenvolvimentu (CTKDS) in Lautem,<br />
Timor-Leste. CTKDS receives support from<br />
AVI <strong>Australian</strong> Partner Organisation, the<br />
East Timor Women Australia (ETWA).<br />
Photo > Louise Cooper/AVI<br />
© <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />
December 2011<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com<br />
Left > UNRWA delivers disability services to<br />
Palestinian communities in Gaza.<br />
Photo > Courtesy UNRWA<br />
Right > PNG Mudman.<br />
Photo > Elizabeth Brennan
» Comment<br />
» In October this year I had the<br />
opportunity to participate in the <strong>International</strong><br />
Volunteering Cooperation Organisation<br />
conference in Kenya. This annual event brings<br />
together delegates from international<br />
volunteering organisations from around the<br />
world, and it was a true privilege to be in Africa<br />
and learn about the philosophies and actions<br />
of volunteering organisations in the region.<br />
In her opening address at the conference<br />
Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, the Director of<br />
Policy for VSO <strong>International</strong> shared with us<br />
the story of ubuntu and its relationship to<br />
volunteering. Archbishop Desmond Tutu says<br />
this age-old African ideal “speaks of the fact<br />
that my humanity is caught up and is<br />
inextricably bound up in yours. A person with<br />
Ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable, warm and<br />
generous, willing to share.”<br />
This spirit is imbued in volunteering throughout<br />
Africa. In an inspirational presentation by<br />
Musa Sibindi from the Matebeleland AIDS<br />
Council (MAC) from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, she<br />
described volunteering as the practice that not<br />
only works to improve quality of life but a<br />
movement that produces better human beings<br />
by the act of working on behalf of others.<br />
In articulating the philosophy of MAC and how<br />
they work with community volunteers, she<br />
said, “It starts from the principle that within<br />
any community there is a wealth of knowledge<br />
and experience which, if used in creative<br />
ways, can be channelled into a collective.”<br />
It is an approach to community development<br />
that embraces ubuntu, it relies on humans<br />
making those deep connections that enable<br />
people to act together, foster an inclusive<br />
approach to change that empowers people,<br />
communities and countries to own their own<br />
development process.<br />
For Musa and her colleagues at MAC, they<br />
believe, “The greatest resource in<br />
development is the human resource and if<br />
well managed can yield positive results.”<br />
As I refl ect on my past six months, the<br />
message of ubuntu has followed me as part<br />
of my discussions with a range of politicians<br />
and heads of government at CHOGM, in my<br />
conversations with the fi rst midwifery<br />
graduates from the Hamlin College of<br />
Midwifery in Ethiopia and when speaking at<br />
the National Midwives Conference in Sydney.<br />
Together we have talked positively about the<br />
value of human solidarity and community<br />
ownership of development, cooperation<br />
between community structures and<br />
government and establishing stronger<br />
connections between all pillars of society.<br />
At AVI this approach is not new to us. We are<br />
committed to expressing our commitment to<br />
people to people links and mutual support at<br />
all levels of society. As we prepare to place<br />
the fi rst three ANZ staff on international<br />
volunteer assignments in Indonesia, Fiji and<br />
Solomon Islands as part of our new<br />
partnership with ANZ, we also know we are<br />
preparing for a greater mutual understanding<br />
of each organisation and community involved<br />
in this partnership. An experience that will<br />
deliver stronger connections and learnings for<br />
all involved.<br />
Increasing awareness of the value of strong<br />
connections has also inspired stronger<br />
support for AVI’s, Volunteering SA & NT’s and<br />
Volunteering SA & NT’s Aboriginal Reference<br />
Group’s effort to establish a volunteering<br />
program for Aboriginals across Aboriginal<br />
communities. Following the screening of AVI’s<br />
fi lm documentary Children of the Rainbow<br />
Serpent in Tamworth, Narrandera, Adelaide<br />
and Echuca in June, AVI is closer to making<br />
the dream of such a program a reality through<br />
the generosity of a range of fi nancial partners.<br />
The fi lm documents the experiences of four<br />
young Aboriginal <strong>Australian</strong>s’ volunteering in<br />
India. Screening the fi lm in each of their home<br />
towns, the “story telling” format resonated with<br />
audiences, consisting of friends, family and<br />
members of their local communities. While it<br />
did inspire fi nancial support, most importantly<br />
it raised awareness of how just one<br />
opportunity to connect and work with others<br />
can change the lives of so many.<br />
In this magazine you will also have the<br />
opportunity to read about the journey of two<br />
Palestinian teachers to the remote Aboriginal<br />
community of Ernabella. Accompanied by two<br />
AVI staff, Malak and Iman met community<br />
members and talked to teachers about the<br />
challenges and rewards they faced in working<br />
in this remote community. While the<br />
experience was confronting for Malak and<br />
Iman they have developed a profound<br />
understanding of the impact of strong<br />
Our Board<br />
Justice Richard Refshauge (Chair)<br />
Ms Alison Crook AO (Deputy Chair)<br />
Mr Kurt Fearnley OAM<br />
Ms Jenny McGregor<br />
Mr Robert McLean<br />
Ms Sam Mostyn<br />
Mr Greg Thompson<br />
Our President<br />
Ms Margaret Jackson AC<br />
Our Life Members<br />
Mr Bill Armstrong AO<br />
Mrs Betty Feith<br />
Dr Bob Meyenn<br />
Mr Hugh O’Neill<br />
Our Patrons<br />
Hon Elizabeth Evatt AC<br />
Hon Michael Kirby AC, CMG<br />
Sir Gustav Nossal AC, CBE<br />
Prof Lowitja O’Donoghue AC, CBE<br />
Mr David Scott AO<br />
Rt Hon Ian Sinclair AC<br />
Hon E G Whitlam AC, QC<br />
Our Programs<br />
• <strong>Australian</strong> Africa Community<br />
Engagement Scheme<br />
• <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> for <strong>International</strong><br />
Development<br />
• ANZ - Super Regional <strong>Volunteers</strong><br />
• AVI / VSO Partnership<br />
• AVI Worldwide<br />
• Cambodian Midwives Project<br />
• Children of the Rainbow Serpent<br />
documentary<br />
• Hamlin Fistula Hospital Project<br />
• Lawyers Beyond Borders<br />
• Macquarie University PACE <strong>International</strong><br />
• Pacifi c Technical Assistance Mechanism<br />
connections. I will leave you with some<br />
thoughts from Malak about this and how it<br />
has affected them, “No person gets in contact<br />
with another person and gets nothing…. The<br />
more you get in contact with others the more<br />
you acquire, whether you felt it directly or not.<br />
If you feel it, you have to make use of it.” For<br />
Malak and Iman the opportunity to make<br />
contact with the community and teachers of<br />
Ernabella and how they feel about the future<br />
for the Palestinian people they say, “Our belief<br />
in the [ability to] change has become real.”<br />
Warmest regards and in peace<br />
Dimity Fifer<br />
Chief Executive Offi cer<br />
Above > (l-r) AVI Program Offi cer Tanzania Musa<br />
Naroro and CEO Dimity Fifer with Hamlin College of<br />
Midwifery Director Annette Bennett and Jacqueline<br />
Bernhard, Dean Hamlin Midwifery Colleage at the<br />
second Hamlin College graduation in Ethiopia.<br />
Photo > Sandra Johannessen<br />
Comment<br />
03
In brief<br />
04<br />
A commitment to<br />
Indigenous <strong>Australian</strong>s<br />
On 18 November 2011, Reconciliation<br />
Australia Co-Chair Dr Tom Calma launched<br />
AVI’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Dr<br />
Calma said reconciliation was all about<br />
understanding, respecting cultures and<br />
learning about each others situations and<br />
AVI’s RAP embraced these elements.<br />
“Reconciliation Action Plans currently cover<br />
20 percent of the <strong>Australian</strong> workforce, which<br />
is a major achievement,” he said. “An<br />
objective of the RAP plan is to change<br />
attitudes and the more people become<br />
informed, the more they can put pressure on<br />
political and social systems to drive change.<br />
That is why Reconciliation Action Plans are so<br />
important.” AVI CEO Dimity Fifer said, “AVI<br />
has had a long history of working with<br />
Indigenous communities, however launching<br />
a plan of action to work with communities<br />
now and long into the future is a major and<br />
significant milestone for the organisation.<br />
Indigenous volunteering<br />
initiative launched<br />
AusAID’s Deputy Director General –<br />
Corporate, Humanitarian and <strong>International</strong><br />
Group Ewen McDonald with AVI CEO Dimity<br />
Fifer, launched the <strong>International</strong> Indigenous<br />
Volunteer Network (IIVN). This new initiative,<br />
to be Co-Chaired by Dr Tom Calma and Prof<br />
Larrisa Behrendt, will strengthen the<br />
linkages, dialogue and networks between<br />
Indigenous <strong>Australian</strong>s working in the aid<br />
and development sector, and those who<br />
have participated in international<br />
volunteering. “The <strong>International</strong> Indigenous<br />
Volunteer Network will provide a great<br />
opportunity to promote the mutual benefits<br />
international volunteering brings to overseas<br />
communities and those back in Australia,”<br />
Mr McDonald said. “This is a wonderful<br />
initiative that AusAID look forward to<br />
providing ongoing support to in the future.”<br />
The network is in its development phase, but<br />
to indicate your interest in the IIVN email<br />
info@australianvolunteers.com.<br />
Volunteer effort recognised<br />
AVI returned volunteer physiotherapist<br />
Glenys Davies is a state finalist in the WA<br />
Senior <strong>Australian</strong> of the Year 2011 in<br />
recognition of her work with Palestinian<br />
communities in the Middle East and at the<br />
Handicapped Children’s Clinic in Port<br />
Moresby, PNG. At 70, Glenys is still<br />
committed to providing physiotherapy<br />
support to children in Palestinian refugee<br />
camps in Lebanon.<br />
Ethiopia’s midwifery<br />
graduates celebrate<br />
Thirteen Ethiopian midwifery students<br />
recently celebrated the completion of their<br />
three year degree program in midwifery at<br />
the Hamlin College of Midwives graduation<br />
ceremony in September. AVI CEO Dimity<br />
Fifer and current <strong>Australian</strong> volunteer English<br />
Language Tutor - Maternal Health, Sandra<br />
Johannessen, attended the ceremony with<br />
college staff, supporters and families and<br />
friends of the graduates. Working in<br />
conjunction with the Ethiopian Government<br />
Ministry of Health, will see Hamlin College<br />
midwives placed in 11 different rural health<br />
centres across four different regions of<br />
Ethiopia.<br />
AVI’s new offices<br />
Over the past six months AVI has celebrated<br />
the opening of new offices in Arusha in<br />
Tanzania, Amman in Jordan and Pohnpei in<br />
the Federated States of Micronesia. The new<br />
offices are in response to the increasing<br />
commitment to vulnerable and displaced<br />
communities in the Middle East and the<br />
growth of AVI’s programs in Africa and the<br />
North Pacific. The move is also responding<br />
to the <strong>Australian</strong> Government’s increasing<br />
commitment to international volunteering<br />
with the launch of the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong><br />
for <strong>International</strong> Development (AVID)<br />
program and the expansion of programs<br />
such as the Pacific Technical Assistance<br />
Mechanism (PACTAM) which is dedicated to<br />
responding to the needs of more Pacific<br />
communities. <<br />
Top > (l-r) AVI Chair Justice Richard Refshauge, AVI<br />
President Margaret Jackson, Reconciliation Australia<br />
Co-Chair Dr Tom Calma, AVI CEO Dimity Fifer and<br />
AusAID’s Deputy Director General – Corporate,<br />
Humanitarian and <strong>International</strong> Group Ewen<br />
McDonald at the launch of AVI’s Reconciliation Action<br />
Plan and the <strong>International</strong> Indigenous Volunteer<br />
Network.<br />
Photo > Bree Manley/AVI<br />
Left > <strong>Australian</strong> volunteer Physiotherapist Glenys<br />
Davies (front) taking an exercise and laughing class in<br />
the Dbayeh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.<br />
Photo > Courtesy Glenys Davies
Resourcing PNG’s<br />
sustainable nation<br />
building efforts<br />
» It begs the question “Why?”<br />
Perhaps, as a nation, we have been too<br />
preoccupied by our rich natural resources<br />
and the global interest it brings to PNG, and<br />
have spent too little time critically analysing<br />
the relationship between community<br />
development and national development.<br />
I would argue that you cannot have one<br />
without the other and that community<br />
development is the basis of sustainable<br />
nation-building.<br />
Above > Dame Carol Kidu. Photo > Christine Walton<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Papua New Guinea (PNG), Australia’s nearest<br />
neighbour, has been described by one of its<br />
senior Members of Parliament as an island of<br />
gold sitting in a sea of oil. PNG’s natural resource<br />
base has positioned the country for a future<br />
economic boom far exceeding past and present<br />
mining booms. PNG’s former Minister for<br />
Community Development Dame Carol Kidu writes<br />
on the high expectations for national prosperity<br />
and how these expectations are tempered by the<br />
knowledge that revenues from the existing and<br />
past extractive resource developments have not<br />
translated into equitable development and<br />
improved basic services for all.<br />
At Independence, Papua New Guinea<br />
inherited social development policy models<br />
based on Western welfare models. This<br />
model contravened the extensive informal<br />
“wantok” welfare system. No policies<br />
recognised that family, clan and community<br />
are the basis of PNG society. Thus, when I<br />
was appointed as a Minister in 2002, one<br />
priority was to spearhead the development<br />
of a package of social development policies<br />
more appropriate to the cultural reality of<br />
PNG.<br />
Considering the fact that PNG is a nation of<br />
over 800 languages and cultural groups, it<br />
was not an easy task to set the bureaucrats.<br />
Clearly it could not be a “one-size-fits-all”<br />
policy imposed from the top down. It had to<br />
have the flexibility to encompass the vibrant<br />
community development activities already<br />
existing throughout the country. Five years of<br />
in-country research, comparative global<br />
research and broad based consultation<br />
resulted in the Integrated Community<br />
Development (ICD) policy as the umbrella<br />
policy for the Department For Community<br />
Development.<br />
Resourcing PNG’s sustainable nation building efforts > Dame Carol Kidu<br />
05
06<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
The ICD policy is about developing<br />
communities from inside out and developing<br />
PNG from the bottom up to balance<br />
top-down development. It is about building<br />
from and strengthening what already exists<br />
and works on the ground and encompassing<br />
a human rights framework to development. It<br />
is about government working in partnership<br />
with and strengthening the work of churches,<br />
NGOs and civil society activities.<br />
The ICD policy recognises that sustainable<br />
development with long-term change can only<br />
be achieved when communities own their<br />
future. “Mobilisation should start from<br />
national leaders but sustainability depends<br />
on continuing community participation”<br />
James Grant, former Director, UNICEF 1980<br />
-1995. The key is in the community. There is<br />
a need for a shift in attitudes at all levels so<br />
that our families and communities have<br />
access to opportunities to take ownership of<br />
development and build their communities<br />
from inside out.<br />
The development of the policy took five years<br />
of hard work by the Department for<br />
Community Development but continued<br />
implementation will be even harder.<br />
Community-driven Community Learning and<br />
Development Centres (CLDCs) are central to<br />
the policy implementation and the District<br />
Focal Point Co-ordinator of the Provincial<br />
Divisions for Community Development is the<br />
connection between the CLDCs and<br />
government.<br />
The ICD policy does not provide an instant<br />
remedy to the multitude of social problems<br />
in PNG today. However it does recognise the<br />
strength and resilience that already exists in<br />
communities throughout the nation and<br />
provides a framework for growing the nation<br />
from that foundation. It is framed in a 50<br />
year vision for generational change<br />
recognising that introduced socio-economic,<br />
religious and cultural paradigms are often a<br />
thin veneer over complex and diverse<br />
traditional cultural psychologies and<br />
lifestyles. It recognises also that there is<br />
little attention given to the impact of the<br />
interactions between the layers and<br />
multiplicity of culture and a need for further<br />
About Dr Dame Carol Kidu<br />
indigenous sociological research to<br />
underpin policy and legislative interventions.<br />
In the post Independence development<br />
process there has not been enough focus<br />
on the micro-issues which require endless<br />
patience and dialogue and often end up in<br />
the “too hard” basket. There is a need to<br />
re-think community development knowing<br />
that sustainable developmental can only be<br />
achieved when communities own their<br />
future. Sustainability is a social process and<br />
Dr Dame Carol Kidu is a member of Parliament in PNG and is a former Minister for<br />
Community Development. Dr Kidu is the second female cabinet minister in PNG, and she<br />
has been re-elected to parliament three times since 2002. In 2002, Dr. Carol Kidu was<br />
appointed as a Minister for Welfare and Social Development, and between 2002 and<br />
2007 she served as a Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee on Urbanisation and a<br />
member of the Ministerial Appointments Committee. Her particular interests are in areas<br />
of social justice, including poverty reduction, access to learning for all, development<br />
strategies for the informal sector, and human rights with special focus on women’s,<br />
children’s and indigenous rights.<br />
must be based on cultural understanding and<br />
cultural relevance. Community development in<br />
PNG has a history of mismatched<br />
expectations and priorities with disappointing<br />
outcomes. The ICD policy of the Department<br />
For Community Development aims to change<br />
that history.<br />
I encourage any volunteers working at the<br />
community level to visit the Department For<br />
Community Development to see how they can<br />
contribute to making that change happen. <<br />
Above > Participants of the AVI/Families, Housing,<br />
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)<br />
Indigenous Women’s Tour with Dame Carol Kidu on the<br />
steps of PNG’s Parliament House.<br />
Photo > Carole Howlett/AVI
A healthy market place<br />
The life of a Market Trader is tough. This is especially true in Swaziland where a few<br />
hundred women, aged mostly between 15-60, travel from all areas of the country to<br />
form an informal market two days a week. <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Business Development<br />
and Marketing Officer, Mike Merritt, writes about an initiative of local organisations<br />
SWABCHA and the Ekululameni Rehabilitation and Training Centre that is working with<br />
Market Traders to address issues of nutrition, health and wellbeing.<br />
» Arriving in Manzini, based 37<br />
kilometres south of the capital of<br />
Mbabane, the women camp both Tuesday<br />
and Wednesday nights. The temporary<br />
home is usually an open bus shelter, where<br />
they live and sleep on concrete floors<br />
throughout all four seasons of the year to<br />
ensure their livelihoods.<br />
To compound the misery, many are seriously<br />
ill. Swaziland has the highest HIV-AIDS<br />
prevalence in the world with 26 percent of<br />
adults being positive. The prevalence rate of<br />
women aged 25 to 29 further increases to<br />
49 percent. This is three times higher than<br />
men and experienced in a social<br />
environment which does not encourage<br />
women to be proactive, equal partners,<br />
married or not.<br />
Individuals with HIV also have increased<br />
incidences of tuberculosis (TB) and their<br />
nutrition and general health is poor. In the<br />
advent of the HIV-AIDS / TB pandemic and<br />
the subsequent loss of life, women are often<br />
faced with the double burden of being the<br />
sole money earner for the family, and acting<br />
as a caregiver due to related illnesses.<br />
With socio-economic development being<br />
severely hampered, and to help sustain<br />
livelihoods, <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> with their<br />
colleagues from two local organisations,<br />
SWABCHA and Ekululameni Rehabilitation<br />
and Training Centre, got together and<br />
developed the Manzini Market Women<br />
Health Project. The initiative is working to<br />
increase awareness on health issues and to<br />
provide practical help through the delivery of<br />
health services to the Market Traders.<br />
Research indicates the average earning of a<br />
trader at about E800 (AU$111) per month. It<br />
is feasible to assume that each trader has at<br />
least one dependent and that this meagre<br />
income deters the beneficiaries from<br />
accessing healthcare services, especially<br />
screening and testing services, due to the<br />
cost of transport and the impact on work<br />
time. This initiative aims to go some way<br />
towards alleviating hardship while providing<br />
a degree of awareness and sustainability.<br />
Activities of the project include visiting the<br />
market over an eight week period to<br />
conduct awareness sessions about<br />
HIV-AIDS, TB and HIV testing, allowing for<br />
the identification of the common myths and<br />
the dangers of Multiple Concurrent<br />
Partnerships (MCPs) and access to eye<br />
testing services.<br />
During the delivery of the project 30 people<br />
on average a day are accessing HIV and TB<br />
testing. So far the project has conducted<br />
177 eye tests and supplied 140 pairs of<br />
glasses and given away 59 free eye drop<br />
bottles.<br />
Future sessions and a community open day<br />
with a range of local service providers<br />
including Swaziland Breast Cancer Network,<br />
Population Services <strong>International</strong>, Family<br />
Life Association Swaziland, University<br />
Research Council, Swaziland Malaria<br />
Control Program and the Elizabeth Glaser<br />
Paediatric AIDS Foundation, will cover<br />
additional health issues including TB, heart<br />
disease, diabetes, breast cancer, malaria<br />
and eyesight problems.<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Above > Attending a market-based mobile clinic in Swaziland. Photo > Courtesy SWABCHA<br />
A Mobile Wellness Clinic will also be a part<br />
of these activities, providing on-the-spot<br />
diagnostic services such as HIV testing and<br />
counselling, palliative and rehabilitative<br />
advice, TB screening, and blood-glucose<br />
and cholesterol testing. Eye testing will also<br />
be offered with glasses provided free or at<br />
cost to those in need. <<br />
Mike Merritt is Business Development<br />
and Marketing Officer with Ekululameni<br />
Rehabilitation and Training Centre and<br />
Michelle Drabarek is the Marketing and<br />
Branding Officer with SWABCHA. As part of<br />
their assignments with AVI, they have<br />
collaborated to deliver the Manzini Market<br />
Women Health Project.<br />
For more information on the project visit<br />
www.swabcha.org.sz<br />
This is a position of the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong><br />
for <strong>International</strong> Development program<br />
(AVID). AVI is working in partnership with<br />
AusAID to deliver AVID.<br />
A healthy market place > Mike Merritt<br />
07
Finding a women’s place > Fran Noonan<br />
08<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Finding a women’s place<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Sustainable Livelihoods Coordinator Deb Salvagno and Mana Elsa<br />
De Oliveira, a member of the Lautem Women Cooperative - Coperativa Tais Kultura No<br />
Dezenvolvimentu (CTKDS) work together in Los Palos in Timor-Leste at CTKDS. They talk<br />
to AVI’s Fran Noonan about rural women working towards progressing their development<br />
in the region.<br />
Fran: What were the motivations behind<br />
starting up CTKDS?<br />
Deb: Before I started my volunteer<br />
assignment, there were three women’s groups<br />
whose common bond was the language they<br />
spoke (some women were also former<br />
resistance leaders), but they lived in isolated<br />
communities quite far from each other. Trying<br />
to work with disparate communities across<br />
borders is impossible, so we realised we had<br />
to have one centralised organisation that<br />
allowed the women to maintain the identity of<br />
their communities, while bringing them<br />
together as an organisation.<br />
Fran: What do you see as the reason for<br />
needing a women’s cooperative group?<br />
Mana Elsa: Our culture is communal in<br />
nature. People do things together and<br />
preserving our traditions is important to us,<br />
so a cooperative structure is more aligned<br />
with how we organise in our villages. For<br />
women in our communities, fi nding work to<br />
sustain their families is diffi cult, so we hope<br />
that CTKDS can help them in this way.<br />
We aim to empower women through the co-op<br />
so they can be involved in directing the<br />
development of their communities more<br />
broadly. Even women from rural areas who are<br />
illiterate have a legitimate place in the<br />
organisation. One of the unique things about<br />
CTKDS is that there are many illiterate women<br />
in the structure that have large responsibilities.<br />
This provides them with dignity and respect,<br />
and allows them to participate in their own<br />
processes of development.<br />
Fran: What would women be doing in the<br />
community without CTKDS?<br />
Deb: If you’re a young person in these<br />
communities and couldn’t weave you would<br />
most likely be child-rearing and your husband<br />
would be working in the garden. Sometimes<br />
you may also collect things from your<br />
families’ veggie plot. Many single young<br />
women are living in the villages without an<br />
education as it is very hard for women of this<br />
status to afford the $500 annual school fees.<br />
There is a high school in the region, but<br />
around 75 percent of women are illiterate.<br />
For the lucky few that are able to speak<br />
English, it is a massive advantage, but it<br />
usually means as ‘skilled people’ they will<br />
leave their villages. Opportunities that are<br />
created through CTKDS are important for<br />
keeping skilled people living locally.<br />
Mana Elsa: Looking after the family keeps<br />
women incredibly busy in rural areas<br />
especially as they have to tend their gardens,<br />
collect fi re wood and water along with<br />
looking after children. Sometimes when they<br />
become involved in CTKDS, their husbands<br />
pitch in and help them with their chores but<br />
other times they say things like ‘you can’t<br />
read why do you even bother getting involved<br />
in that organisation’. But CTKDS certainly<br />
offers these women a place and if we make<br />
this organisation a success, we will help<br />
reduce that kind of discrimination. CTKDS<br />
should feel proud that we can give these<br />
women a place and that the programs are<br />
relevant to their lives.<br />
Fran: How does CTKDS support women and<br />
sustainable livelihoods in the region<br />
surrounding Lospalos?<br />
Deb: The organisation acts as a foundation<br />
from which more sustainable livelihoods can<br />
be built. In the beginning there was a large<br />
focus on marketing handcrafts, such as Tais<br />
but as a result of this being export dependent<br />
and only bringing in small returns, the women<br />
decided to diversify their market, to improve<br />
the returns and gain additional profi ts to help<br />
pay for their children’s education. Agriculture<br />
and increased crop production were identifi ed<br />
by the women as an incredibly important way<br />
of improving their revenue; however not every<br />
single woman had an interest, the capacity, or<br />
access to land to participate in agriculture
projects - particularly widows. So we thought<br />
about different areas we could focus on to<br />
create more diversity, and what kind of<br />
mechanism would best suit the geographical<br />
location, the culture and the relationships<br />
between the three groups.<br />
Mana Elsa: Due to the diffi culties of living in<br />
rural areas, women have little opportunity, but<br />
if a women’s confi dence is improved by being<br />
involved in CTKDS, they won’t feel shame and<br />
are likely to push themselves to be more<br />
involved, which of course strengthens their<br />
sense of self-worth as women. This is a key<br />
element of sustainability as the women have<br />
a passion for learning and they must run their<br />
organisation independently if CTKDs is to last<br />
well into the future.<br />
Having an opportunity to work with Mana Deb<br />
has given me an insight into another nation<br />
and it’s attitudes towards women. This<br />
exposure has motivated me to think deeper<br />
about ways to make the organisation<br />
sustainable, because if we focus on only one<br />
area of work in one geographical location, it<br />
won’t be effective. Through a systematic<br />
approach, we have started to explore our own<br />
capacities, giving us a greater opportunity to<br />
participate and contribute to our own<br />
sustainable development.<br />
Fran: Do you think the Tais (weaving)<br />
products are important in sharing Timorese<br />
culture and identity?<br />
Deb: The Tais cloth is a traditional form of<br />
weaving created by the women of Timor-Leste,<br />
and an integral part of their culture and what<br />
women do within their communities. Having<br />
access to global markets is one way that can<br />
help generate more income, as without it the<br />
weaving enterprise wouldn’t necessarily be<br />
sustainable. Tourists are always happy to<br />
come and buy a product once they’ve<br />
connected with the creator as they can better<br />
appreciate the cultural value, and are willing<br />
to pay a bit more. So how we access different<br />
markets is something we are exploring.<br />
There’s always that danger of commodifying<br />
or over commercialising a culture, but I guess<br />
it’s up to communities themselves to make<br />
that decision.<br />
Mana Elsa: Absolutely. Tais demonstrate<br />
women’s capacities to visitors, and as a<br />
medium for development, weaving can inspire<br />
the public here in Timor-Leste to start thinking<br />
about who women are, about the role we play<br />
and about our importance in our society. We<br />
need to start examining the aspects of our<br />
culture that don’t advantage women and<br />
focus on the aspects that give women power<br />
such as tais weaving.<br />
Fran: How else does CTKDS benefi t the<br />
three communities?<br />
Deb: In addition to diversifying the agricultural<br />
market we’ve also started looking at other<br />
ways CTKDS can assist with positive<br />
development within the communities. To<br />
determine what the communities wanted we<br />
designed resources so that the women could<br />
do their own research and collect data from<br />
within each of their communities. After this we<br />
all sat down and analysed it together, and<br />
some of the main things that we looked at<br />
were: education levels, ages of kids, how often<br />
they are sick and what are the most prominent<br />
illnesses. In doing so we can establish<br />
programs to target these areas and help<br />
improve the situations in each community.<br />
Mana Elsa: Supporting women’s rights is<br />
fundamental to economic development. I<br />
have a deep interest in my land and my<br />
nation but the thing that motivated me to<br />
originally become a defender of the rights of<br />
rural women in Timor-Leste was because I<br />
heard many stories about the victimisation of<br />
women during the struggle for independence.<br />
I was not a luta nain (directly involved in the<br />
struggle) but I learnt much about the<br />
sacrifi ces they made during the resistance.<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Now, as an independent nation, many of the<br />
things we fought for have not been realised.<br />
This is why, for me, I’m prepared to sacrifi ce<br />
my personal interests to struggle together<br />
with rural women to realise our rights and to<br />
speak loudly about our dignity. This is a<br />
fundamental thing that the CTKDS has to do<br />
in order to help women in our communities;<br />
we have to help them fi nd the confi dence to<br />
create something that will last into the future.<br />
So many local projects have started and<br />
closed because of a range of issues,<br />
particularly access to new information and<br />
because we as Timorese women have never<br />
really been in roles of management and we<br />
have to learn how to do this.<br />
CTKDS is also lucky because we have support<br />
from <strong>Australian</strong> women. In my dreams, I’ve<br />
wanted to work with women who are<br />
interested in supporting rural women as I have<br />
skills but I can’t implement things without<br />
support. We’re fortunate that we have an<br />
opportunity with women from a developed<br />
country to come and share their ideas with us.<br />
Fran: Where do you see CTKDS heading in<br />
the future?<br />
Deb: As a result of the positive development<br />
outcomes from CTKDS, I would love to see the<br />
co-op be an absolute beacon for appropriate<br />
and sustainable development - not just in<br />
Timor, but other parts of the Pacifi c. Building<br />
more sustainable livelihoods will result in<br />
more vibrant and confi dent communities, and<br />
by empowering women’s groups in<br />
particularly, villages can fl ourish without the<br />
dependence on Western intervention.<br />
Mana Elsa: I would like to see CTKDS help<br />
more women all over the Lautem district<br />
become a strong organisation with women in<br />
positions of leadership to lead their<br />
communities. It’s not going to be easy and<br />
this is why I want to stand up with my sisters<br />
to help them become more independent.<br />
Secondly, I want us to seek ways that<br />
demonstrate our capacity and inspire women<br />
who haven’t joined us yet. I want to show<br />
them that together we can do things beyond<br />
our imagination. <<br />
The <strong>Australian</strong> organisation East Timor<br />
Women’s Association provides signifi cant<br />
support to CTKDS and Deb Salvagno’s<br />
volunteer assignment.<br />
This is a position of the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> for<br />
<strong>International</strong> Development program (AVID). AVI is<br />
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.<br />
Opposite > (r-l) <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Sustainable<br />
Livelihoods Coordinator Deb Salvagno weaving Tais<br />
with her friend and colleague Mana Elsa De Oliveira, a<br />
member of the Lautem Women Cooperative -<br />
Coperativa Tais Kultura No Dezenvolvimentu (CTKDS) in<br />
Los Palos, Timor-Leste.<br />
Above > Weaving beautiful Timorese handicrafts at<br />
the Coperativa Tais Kultura No Dezenvolvimentu<br />
(CTKDS) in Los Palos, Timor-Leste.<br />
Photos >Louise Cooper/AVI<br />
09
Tourism strengthening cultural identity > Elizabeth Brennan<br />
10<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Tourism strengthening<br />
cultural identity<br />
» The strong cultural traditions in all<br />
areas of PNG life provide an anthropological<br />
treasure trove and unique marketing<br />
opportunity for sustainable tourism options. In<br />
recent years however, some of the traditional<br />
ways of life have fallen by the wayside and<br />
community pride has been forgotten.<br />
After experiencing snapshots of traditional<br />
cultural practices at last year’s Warwagira and<br />
Mask Festival, a nine-day event showcasing<br />
masks, dancing and music from all over PNG,<br />
I saw an opportunity to use these events as a<br />
way of assisting the community in building up<br />
its cultural identity, increasing overall<br />
community participation and developing<br />
more sustainable livelihood options.<br />
Local group members also realised the<br />
importance of fostering the growth of events,<br />
not only as a tourist drawcard but also as an<br />
opportunity to cultivate their culture. Starting<br />
almost from scratch, the East New Britain<br />
Tourism Authority built a new committee of<br />
dynamic local individuals, calling forth<br />
members of the tourism industry to take part<br />
in creating a unifi ed public-private<br />
partnership to breathe life and passion back<br />
into the annual festivals.<br />
Industry members have long been promoting<br />
the festivals as a huge pinnacle on the<br />
tourism calendar, but they did welcome a<br />
more united and sustainable approach to<br />
management of the events. My role was to<br />
facilitate the process, maintaining momentum<br />
throughout, and upskill the local committee in<br />
event management, sponsorship and<br />
marketing.<br />
Instead of little businesses trying to move<br />
mountains on their own we worked together to<br />
build an industry which combined resources<br />
and shared thoughts on the local<br />
community’s vision for tourism in the<br />
province, and collaboratively set about<br />
achieving these goals. By keeping<br />
communication channels open and freefl<br />
owing, we were able to bring together<br />
provincial departments, local businesses and<br />
various community groups, raising<br />
PGK136,000 (AUD$57,500) in fundraising,<br />
and helping communities to realise the<br />
importance of putting on a spectacular<br />
cultural show.<br />
The event itself saw hundreds of musical<br />
enthusiasts fl ock to the Takubar Sports Field<br />
to enjoy the fun and frivolity of the opening<br />
While tourism is still considered a<br />
relatively fl edgling industry in Papua<br />
New Guinea (PNG), for the past 12<br />
months <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Project<br />
Coordinator, Elizabeth Brennan, has<br />
been working with the PNG Tourism<br />
Authority in Kokopo, East New Britain,<br />
to assist in the delivery of projects<br />
identifi ed by the Province’s Tourism<br />
Plan. Elizabeth explains how the<br />
island’s rich cultural practices and<br />
local customs are a source of<br />
unrealised potential for local<br />
communities to generate sustainable<br />
income in a way that does not affect<br />
the preservation of natural resources<br />
or cultural heritage.<br />
weekend of the Warwagira. Melodious tunes<br />
echoed through the streets as traditional<br />
string bands strummed soulful rhythms and<br />
in the evening the Baining Fire Dancers<br />
amazed tourists from around the world with<br />
colourful displays of traditional dance. For the<br />
remainder of the festival groups from all<br />
regions of PNG showcased their own unique<br />
costumes, cultures and traditions, while local<br />
businesses benefi ted from the swelled<br />
numbers of visitors.<br />
Aside from the fi nancial success and<br />
sustainability of the Warwagira and Mask<br />
Festival, the most rewarding outcome was<br />
having industry members, whom were not<br />
previously actively involved in the community,<br />
all come together and assist in the huge<br />
success of the event. The strong support<br />
shown from the performers, community,<br />
business networks and organisers alike, have<br />
proven the passion for maintaining and<br />
nourishing the culture and sustainable<br />
tourism opportunities within PNG.<br />
Being a volunteer can translate very<br />
differently depending on the context you are<br />
in, particularly if you are a woman operating<br />
in a patriarchal society. Purely because you
come from a different background, you will<br />
never fully understand the intricacies of an<br />
unfamiliar culture, of which there are many in<br />
PNG, and because of this, you may be seen<br />
as an outsider. I believe as is the case with<br />
many people working in these types of roles,<br />
it takes a very long time for the community<br />
to accept you and for you to earn their trust.<br />
This was a steep learning curve for me as<br />
trust is something I value quite highly, and<br />
give quite freely.<br />
Although I don’t pretend that I will ever fully<br />
comprehend the culture and custom of this<br />
land, through my patience and practiced<br />
intuition, I have earned trust not just within the<br />
tourism industry but also the wider community.<br />
The most profound experience I’ve had in my<br />
time in PNG, has been during my involvement<br />
with the Warwagira and Mask Festival.<br />
Opposite > <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Project Coordinator, Elizabeth<br />
Brennan with local elders and a mask from the highlands of PNG.<br />
Left > Sepik Cultural Group at the Warwagira Festival.<br />
Below Right > Getting decorated for the Warwagira Festival.<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Elizabeth Brennan with local Sepik woman.<br />
Below Bottom > An Osaro Mudman at the Warwagira Mask Festival.<br />
Photos > Courtesy Elizabeth Brennan<br />
“Melodious tunes echoed through the streets as traditional string<br />
bands strummed soulful rhythms and in the evening the Baining<br />
Fire Dancers amazed tourists from around the world with<br />
colourful displays of traditional dance.”<br />
Historically a man’s domain, having a young,<br />
white, female outsider come into the<br />
committee and facilitate the event revival,<br />
was a challenging undertaking. On the closing<br />
night of this year’s Warwagira and Mask<br />
Festival there was a meeting of the<br />
community elders, and being a man’s realm, I<br />
respected this was not something I should be<br />
attending. Whilst in the process of<br />
considerately departing, the most senior elder<br />
grabbed my arm giving me a shock, but<br />
nowhere near the shock I received after<br />
hearing his remark – ‘Eli, you are an honorary<br />
man. Stay.’ <<br />
This is a position of the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> for<br />
<strong>International</strong> Development program (AVID). AVI is<br />
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
11
Shaping island life<br />
12<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Shaping island life<br />
Kolombangara is a heavily forested, almost perfectly<br />
round volcanic island in the Western Province of the<br />
Solomon Islands. The untouched oasis welcomes tourists<br />
for adventurous treks and bird watching. For<br />
Kolombangara citizens, the island’s beauty is the key to<br />
improving their quality of life. Most recently former<br />
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Danny Phillip declared<br />
20,000 hectares of the region a conservation area, a<br />
step to protect the island from destructive activities that<br />
were impacting the livelihoods of rural communities.<br />
© 2011 Google<br />
» In December 2008 at a meeting of<br />
leaders, elders and chiefs of Kolombangara<br />
villages, communities and tribes, the<br />
Kolombangara Island Biodiversity<br />
Conservation Association (KIBCA) was<br />
formed. KIBCA now protects Kolombangara<br />
Islands’ rich marine and forest biodiversity<br />
and aims to educate, promote and encourage<br />
sustainable management of natural resources<br />
through viable economic and social ventures<br />
for communities.<br />
Five dedicated Kolombangara residents are<br />
volunteering full-time at the association until<br />
it becomes economically suffi cient. Here,<br />
three of the staff and partners of KIBCA refl ect<br />
on how <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Technical Advisor,<br />
Andrew Cox, has assisted them to achieve<br />
goals in their strategic plan for the island.
Mobilising the masses<br />
Ferguson Vaghi - Pioneer staff member/<br />
KIBCA Coordinator<br />
Andrew made a tremendous contribution to<br />
me, and to KIBCA, by teaching me how to<br />
deal with people. This will help me to perform<br />
my responsibilities and achieve what I am<br />
supposed to do for Kolombangarans. I<br />
already knew what we were supposed to be<br />
doing here, but I lacked the knowledge about<br />
how to go about it and how to mobilise. The<br />
way Andrew shaped me in approaching the<br />
government is a very big contribution for<br />
KIBCA and for myself. If ever I leave KIBCA to<br />
work with any other organisation this is a<br />
lifetime input for me.<br />
When I look over the last year’s work, I am<br />
surprised to learn that in a very short period<br />
of time we had achieved most of the<br />
organisation’s fi ve-year goals that we set late<br />
last year. Andrew has been responsible for<br />
helping me to do this. Thank you Andrew Cox<br />
for all your hard work. You have helped shape<br />
my life.<br />
A logistical lesson<br />
Tim Bula - Personnel Manager,<br />
Kolombangara Forest Products Limited<br />
(KFPL)<br />
Andrew’s presence has brought good<br />
things for KIBCA in three important areas:<br />
the administration, our partnerships and<br />
the promotion of KIBCA and the<br />
conservation area.<br />
When KIBCA started, we were all right behind<br />
getting things moving because we accepted<br />
that it was good for the island and the<br />
people, but we were doing this without giving<br />
due thought to what is good and bad, what is<br />
important and not important and where it’s<br />
best to spend money. The offi ce systems and<br />
the new administration and procedures that<br />
Andrew has helped put in place have paved<br />
the way for future people coming into KIBCA.<br />
Andrew has also helped foster a closer<br />
relationship with one of our key partners,<br />
Kolombangara Forest Products Limited<br />
(KFPL), by helping us improve the way<br />
meetings between KIBCA and KFPL are run.<br />
Now we understand each other much better,<br />
we see each other’s importance and we<br />
complement each other. Andrew’s coming has<br />
bridged the problems with the meetings and<br />
the relationship with KFPL has thus gone from<br />
strength to strength.<br />
Opposite Top > Ministers Gordon Darcy and Mofat<br />
Fugui are offi cially welcomed by Kolombangara girls.<br />
Western Province Deputy Premier, Pie Robert, in the<br />
background.<br />
Oppostie Below One of the Choiseul custom<br />
dancers.<br />
Top Left > (l-r) Andrew Cox, AVI Solomon Islands<br />
Country Manager, Jen Wiggins, and Ferguson Vaghi at<br />
Ringgi Cove - Kolombangara Island.<br />
Top Right > Simon Le Gassicke.<br />
Left > Mofat Faneri outside Patu Kolo Hut.<br />
Photos > Andrew Cox<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Planning, procedures and profile<br />
Simon Le Gassicke - Kolombangara Forest<br />
Products Limited (KFPL)<br />
The most signifi cant change since Andrew<br />
came is relating to KIBCA’s structure and<br />
planning. When we started there were lots of<br />
ideas and agreement of what to do, but no<br />
structure around which to work.<br />
Andrew listened to all the ideas and then put<br />
that into a plan, and then installed<br />
procedures that have enabled the master<br />
plan to be implemented and monitored. The<br />
structure and planning now enables members<br />
and others to understand the what, why, when<br />
and how of KIBCA. It is a fl edgling<br />
organisation but can now muster local and<br />
national government support.<br />
Even simple things like offi ce hours and the<br />
identity of the offi ce gave the profi le to KIBCA<br />
that it didn’t have before – invisible things<br />
that make a big difference to an organisation.<br />
Andrew was able to put in place his plans<br />
because of his willingness to take a<br />
supporting rather than a leading role. Most<br />
importantly, he has enjoyed being on<br />
Kolombangara. Language was not a barrier to<br />
his work, and his ability to enjoy things inside<br />
and outside of work meant he has been<br />
appreciated locally. <<br />
Read more about KIBCA at<br />
www.kolombangara.org<br />
This is a position of the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> for<br />
<strong>International</strong> Development program (AVID). AVI is<br />
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.<br />
13
Reversing realities UNRWA’s commitment to people with disabilities > Kirstin Lange<br />
14<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
Reversing realities<br />
UNRWA’s commitment to people with disabilities<br />
Around the world, people with disabilities are often marginalised in society and denied<br />
access to basic services; due to stigma, a lack of awareness, physical inaccessibility and<br />
other barriers. <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Disability Policy Adviser, Kirstin Lange, writes about<br />
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near<br />
East, and their efforts to reverse these realities and embed their work with people with<br />
disabilities as one of the agencies’ fi ve cross-cutting issues.<br />
» UNRWA has operated in Jordan, Syria,<br />
Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza for over 60<br />
years to provide essential services to<br />
Palestinian refugees, in the areas of health,<br />
education, social services, microfi nance and<br />
job creation. A recent agency review of its<br />
strategic delivery areas saw UNRWA<br />
strengthen their work with people with<br />
disabilities as one of its cross-cutting issues,<br />
placing greater focus and attention on its<br />
disability services and programs.<br />
UNRWA identifi ed the agency needed to build<br />
its own capacity to improve and develop its<br />
response and services to people with<br />
disabilities. AVI has worked with UNRWA to<br />
achieve this and has informed my work as an<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Disability Policy Adviser<br />
with UNRWA. Developing UNRWA’s fi rst<br />
Disability Policy and Strategy was a core<br />
objective of my role.<br />
The fi rst few months of this assignment were<br />
focused on gaining a better understanding of<br />
the situation in each of UNRWA’s Fields of<br />
Operation, which varies both in terms of<br />
UNRWA operations and the broader political<br />
context. This followed with the policy drafting<br />
process, which was carried out in<br />
consultation with local and international<br />
staff. My challenge was to ensure policy<br />
balanced the needs of the overall agency, its<br />
fi eld offi ces and various areas of service<br />
provision.<br />
In October 2010, it was rewarding to witness<br />
UNRWA adopt the Disability Policy by its<br />
senior management, which was the catalyst<br />
for the Agency to move forward in more<br />
practical ways to enhance service delivery to<br />
people with disabilities. It also was the<br />
impetus for my assignment objectives to move<br />
from a policy focus to identifying opportunities<br />
to support the implementation of practical “on<br />
the ground” initiatives.<br />
This has seen disability receive greater<br />
attention in agency biennium planning<br />
processes; promoted cooperation between<br />
departments to deliver rehabilitation services;<br />
provided a series of awareness raising<br />
activities on <strong>International</strong> Day of People with<br />
Disabilities; and inspired the development of<br />
project proposals related to the rights of<br />
people with disabilities.<br />
On completion of my assignment, UNRWA has<br />
made a real commitment to people with<br />
disabilities in Palestinian communities<br />
throughout the Middle East. They have taken<br />
those vital steps to improve services, increase<br />
participation and to promote rights of people<br />
with disabilities.<br />
The more visible this work by UNRWA, the<br />
greater the awareness of the issues facing<br />
people with disabilities and the more positive<br />
their role will be in communities. As steps are<br />
now underway to turn this commitment into<br />
action, AVI will continue to work in partnership<br />
with the Agency to make this movement a<br />
reality. <<br />
This is a position of the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> for<br />
<strong>International</strong> Development program (AVID). AVI is<br />
working in partnership with AusAID to deliver AVID.<br />
Top > UNRWA delivers disability services to<br />
Palestinian communities in Gaza.<br />
Photo > Courtesy UNRWA<br />
Above Right > <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Kirstin Lange.<br />
Photo > Courtesy Kirstin Lange
A local approach to<br />
food security challenges<br />
A groundbreaking guide, developed by long term AVI overseas partner Live and Learn<br />
Environmental Education (Live & Learn), is assisting Melanesian farmers respond to the<br />
current and long-term challenges of food security and climate change in the regions. AVI<br />
Marketing Manager, Christine Crosby, writes how long-term connections, local knowledge<br />
and strong partnerships have been at the heart of the initiative’s success.<br />
» Throughout the Pacific the level of<br />
climate change understanding at a national<br />
policy level is high, but the solutions to<br />
counteract the challenges posed by climate<br />
change are few.<br />
Live & Learn Solomon Islands, Papua New<br />
Guinea and Vanuatu responded to these<br />
challenges by mobilising a large scale food<br />
security program in 2011. An initiative that<br />
revitalised local knowledge and knowledge<br />
networks to enhance the use of climate<br />
resilient crop and innovative farm<br />
technologies. With the development of a<br />
leadership program for farmers throughout<br />
the region lead to the development of two<br />
guides: Farm Technology: Protecting food<br />
security through adaptation to climate<br />
change and the complementary Leadership<br />
Manual: Protecting food security through<br />
adaptation.<br />
For Live & Learn the positive response and<br />
uptake of the guide by Melanesian farmers<br />
and agricultural workers demonstrates an<br />
overwhelming desire for communities in the<br />
Pacific to have access to practical information<br />
that will protect food resources into the<br />
future.<br />
Above > An illustration by Lawrence Talo<br />
demonstrating processing of taumana from the Farm<br />
Technology guide.<br />
Photo > Courtesy Live & Learn<br />
According to Live & Learn Executive Director<br />
Christian Neilsen, the backbone to the<br />
success of the guide, which was funded by<br />
AusAID, has largely been due to the process<br />
undertaken to compile the document. The<br />
activity brought together information on a<br />
range of traditional and modern technologies<br />
including soil fertility, agro-forestry, cultivation<br />
and emergency gardens from individuals,<br />
organisations and industry networks that was<br />
relevant to the practices and issues facing<br />
Melanesian farmers.<br />
“It has been a process involving strong<br />
community engagement and tapping into<br />
local networks and knowledge, as the<br />
outcomes in the guide have been very action<br />
oriented, with on the ground solutions,” he<br />
said. “To achieve this we produced the guide<br />
using the “writeshop” approach, which was<br />
developed by the <strong>International</strong> Institute of<br />
Rural Reconstruction in Indonesia.”<br />
The workshops consisted of farmers, field<br />
workers and representatives from local<br />
organisations such as Kastom Garden from<br />
the Solomon Islands and Farm Support from<br />
Vanuatu.<br />
Workshop facilitator and former <strong>Australian</strong><br />
Volunteer Tony Jansen said the “writeshop”<br />
method supported an approach to<br />
information gathering that was responsive,<br />
relevant and owned by the people that<br />
would be using the manual.<br />
“As part of the “writeshop” approach the<br />
illustrators, resource people and editors were<br />
in the workshop and developed materials as<br />
they were discussed by participants.<br />
“The workshops were also a success because<br />
Live and Learn’s ability to work with and tap<br />
into local individuals, organisations and<br />
networks that have a strong understanding of<br />
current activities and issues.<br />
Sustainable Livelihoods<br />
“One reason why Live & Learn involved me in<br />
the process is I do have an understanding of<br />
the “writeshop” method and a long history of<br />
working with farmers in the Pacific. I also have<br />
worked with the Kastom Garden Association<br />
in several capacities, including as an<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer. From these experiences<br />
I have developed some strong connections<br />
with local organisations, networks and<br />
farmers, which supported the development of<br />
the guide.” <<br />
Visit www.livelearn.org/resources/<br />
farm-technology<br />
A local approach to food security challenges > Christine Crosby<br />
15
Learning from others – from Palestine to South Australia > Jane Macdonald<br />
16<br />
Learning from others – from<br />
Palestine to South Australia<br />
As Palestinians from Lebanon, Iman Masriel and Malak Fakhreddine had<br />
never dreamed of visiting Australia, let alone doing it as part of their work.<br />
Employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine<br />
Refugees (UNRWA) in the Near East, Iman and Malak help deliver education<br />
direct to a refugee population that cannot access most government services<br />
or professional employment open to the Lebanese population. In August<br />
2011, they travelled from the Middle East to a remote Aboriginal community,<br />
Pukatja (Ernabella) in South Australia with AVI Marketing Coordinator, Jane<br />
Macdonald, and Middle East Country Manager, Vicki Mau, where they stayed<br />
for four nights as part of a month-long professional development fellowship<br />
through <strong>Australian</strong> Palestinian Partnerships (APP). Jane writes about the<br />
outback experience.
» The purpose of the visit was to consult<br />
with Ernabella Anangu School staff and to<br />
share knowledge on teaching English as a<br />
second language, literacy support and<br />
engaging young people and disadvantaged<br />
communities in the education process. As<br />
well as the professional training and<br />
discussions at the school, the fellows had the<br />
opportunity to learn much more about<br />
Aboriginal Australia, and to share their own<br />
stories about Ramadan, Palestinian history<br />
and culture. School Principal, Lisa Salomon<br />
noted, there were important similarities<br />
between teaching in Ernabella and Beirut.<br />
“Children who are not thriving are not easily<br />
educated, we are each trying desperately to<br />
make a difference and education is a<br />
pathway to power and a sense of future.”<br />
Ernabella has been a permanent settlement<br />
since 1937 in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara<br />
Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in<br />
northwest South Australia and is home of<br />
more than 600 Anangu. Their culture and<br />
language is well preserved and the town is<br />
famous for having the oldest arts centre in<br />
Australia. The township includes a TAFE<br />
campus, a health clinic and an aged care<br />
clinic, each employing Agangu assistant staff.<br />
“Before, I only ever thought<br />
about the Palestinians and<br />
their conditions, but this<br />
experience has pushed me<br />
to get out of my community.<br />
There are other people<br />
suffering.”<br />
At the heart of the community is the vibrant<br />
and successful Ernabella Anangu School,<br />
providing not only education but pastoral<br />
support, hope and a safe space for kids to be<br />
kids.<br />
Malak and Iman were asked about their<br />
expectations and refl ections prior to, during<br />
and after their journeys.<br />
Malak Fakhreddine: “Prior to going to<br />
Australia I googled the school at Ernabella. I<br />
knew that the people were poor, that they<br />
didn’t speak English and that there were<br />
programs set up to help them, but I really<br />
wanted to hear how they overcame the<br />
diffi culties in teaching, especially for those<br />
who maybe don’t want to learn.”<br />
“Upon arriving in Ernabella, I was taken aback<br />
with what I saw. The situation was hard to<br />
comprehend and was very much beyond the<br />
frame of my expectations. Everyone needs to<br />
travel there to see it, and understand what is<br />
going on. The teachers are very hard workers<br />
and the students are very poor, but they are<br />
all doing their best. I’ve learnt that we, as<br />
Palestinians, have more chance than the<br />
people living here, and that we are very lucky.”<br />
<<br />
Iman Masriel: “Since returning to Lebanon,<br />
we’ve had plenty of time to absorb and process<br />
the experience, and despite the very small<br />
period of time we spent there, all day and each<br />
night, I was just thinking about the children. I’m<br />
still thinking about them even now.<br />
“We expected to fi nd at least similar<br />
situations to those in Palestine, but the<br />
situation at the Ernabella school is much<br />
more confronting than we thought. The<br />
students and the conditions they are living in<br />
are very diffi cult, this is especially hard for the<br />
teachers who come here as it is a challenge<br />
to keep up sustained learning under these<br />
circumstances – especially when they are<br />
teaching to different year levels at the same<br />
time.”<br />
Before, I only ever thought about the<br />
Palestinians and their conditions, but this<br />
experience has pushed me to get out of my<br />
community. There are other people suffering. I<br />
feel I need to put myself in their place to do<br />
much more to help the community.”<br />
The next step<br />
APP is currently undertaking an evaluation of<br />
the whole fellowship program, in the hope<br />
that the lessons learnt can inform future<br />
fellowships and initiatives. APP hopes to<br />
second a Department of Education and<br />
Children’s Services (DECS) staff member to<br />
Beirut for three months to support new<br />
initiatives through ongoing mentoring and<br />
training. In addition, AVI will continue to work<br />
with UNRWA to indentify areas where<br />
volunteers can contribute their technical<br />
expertise to ensure that Palestinian refugees<br />
in Lebanon have access to a strong,<br />
inclusive and dynamic education system<br />
through UNRWA. <<br />
About the experience<br />
The opportunity to visit Ernabella was<br />
initially driven by <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer<br />
Richard Steele, an English Language<br />
Adviser with UNRWA in Lebanon.<br />
Several organisations through their<br />
support behind it including APP for<br />
Health and Education, AVI, UNRWA -<br />
Lebanon, the Ernabella Anangu School<br />
and the Department of Education and<br />
Child Development in South Australia.<br />
Opposite > Iman and Malak on a journey of a lifetime,<br />
seen here walking in the beautiful Anangu Pitjantjatjara<br />
Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands).<br />
Above Left > Malak and Iman during a technical<br />
session with Sue Record, the District Literacy<br />
Coordinator at the Ernabella Anangu School.<br />
Above Right > Malak saying her farewells to<br />
Ernabella Anangu School Principle, Lisa Salomon.<br />
Left > Iman impressed with the preservation of<br />
Aboriginal cave paintings during a visit to Uluru.<br />
Photos > Jane Macdonald/AVI<br />
17
Children of the Rainbow Serpent: <strong>Australian</strong> Roadshow > Fran Noonan<br />
18<br />
Children of the<br />
Rainbow Serpent:<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Roadshow<br />
400 people attended the screenings of AVI’s<br />
documentary fi lm, Children of the Rainbow Serpent, in<br />
Tamworth, Adelaide, Narrandera and Echuca in June<br />
2011. The purpose of the 28 minute documentary was<br />
to grow awareness of a community-based, youth-led<br />
program in a ‘story-telling’ format that would resonate<br />
with Aboriginal communities. The documentary follows<br />
the journey of four young <strong>Australian</strong> Aboriginals as they<br />
participate in an AVI/Restless Development 10-week<br />
volunteer project in the Tamil Nadu region of India.<br />
» Screening the fi lm in each of the volunteer’s communities saw family, friends and<br />
members of local Aboriginal communities share in the professional and personal<br />
experiences of Kelli Bartlett, Lorelle Kennedy, Trent Turner and Michael Galluzzo. In<br />
Adelaide, the documentary was given high praise by the South <strong>Australian</strong> Minister for<br />
<strong>Volunteers</strong> and Aboriginal Affairs, The Hon Grace Portolesi MP, with the volunteers<br />
recognised for their positive contributions in advancing community-based, youth<br />
leadership programs.<br />
The documentary has since been used as a tool to garner support for the pilot of a<br />
similar program in an Aboriginal community here in Australia, drawing on the values and<br />
principles of the development program in India. With funding from the <strong>Australian</strong><br />
Community Foundation’s Social Justice Fund, planning is now underway to begin a pilot<br />
program in the community of Oodnadatta.<br />
The success of the initiatives to date is a result of the collaborative efforts of AVI’s work<br />
with Volunteering SA & NT and their Aboriginal Reference Group. This is an exciting<br />
opportunity, one which will provide young Aboriginal people with the chance to make a<br />
real difference in Aboriginal communities, and in their own lives as well. <<br />
“I’d always done reception and<br />
in class tutor jobs, but after<br />
India I went to work in Sydney<br />
at the <strong>Australian</strong> Bureau of<br />
Statistics. The confi dence and<br />
self esteem boost that<br />
happened really made me<br />
realise what skills I have. I<br />
don’t think I would be doing<br />
the job I’m doing in Sydney, I<br />
don’t think I would’ve had the<br />
confi dence if I hadn’t gone to<br />
India”.<br />
- Lorelle Kennedy<br />
Above > The cover of the Children of the Rainbow<br />
Serpent DVD.<br />
Left > The stars of the Children of the Rainbow<br />
Serpent, (l-r) Michael Galluzzo, Lorelle Kennedy, Kelli<br />
Bartlett and Trent Turner.<br />
Photo > Christina Jenkins
Engaging with Africa<br />
For the Afar people, a nomadic pastoralist community in Ethiopia, addressing issues of<br />
accessibility to child and maternal healthcare services is vital in reducing the high child<br />
mortality rates and improving maternal health outcomes. AVI’s Fran Noonan writes<br />
about how the Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES) is working with<br />
the Afar to achieve their maternal health vision.<br />
» Living in a mobile community brings<br />
with it many challenges, especially for<br />
women and children who are at greatest risk<br />
in childbirth. Living in remote areas and<br />
great distances from essential healthcare<br />
services means that almost all pregnant<br />
women are left without antenatal care, so if<br />
things go wrong, there are no clear pathways<br />
for referral.<br />
To support the plight of the Afar and other<br />
marginalised communities within Africa,<br />
AusAID has established AACES; consisting of<br />
10 accredited <strong>Australian</strong> NGO’s working in a<br />
range of partnerships to progress the areas<br />
of child and maternal health, water provision<br />
and sanitation, and food security.<br />
For the next five years AVI, Anglicord, and<br />
the Nossal Institute will use a strengthbased<br />
approach to work in partnership with<br />
the Afar Pastoralist Development Association<br />
(APDA) in Ethiopia, and the Mother’s Union<br />
of the Anglican Church (MUACK) in Kenya, to<br />
deliver Millennium Development Goal gains<br />
in child and maternal healthcare. The<br />
consortium will also engage with other<br />
agencies including national and local<br />
government, NGO and academic institutions.<br />
The initial focus of the partnership will<br />
concentrate on supporting the APDA with<br />
a needs analysis, research, capacity<br />
building, technical assistance and service<br />
delivery, and aims to increase community<br />
access to health services, improve conditions<br />
of daily living, and promote policy dialogue<br />
between stakeholders in a sustainable and<br />
positive manner.<br />
Introducing AVI’s AACES<br />
partners<br />
The Afar Pastoralist Development<br />
Association<br />
The Afar Pastoralist Development Association<br />
was founded by the inspirational <strong>Australian</strong><br />
nurse, Val Browning and her Afar husband<br />
Ismel Ali Gardo in 1994, and has worked<br />
tirelessly to improve literacy for the Afar,<br />
promote maternal and child health and tackle<br />
the growing problem of HIV and AIDS. APDA is<br />
the local partner organisation for the AACES<br />
project and is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.<br />
Above > Women of the Afar, Ethiopia.<br />
Photo > Jay Mahasweran/Anglicord<br />
Anglicord<br />
Anglicord is an overseas relief and<br />
development agency of the Anglican Church<br />
of Australia. Building on their long standing<br />
relationship with the AFPDA, Anglicord will<br />
work together with the AACES partners to<br />
train local health workers in basic maternal<br />
and child health services, to improve pre and<br />
post-natal care for women and children,<br />
increase access to water and sanitation, and<br />
provide better access to adequate nutrition.<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />
As part of this exciting project AVI will provide<br />
future technical assistance through skilled<br />
volunteer deployment in Ethiopia and Kenya,<br />
and locally take on a leading role in creating<br />
public awareness about the Afar people and<br />
the AACES project within Australia.<br />
Nossal Institute for Global Health<br />
The Nossal Institute for Global Health utilises<br />
the multi-disciplinary research and educational<br />
capabilities provided by the University of<br />
Melbourne to improve global health, through<br />
research, education, inclusive development<br />
practice, and training of future leaders. During<br />
the fi ve year AACES project the Nossal Institute<br />
will provide comprehensive research and<br />
documentation on the challenges and issues<br />
facing the nomadic pastoralist community. <<br />
Engaging with Africa > Fran Noonan<br />
19
A balancing act in Tuvalu > Rebekah Prole<br />
20<br />
A balancing act<br />
in Tuvalu<br />
As drought hampers Tuvalu and the government of this Pacifi c Island nation rebuilds,<br />
PACTAM deployees negotiate the balancing act of responding to the long and short<br />
term needs of the country’s fi nancial and legal institutions. AVI PACTAM Administrator,<br />
Rebekah Prole, reports on the fi ndings from the recent assignment evaluations from<br />
two PACTAM deployees working in Tuvalu.<br />
The state of the nation<br />
Home to over 10,500 people living on a<br />
physical land size of 26 square kilometres<br />
spread over nine coral atolls, Tuvalu is the<br />
fourth smallest country in the world.<br />
Based in the South Pacifi c, the Government<br />
of Tuvalu has worked closely with the<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> and New Zealand Governments to<br />
address the ongoing issues the country faces<br />
around high unemployment, governance,<br />
scarce resources and the environment.<br />
Since 2007 the Tuvaluan Government has<br />
accessed technical assistance through<br />
PACTAM to strengthen the countries’<br />
fi nancial, legal and governance processes.<br />
PACTAM is an AusAID initiative, managed by<br />
AVI. This mechanism provides technical<br />
assistance from Pacifi c governments and<br />
agencies by recruiting professionals from<br />
Australia and other countries for assignments<br />
that cannot be fi lled locally.<br />
About PACTAM<br />
The Pacifi c Technical Assistance<br />
Mechanism (PACTAM) is an <strong>Australian</strong><br />
Government, AusAID initiative<br />
managed by AVI. This program<br />
responds to emerging or urgent<br />
technical assistance needs of Pacifi c<br />
Island governments, statutory<br />
authorities and regional organisations.<br />
PACTAM program participants extend<br />
from specialist medical and surgical<br />
roles in Vanuatu to infrastructure<br />
advisers in Solomon Islands or<br />
biomedical engineers in Nauru.<br />
While current PACTAM deployees in Tuvalu are<br />
taking steps to implement long-term<br />
strategies in the fi nancial and legal sectors,<br />
they are currently facing a balancing act of<br />
addressing a number of short-term challenges<br />
facing Tuvalu. In December 2010, there was a<br />
vote of ‘no confi dence’ in the Tuvaluan<br />
government; this resulted in the election of a<br />
new government on 24 December 2010. This<br />
change brought a three to six month standstill<br />
on all Acts passed through the government.<br />
Following this the Tuvaluan Government<br />
declared a state of emergency in the nation<br />
on 28 September 2011 due to the impact of<br />
the drought. Tuvaluans were limited to two<br />
buckets of water per day and communicable<br />
diseases have risen. <strong>International</strong> response to<br />
the crisis include the <strong>Australian</strong>, New Zealand<br />
and United States militaries delivering a<br />
desalination plant to Tuvalu, which is capable<br />
of turning 50,000 litres of sea water into<br />
clean drinking water.<br />
“... a high for me has<br />
been the assistance in<br />
decision-making<br />
surrounding the<br />
strategic goals and<br />
directions of the Tuvalu<br />
Audit Offi ce, and then<br />
witnessing the results of<br />
the decisions.”
Monitoring effectiveness<br />
To monitor the effectiveness of PACTAM<br />
assignments all deployees participate in an<br />
annual Assignment Evaluation Group meeting.<br />
The development partners, AusAID<br />
representatives and AVI project staff attend the<br />
meeting, which provides an opportunity for<br />
deployees to report on their work. This includes<br />
discussions on their achievements, risks,<br />
challenges, capacity building, the sustainability<br />
of their role and how their work is responding<br />
to the strategic goals of PACTAM, the <strong>Australian</strong><br />
aid program and the Tuvalu Government.<br />
The current PACTAM deployees in Tuvalu<br />
provide targeted technical assistance in key<br />
central economic and legal institutions, and<br />
these assignments support the strategic<br />
areas of good governance and<br />
macroeconomic growth.<br />
The evaluation meeting identifi ed the areas<br />
deployees were signifi cantly contributing to<br />
the long term needs and changes of the<br />
Tuvaluan Government.<br />
Opposite > Daniel Gorman, Legal Advisor and staff<br />
member in Offi ce of the Attorney-General.<br />
Above > (l-r) Eli Lopati (Deputy AG), Feiloiga Tausaga,<br />
Asau Leauma, Isaako Kine (AG), Tony Prcevich, Selai<br />
Managreve, Toligi Paueli, Mase Tumua in their new<br />
uniforms purchased under PACTAM Procurement<br />
Fund<br />
Photos > Rebekah Prole/AVI<br />
Improving financial accountability<br />
Name: Tony Prcevich<br />
Position: Technical Adviser to the Tuvalu<br />
Auditor General<br />
Employer: Attorney General’s Offi ce<br />
Location: Tuvalu<br />
As Technical Adviser to the Tuvalu Auditor<br />
General, PACTAM deployee Tony Prcevich has<br />
assisted the Tuvaluan Government to identify<br />
the areas that require improvement to ensure<br />
Tuvalu’s fi nancial accountability. This includes<br />
implementing a more effective auditing<br />
process which is compliant with <strong>International</strong><br />
Auditing Standards and the development of<br />
an online fi ling system.<br />
While changes are underway, Tony<br />
acknowledges that he and his local<br />
colleagues have faced a range of delays and<br />
unexpected obstacles as a result of the<br />
state of emergency and new government.<br />
Despite this, Tony has been inspired by the<br />
staff in the Auditor-General’s department,<br />
through their input into training on complex<br />
topics and their assistance in the<br />
development of audit templates.<br />
Within his review Tony acknowledged, “... a<br />
high for me has been the assistance in<br />
decision making surrounding the strategic<br />
goals and directions of the Tuvalu Audit<br />
Offi ce, and then witnessing the results of<br />
the decisions.”<br />
Strengthening legal systems<br />
Name: Daniel Gorman<br />
Position: Legal Adviser<br />
Employer: Attorney General’s Offi ce<br />
Location: Tuvalu<br />
Daniel Gorman has been in Tuvalu for four<br />
years as Legal Adviser to the Attorney-<br />
General. His role involves advising the<br />
Attorney-General on all matters of legal<br />
importance, drafting legislation for Parliament<br />
and, under the supervision of the Attorney-<br />
General, prosecuting serious criminal cases<br />
and representing the Government in civil<br />
proceedings.<br />
According to Daniel “one of the most<br />
professionally satisfying aspects of my time<br />
in Tuvalu has been to observe and play a<br />
role in the development of a legal sector in<br />
the local economy.”<br />
In late 2007, there was only three Tuvaluan<br />
lawyer’s practising in law, all within the Offi ce<br />
of the Attorney-General. Although Tuvalu had a<br />
number of law graduates, many had chosen to<br />
pursue careers outside of the law. In 2011,<br />
there are now nine practising Tuvaluan lawyers.<br />
Four of the nine practising lawyers, including<br />
the Attorney-General, are female lawyers. <<br />
21
Learning in action in Nauru > Sharon Humphries<br />
22<br />
Learning in<br />
action in Nauru<br />
In August 2011 AVI Learning and Development trainer, Sharon Humphries, delivered a<br />
four-day fi rst aid workshop to Republic of Nauru Hospital community workers and<br />
medical staff as part of the Pacifi c Technical Assistance Mechanism (PACTAM). Sharon<br />
writes about her experience of working alongside PACTAM Health Educator deployee<br />
Min Lene and Nauru Nurse Educator Vania Scotty and witnessing capacity<br />
development in action.<br />
Monday, 1 August<br />
I arrive in Nauru at 4am after fl ying all night.<br />
Everyone on the fl ight knew each other. This<br />
surprised me. I was asked immediately upon<br />
boarding “Who are you? What are you doing<br />
in Nauru?”<br />
After a great sleep that morning in the hotel,<br />
Min picks me up and we drive to her offi ce at<br />
the Republic of Nauru Hospital (RON). I ask<br />
as we are driving through the gate “who is<br />
RON” and she laughs at me. I soon realise<br />
my mistake. It [the hospital] looks run down<br />
and a tree has just collapsed that morning,<br />
falling on the fence and a car with a woman<br />
in it. Min informs me that the woman is OK<br />
but her car is written off and the engineering<br />
men are fi xing the fence and the tree.<br />
Min and I tie up any loose ends around the<br />
workshop. I leave thinking this will be like any<br />
other workshop I have delivered in Australia.<br />
Tuesday, 2 August<br />
I arrive to deliver the Level Two First Aid<br />
training to the community workers at 8.30am.<br />
It is a two-day program for 20 participants.<br />
There has been a huge response to the<br />
training and Min has had to turn people away.<br />
That is until it’s 9.30 and only 11 people are<br />
there. They spend the next 10 minutes madly<br />
ringing up colleagues and seeing if they want<br />
to participate. There’s nothing I can do but<br />
wait. We fi nally get underway at 10am. Six<br />
more participants drift in over the next half<br />
hour. A media group come in and take photos<br />
while I am trying to get everyone’s attention<br />
and want to interview participants. I keep<br />
taking deep breaths. My approach to training<br />
involves punctuality and focus. We do get<br />
through the day and wrap up at 4pm. I explain<br />
how important it is to have everyone here on<br />
time the following morning otherwise they will<br />
miss parts and possibly not pass their<br />
assessment.<br />
I am concerned that not all of the participants<br />
will be able to train fi rst aid and Vania and I<br />
have a discussion about allowing them to<br />
decide if they want to just receive certifi cation<br />
or whether they want to train and set up<br />
another assessment for those people.<br />
Wednesday, 3 August<br />
The shower doesn’t work properly this morning<br />
and there is no hot water. None of the electrical<br />
appliances work. No cup of tea this morning!<br />
I get to the training at 8.30am, dubious that<br />
anyone will be there but I arrive to fi nd all of<br />
the participants waiting for me. I start on time.<br />
Halfway through the morning the power cuts<br />
out so I have no projector, powerpoint or<br />
cooling. We swelter through the day as we<br />
complete the fi rst aid information. To<br />
compensate for the loss of access to<br />
electronic learning material I work hard doing<br />
lots of actions and writing on the board.<br />
They all complete their assessments with fl ying<br />
colours – a surprise to me again considering<br />
the power outages, disruptions, occasional<br />
language issues and that this was the fi rst<br />
time they were taught fi rst aid. Some of the<br />
quiet participants do incredibly well. The group<br />
present me with a gift of a Nauru t-shirt and<br />
phosphorous necklace. I am genuinely<br />
touched. They are very pleased to have passed<br />
and to receive their certifi cate. We take a<br />
group photo and as I stand there relieved the<br />
two days were successful I realise I have sweat<br />
dripping everywhere. I am exhausted, hot and<br />
tired but very happy and proud.
Thursday, 4 August<br />
Back into the training room at the hotel at<br />
8.30am for the nurses and doctor’s CPR<br />
training. We start both sessions of the day<br />
late but they are responsive to the new CPR<br />
processes and all practise. Some are<br />
defi nitely better than others and they do all<br />
need to be encouraged to have a go. There<br />
are lots of questions and the education team<br />
and I are surprised at their responsiveness.<br />
Friday, 5 August<br />
I have a day off and I enjoy relaxing at Min’s<br />
house. Min drives me to the hospital and it’s<br />
the fi rst time I get to see around the hospital. I<br />
meet some of the doctors and nurses on the<br />
wards so it’s great to say hello and see them<br />
in action. I also start to get a greater<br />
understanding of the issues they face on a<br />
daily basis and conditions they are working in.<br />
While the hospital is clean, I see they face a<br />
range of challenges with the minimal facilities<br />
and resources available to them. There is a lot<br />
of equipment and medications, but they tell<br />
me there has been little training and few<br />
protocols put in place in regards to use.<br />
Saturday 6 August<br />
Min and I head off to the training in the<br />
education room at the hospital. Both sessions<br />
of the day start 15 minutes late but I have<br />
discovered that is very good for Nauru. All of<br />
the doctors and nurses turn up, which is<br />
excellent. I go through the presentation about<br />
advanced life support and explain the new<br />
guidelines in place from 2010. They have a<br />
practise of CPR again and move through the<br />
drug station and the airway station. We get<br />
the anaesthetists involved in running the<br />
airway station and that works well as the<br />
doctors and nurses practise assisting skills.<br />
There is a real positivity about the new<br />
guidelines and great teamwork during the<br />
pretend code. The head falls off the<br />
mannequin and everyone dissolves into<br />
laughter. We discuss the importance of the<br />
automatic external defi brillator to the patient<br />
and the code team (AED).<br />
Then the phone rings and there is a woman<br />
unconscious at emergency and she is not<br />
breathing. The doctors rush off and Vania also<br />
attends the emergency. I talk to the four<br />
nurses left behind encouraging them to<br />
participate during a code. I then pace the<br />
room until the staff return 20 minutes later.<br />
They ran the code just like they had practised<br />
minutes before. They worked like a team and<br />
it was successful. They are excited to tell me<br />
it is the fi rst successful code blue they have<br />
had for fi ve years.<br />
Vania delivered seven defi brillations (in AED<br />
mode) while coordinating CPR and performing<br />
CPR herself. She coordinated the<br />
administration of drugs after the doctors put<br />
in a drip and placed a tube down the lady’s<br />
throat to connect her to the AED.<br />
Having dinner with Min that night, we couldn’t<br />
help being amazed at how the training had all<br />
worked out and the success of the code blue.<br />
The protocols, equipment and methods of<br />
working in a team were completely new to the<br />
hospital’s medical staff and they<br />
demonstrated competence in all components;<br />
administering drugs, CPR, defi brillation and<br />
management.<br />
Sunday, 7 August<br />
Min heads into the hospital to see how our<br />
patient has gone overnight and she returns<br />
home to report the patient died in the early<br />
hours of the morning after another attempt at<br />
CPR. Despite this, the doctors on duty were<br />
able to provide a report on how effective the<br />
resuscitation team was and how during the<br />
process they were able to use the AED.<br />
Monday, 8 August<br />
I am up at 4am to catch a plane back home.<br />
On the fl ight I think about what I have learnt<br />
about me, Nauru and the RON staff. I felt<br />
proud to see the knowledge and skills that I<br />
had passed on to the doctors and nurses<br />
over the past week, being put into immediate<br />
action at the Nauru Hospital. I was impressed<br />
by the basic nursing and assessment skills<br />
the hospital staff demonstrated and their<br />
willingness to increase their competency and<br />
knowledge. One of the greatest rewards was<br />
to see how the opportunity to participate in<br />
training has increased confi dence in<br />
themselves and teamwork.<br />
I also think about how effective PACTAM has<br />
been in providing access to human resources<br />
like Min throughout the Pacifi c and providing<br />
professional development opportunities such<br />
as the fi rst aid training.<br />
It’s been a rewarding experience for me and<br />
small step towards building the capacity of<br />
Nauru’s health sector. <<br />
Opposite > AVI Learning and Development trainer<br />
Sharon Humphries with Republic of Nauru Hospital<br />
doctors, participants in the First Aid training.<br />
Left > Republic of Nauru Hospital community<br />
development workers participated in First Aid training<br />
delivered by AVI Learning and Development trainer,<br />
Sharon Humphries and funded by PACTAM.<br />
Top > AVI Learning and Development trainer and<br />
Republic of Nauru Hospital Health Educator Sharon<br />
Humphries Vania Scotty doing CPR as part of the<br />
PACTAM-funded First Aid training in Nauru.<br />
Photos > Courtesy Sharon Humphries<br />
23
ANZ’s global perspective > Michelle Chea<br />
24<br />
ANZ’s global perspective<br />
In January 2012, ANZ’s fi rst international volunteering staff will commence international<br />
volunteering assignments as part of ANZ’s Super Regional <strong>Volunteers</strong> program, an<br />
initiative of the AVI/ANZ partnership. Here the volunteers, with AVI’s and ANZ’s CEO talk<br />
about the program and the expectations of the up and coming assignments.<br />
A volunteer’s perspective<br />
Caroline Novak - ANZ Divisional<br />
Human Resources Consultant<br />
Volunteer position: Human Resources,<br />
Solomon Islands Development Trust,<br />
Solomon Islands<br />
Why did you apply for the position?<br />
I wanted to apply my professional skills<br />
outside of work and I was interested in<br />
living and working in a completely different<br />
culture.<br />
Whilst ANZ offers a volunteer day, I thought<br />
this would be an opportunity to make a<br />
signifi cant difference in a partner<br />
organisation.<br />
What are your hopes or expectations for the<br />
volunteer placement?<br />
I expect that I will learn new skills about<br />
adapting to different work environments and<br />
working in a different culture. In return, I hope<br />
that I am able to provide the Solomon Island<br />
Development Trust with some key HR tools<br />
and tips which they will be able to use and<br />
build on as they grow and develop.<br />
What will this mean for your career<br />
development?<br />
I believe this secondment will provide me with<br />
a fantastic opportunity to use my HR skills in<br />
an organisation where there is limited<br />
exposure to HR processes and policies. On my<br />
return, I believe that the understanding I will<br />
have developed from the culture and<br />
environment in the Solomon Islands will be<br />
benefi cial for my career and ANZ’s continued<br />
focus on the Asia Pacifi c region.<br />
Michelle Webb - ANZ Senior<br />
Marketing Manager - Small<br />
Business<br />
Volunteer position: Communications and<br />
Marketing Adviser,<br />
Pekerti, Indonesia.<br />
Why did you apply for the position?<br />
The secondment will help to provide me with<br />
an insight into the differences of operating in<br />
business in another culture. ANZ has a super<br />
regional focus and will continue to grow<br />
across Asia. This placement in Indonesia<br />
provides the opportunity to trial working in<br />
one of these countries and will help<br />
determine if an overseas placement in the<br />
longer term is right for me. I previously worked<br />
at World Vision prior to coming to ANZ and<br />
still have passion for supporting local<br />
communities. Working to help develop a<br />
marketing plan to increase sales of fair trade<br />
products seemed like a fantastic opportunity<br />
to leverage my not-for-profi t skills.<br />
What are your hopes or expectations for the<br />
volunteer placement?<br />
I hope to immerse myself in the Indonesian<br />
culture and a gain a deeper appreciation of<br />
the challenges and opportunities that Pekerti<br />
face in achieving their goals and eat some<br />
great food!<br />
What will this mean for your career<br />
development?<br />
This opportunity will help broaden my<br />
marketing skills, particularly marketing to a<br />
different culture and at home it will also<br />
benefi t my work in Australia. As ANZ continue<br />
to align and work more closely with other ANZ<br />
offi ces across Asia, this will help provide me<br />
with a deeper understanding of how the<br />
different operating models and markets work.<br />
Casey Morecroft - ANZ Senior<br />
Relationship Manager -<br />
<strong>International</strong> Agribusiness<br />
Volunteer position: Financial Services<br />
Adviser, PIPSO, Suva, Fiji<br />
Why did you apply for the position?<br />
Working in a developing country in a role that<br />
is heavily involved in the local community is<br />
one which I am incredibly excited about as it<br />
will allow me to apply my skill set in a<br />
completely different environment. Working in a<br />
skilled volunteering capacity is also a great<br />
opportunity to gain exposure working in an<br />
organisation with different goals and<br />
perspectives, which I felt would broaden my<br />
experience and allow me to see the fi nance<br />
industry from a different perspective.<br />
What are your hopes or expectations for the<br />
volunteer placement?<br />
This will provide me with an extremely<br />
challenging yet highly rewarding experience<br />
that will push me outside of my comfort zone.<br />
I look forward to working with and learning<br />
from a range of different people from various<br />
cultures and backgrounds and across multiple<br />
organisations, and believe it will provide a<br />
valuable and memorable experience. Most<br />
importantly, I hope that my placement will be<br />
benefi cial for the local team in Suva, and that<br />
I will be able to share some of my knowledge<br />
and experience that will make a difference<br />
and contribute to PIPSO achieving its goals.<br />
What will this mean for your career<br />
development?<br />
I believe that this role will be incredibly<br />
valuable in allowing me to fast-track my<br />
leadership skills, and provide an opportunity<br />
to develop a more in-depth understanding of
the markets in which ANZ operate in.<br />
Working in an environment that is more<br />
isolated and less resourced will challenge<br />
me to adapt and have greater fl exibility in<br />
how I collaborate with others and problemsolve<br />
to achieve the goals and outcomes of<br />
the placement. I also believe that working<br />
with the local communities in Fiji will be<br />
incredibly humbling, and will allow me to<br />
gain an understanding of cultural differences<br />
and how to better manage teams and<br />
develop a ‘wide angle’ lens. Whilst the<br />
volunteer placement will be very different<br />
from any of my previous roles, I believe<br />
many of the skills and experiences over my<br />
time in Fiji will be able to be applied upon<br />
my return to ANZ and will be benefi cial for<br />
my career development going forward.<br />
For more information on the overseas partners visit<br />
www.pekerti.com, www.pipso.org and www.voisblongmere.org.sb<br />
“For ANZ to realise the full potential of our super regional<br />
strategy, we need our leaders to have well-rounded experiences<br />
and capabilities, an international mindset and a capacity to see<br />
more of our world and to create real value for our stakeholders.”<br />
Dimity Fifer<br />
AVI CEO<br />
AVI have made considerable efforts towards<br />
expanding linkages with non-traditional areas<br />
of community development and encouraging<br />
all elements of society to become citizens of<br />
the world. Working in partnership with ANZ, AVI<br />
has been able to facilitate targeted<br />
community engagement opportunities,<br />
allowing ANZ staff to invest in the Asia Pacifi c<br />
region through volunteering. This year marks a<br />
signifi cant achievement for the ANZ-AVI<br />
partnership, as it builds up to place its fi rst<br />
three volunteers through the Super Regional<br />
<strong>Volunteers</strong> initiative. AVI wishes each of the<br />
volunteers well on their journies.<br />
Mike Smith<br />
ANZ CEO<br />
ANZ has a strong tradition of supporting our<br />
communities through volunteering. It is a<br />
powerful way for us to connect with our<br />
communities, understand the issues and<br />
causes important to them, and be able to<br />
make a difference.<br />
For ANZ to realise the full potential of our<br />
super regional strategy, we need our leaders<br />
to have well-rounded experiences and<br />
capabilities, an international mindset and a<br />
capacity to see more of our world and create<br />
real value for our stakeholders.<br />
With this in mind, ANZ have offered three<br />
international skilled volunteering<br />
secondments working with AVI and their<br />
established partner organisations - the<br />
Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT),<br />
Pekerti Nusantara PT and the Pacifi c Islands<br />
Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO). Through<br />
these secondments ANZ seek to support<br />
socio economic development while further<br />
developing our staff’s super regional mindset,<br />
leadership capabilities and a wide angle lens<br />
of the world.<br />
In 2012 the fi rst of our Super Regional<br />
<strong>Volunteers</strong>, Caroline Novak, Casey Morecroft<br />
and Michelle Webb will travel to the<br />
Solomon Islands, Indonesia and Fiji<br />
respectively, and spend three months<br />
applying their professional skills in a way<br />
that contributes to thriving communities. We<br />
support this signifi cant undertaking and<br />
wish each volunteer well in their prospective<br />
endeavours.<br />
I hope the Super Regional Volunteer pilot<br />
program marks the beginning of many<br />
mutually benefi cial partnerships, which will<br />
allow other ANZ staff to take part in this<br />
valuable learning opportunity in the future. <<br />
Left > (l-r) ANZ Super Regional <strong>Volunteers</strong> Casey<br />
Morecroft, Michelle Webb and Caroline Novak, attend<br />
an AVI pre-departure briefi ng in Melbourne.<br />
Photo > Michelle Cheah /AVI<br />
25
Learning by doing > Fran Noonan<br />
26<br />
Learning<br />
by doing<br />
A collaborative effort<br />
Since 2008, AVI’s collaboration with Macquarie University and the Participation and<br />
Community Engagement (PACE) <strong>International</strong> initiative, has allowed Macquarie students<br />
the opportunity to broaden their academic and personal horizons, through international<br />
placements with partner organisations around the globe. AVI’s Fran Noonan writes<br />
about the latest achievements of the program.<br />
» Initially a pilot program with 40<br />
students contributing to six short-term<br />
international development projects, PACE<br />
<strong>International</strong> has since grown considerably.<br />
This year it boasts 85 students taking part in<br />
community development projects in Peru, the<br />
Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam<br />
and India. Overall, 205 students have now<br />
successfully participated in PACE<br />
<strong>International</strong> to date.<br />
Since the conclusion of the pilot phase<br />
earlier in the year, AVI and Macquarie<br />
University have signed another agreement,<br />
endorsing an additional three-year<br />
partnership. Complementing existing<br />
operations, AVI will also work with Macquarie<br />
University to provide strategic advice to<br />
further develop and embed PACE<br />
<strong>International</strong> across other sections of the<br />
university, allowing opportunities for more<br />
students and staff to engage with community<br />
development projects.<br />
A learning experience in Peru<br />
In 2011 students from Macquarie University<br />
spent fi ve weeks at Peru’s Challenge, a<br />
Peruvian based NGO in Cusco, working with<br />
local counterparts to develop resources and<br />
strategies for rural Indigenous communities to<br />
manage and address livelihood issues.<br />
Students worked alongside community<br />
members on a school and community<br />
construction project; delivered school lessons<br />
in art, English, sport, dance and music;<br />
contributed to community health initiatives<br />
and promoted healthy hygiene practices to<br />
school children; and assisted local social<br />
workers in undertaking home visits to improve<br />
general household well-being.<br />
Erin Smith<br />
Macquarie University Student<br />
Above > Farryn Gaddin assisting Quilla Huata students with their English classes.<br />
Below Left > PACE participants making adobe bricks in Quilla Huata, Peru.<br />
Below Right > PACE participants assisting the children learning healthy hygiene practises.<br />
Photos > Courtesy PACE <strong>International</strong><br />
“I cannot put into words how phenomenal and<br />
life-changing this experience has been. It feels<br />
like we have gained so much more from this<br />
experience than we could ever give back.<br />
Working with the community; with the<br />
mothers, fathers, teachers and students has<br />
been so humbling, and has taught me more<br />
about humility than I can express. On our<br />
farewell, we could see the impact that we had<br />
made on the community; from the kids with<br />
shining faces and smiles, to the women of the<br />
village who as a result have a place to make a<br />
sustainable income. It was just amazing.”<br />
Jane Gavel<br />
Founder of Peru’s Challenge<br />
“The appropriateness of PACE participants<br />
refl ects the collaborative work of PACE<br />
stakeholders – Macquarie University, AVI and<br />
partner organisations – in defi ning what<br />
makes an effective participant. The students<br />
came well prepared and are extremely<br />
motivated. They complete work that would<br />
otherwise cost us a lot of time and money and<br />
enable us to keep our commitments to local<br />
communities. In the past 12 months 90<br />
percent of projects achieved their project<br />
objectives and partner organisations reported<br />
a high level of satisfaction with student<br />
contributions.”
Book Review<br />
By Helen Dwan<br />
Sufficient for the Day:<br />
Towards a Sustainable Culture by Geoff Lacey<br />
Dr Geoff Lacey’s recently published book, Suffi cient for the Day: Towards a Sustainable<br />
Culture explores possible causes and responses to current environmental issues such<br />
as global warming.<br />
Lacey was a member of the founding committee of the Overseas Service Bureau (which<br />
later became <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong>) and was also involved in establishing<br />
credit unions and grassroots educational projects in Chittagong, Bangladesh in a<br />
volunteering capacity. It was here that he observed the importance of local self-reliance<br />
and sustainability, which he believes goes hand-in-hand with equity and ecological<br />
sustainability.<br />
He explains how the sustainable agricultural practices of the home gardens in lowland<br />
Mexico, subsistence farming in Ethiopia and the Nayakrishi Andolon (New Farming<br />
Movement) in Bangladesh are highly productive and produce nutritious foods which are<br />
protective of biodiversity and environmentally sustainable. Within the book he also gives<br />
examples of Victorian initiatives like the Friends of CERES urban farm in Brunswick,<br />
Victoria, and the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group.<br />
Lacey also analyses the historical and the current day relationship between technology<br />
and nature, and the shifting attitudes towards the interconnectedness of the two.<br />
You can purchase Suffi cient for the Day: Towards a Sustainable Culture by mail to the Yarra Institute,<br />
PO Box 505 Box Hill VIC 3128, or ordered via admin@yarrainstitute.org.au.<br />
(RRP $20) add $5 for postage and handling. Published by Yarra Institute Press www.yarrainstitute.org.au<br />
Making people<br />
internationally effective<br />
Access 60 years of <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong><br />
<strong>International</strong> briefi ng, cultural and re-entry<br />
training expertise through AVI Worldwide.<br />
AVI Worldwide training and briefi ng programs<br />
provide professionals and organisations<br />
working overseas with:<br />
> Improved cross-cultural understandings<br />
> Detailed socio-political insights<br />
> Strategies to improve business outcomes<br />
> Perspectives on life as an expat<br />
AVI Worldwide services maximise the potential<br />
of professionals and their families living and<br />
working overseas.<br />
Contact the AVI Worldwide team for more<br />
information:<br />
Phone: 1800 331 292<br />
Email: worldwide@australianvolunteers.com<br />
www.aviworldwide.com<br />
Book Review ‘ Suffi cient for the Day’ > Helen Dwan<br />
27
Celebrating 60 years of international volunteering > Elmarie Pareezer<br />
28<br />
Celebrating 60 years of<br />
international volunteering<br />
From June 2011 to June 2012 AVI is celebrating 60 years of international volunteering<br />
through a range of events and activities around the world. Hundreds of AVI volunteers,<br />
overseas partners and supporters from Sydney to South Africa have joined us in<br />
acknowledging the work of the communities we work with and the volunteers that work<br />
alongside them. Check out the stories from our global celebrations:<br />
Queensland – 19 May<br />
At the stunning location of Government<br />
House in Brisbane on 19 May, 150<br />
Queenslanders celebrated with AVI at the<br />
Queensland University of Technology, with<br />
speeches from three generations of legal<br />
volunteers; Hon Michal Kirby, Hon Cameron<br />
Dick MP and Lyma Nguyen.<br />
Above > The Hon Michael Kirby (centre) with the Hon<br />
Prof Michael Lavarch (centre left) and QUT Law<br />
Faculty colleague with special guest Nigerian lawyers.<br />
Photo > Sam Boardman<br />
Victoria – 15 June<br />
On 15 June, over 250 friends of AVI returned<br />
to the birthplace of Australia’s international<br />
volunteer movement, the University of<br />
Melbourne. On the evening we were<br />
entertained with a talk by Jemma Purdey, the<br />
author of the Herb Feith biography From<br />
Vienna to Yogyakarta: The life of Herb Feith.<br />
Returned Volunteer Roger Pryor talked about<br />
lessons learned in cross-cultural<br />
communication while in Samoa in the 1970s,<br />
and Tamara Jolly confessed that chocolate<br />
cake had been the catalyst for a memorable<br />
time in Malawi, and continues to impact her<br />
life back in Australia.<br />
Above > (l-r) AVI CEO Dimity Fifer, Tamara Jolley,<br />
Jemma Purdey, Roger Prior and AVI Board member<br />
Jenny McGregor. Photo > Bree Manly/AVI<br />
City to Surf (Sydney) – 14 August<br />
Returned volunteers and AVI staff competed<br />
under the team name, ‘The Herb Feith All<br />
Stars’ in Sydney’s City2Surf on Sunday 14<br />
August. Leading the team was AVI Board<br />
Member and wheelchair athlete, Kurt Fearnley,<br />
who won the elite wheelchair athlete event,<br />
which was being staged in the City2Surf for<br />
the fi rst time in 38 minutes and three<br />
seconds. Kurt joined team mates and<br />
returned volunteers after the race to<br />
commemorate AVI’s 60th.<br />
Above > AVI executive Bruce Campbell (centre)<br />
addresses race participants and RVs.<br />
Photo > Elmarie Pareezer/AVI<br />
Kiribati – 17 August<br />
On 17 August, at the <strong>Australian</strong> High<br />
Commissioner’s residence, Kiribati’s<br />
President Tong was our very special guest,<br />
along with AVI’s development partners in<br />
Kiribati, AusAID and DFAT representatives,<br />
AVI staff and of course the wonderful<br />
volunteers from AVI and other international<br />
volunteer sending organisations.<br />
Above > President Tong (centre) with <strong>Australian</strong><br />
and Japanese <strong>Volunteers</strong>.<br />
Photo > Barbara Buckles/AVI<br />
Northern Territory – 4 September<br />
The Arafura Sea was the spectacular backdrop<br />
of the NT celebrations on Sunday 4<br />
September. Returned volunteer (RV) Tim Stats<br />
refl ected on his volunteer journey as a Branch<br />
Rehabilitation Architect in Timor-Leste and RV<br />
George Butler shared tales from his role as<br />
Communications Advisor in PNG.<br />
Above > Tim Stats (left) and AVI executive Dave Jones.<br />
Photo > Elmarie Pareezer/AVI<br />
Cambodia – 7-8 September<br />
AVI Country Manager - Cambodia, Eleanor<br />
Loudon presented at The Cambodian Forum<br />
on Volunteering, jointly supported by UNV and<br />
AVI in which 300 people attended, including<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> ambassador and representatives<br />
from AusAID, the United Nations, government,<br />
international and local NGOs, local and<br />
international volunteers, academics and<br />
Khmer University students. Eleanor presented<br />
on AVI’s 60 year history and 27 years in<br />
Cambodia, what it was like then and what we<br />
are doing now.<br />
Tour-de-Timor – 11-16 September<br />
AVI returned volunteer Tim Stats, Melbournebased<br />
Property Developer Michael Laing and<br />
two <strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Medical Service<br />
Offi cers, David Natoli and Julie Souness,<br />
currently working on AVI assignments in Timor,<br />
competed in this gruelling 607km six-day<br />
cycling event from 11 to 16 September. The<br />
group competed under then name, ‘The Herb<br />
Feith All Stars’ as a cycling tribute to 60 years<br />
of AVI and the pioneering journey of AVI’s fi rst<br />
volunteer, Herb Feith. The team also raised<br />
funds for the AVI / ETWA Los Palos<br />
Sustainability Centre Project (where <strong>Australian</strong><br />
Volunteer Deb Salvagno is working).
Above > The Herb Feith All Stars with President Jose<br />
Ramos Horta (centre).<br />
Photo > Courtesy Tim Stats<br />
Fiji – 14 October<br />
The Acting <strong>Australian</strong> High Commissioner,<br />
Judith Robinson was guest speaker at Fiji’s<br />
celebration on 14 October. <strong>Australian</strong><br />
Volunteer Occupational Therapist Aleisha<br />
Carroll shared her experiences after a two<br />
year assignment in Fiji. Guests comprised of<br />
AusAID representatives, host organisations,<br />
AVI staff and volunteers from AVI and other<br />
international volunteer sending organisations.<br />
Above > AVI Staff with <strong>Australian</strong> Acting High<br />
Commissioner, Judith Robinson (second from left).<br />
Photo > Barbara Buckles/AVI<br />
Western Australia – 24 October<br />
Sailing boats provided a picturesque<br />
backdrop at the celebration in Perth on 24<br />
October. The audience consisted of returned<br />
volunteers, WA politicians, Commonwealth<br />
People’s Forum participants and AVI<br />
supporters. Hon Richard Marles MP and Hon<br />
Julie Bishop MP delivered keynote addresses<br />
alongside RV Peter Creighton and fi ve times<br />
returned volunteers, Sylvia and John Griffi ths.<br />
Above > (l-r) AVI CEO Dimity Fifer, Hon Julie Bishop<br />
MP and AVI Board member Greg Thompson.<br />
Photo > Jane Macdonald/AVI<br />
Africa – 14 November<br />
Southern Africa program staff, volunteers and<br />
partner partner organisations celebrated celebrated the the 1000 1000<br />
<strong>Australian</strong>s that have volunteered volunteered across across 15<br />
African countries in nearly fi ve decades on 26<br />
October. Along with AVI volunteers from<br />
Lesotho, Namiba, Swaziland, Botswana and<br />
South Africa, guests included AusAID<br />
representatives and the partner organisations<br />
from Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa.<br />
Below centre > Former AVI Chair Bob Meyenn (left),<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> Pamela Whitman and Andrew<br />
Lim and AVI’s Karla Wesley (centre right).<br />
Photo > Justice Kalebe/AVI<br />
New South Wales – 14 November<br />
The RVs at the Sydney celebration on 14<br />
November spanned the 60 year history of AVI.<br />
Supporter and <strong>Australian</strong> Partner<br />
Organisations, including Macquarie University<br />
and ANZ Bank also attended. The Hon Tanya<br />
Plibersek MP delivered the keynote address<br />
with speeches from AVI CEO Dimity Fifer, RV<br />
and former AVI Chair of the Board, Prof Bob<br />
Meyenn and RV Ruth Bearpark. <<br />
Dates to Remember > 2012<br />
6 January<br />
> Viet Nam 60 year celebrations<br />
AVI Viet Nam celebrate international<br />
volunteering with local partners<br />
21 January – 13 February<br />
> AVI Volunteer Recruitment Drive<br />
More details at<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com<br />
AVI Information session roadshow<br />
Talk to AVI staff and returned volunteers.<br />
Check the AVI website for more details<br />
31 January<br />
> Adelaide Information Session<br />
2 February<br />
> Canberra Information Session<br />
4 February<br />
> Sydney (weekend) Information Session<br />
6 February<br />
> Sydney (weekday) Information Session<br />
Check the AVI website to rsvp and for<br />
more details<br />
7 February<br />
> Melbourne Information Session<br />
> Brisbane Information Session<br />
8 February<br />
> Gold Coast Information Session<br />
9 February<br />
> Hobart Information Session<br />
10 February<br />
> Hobart 60 year celebration<br />
Keep your eye on AVI’s website for more<br />
details or email<br />
events@australianvolunteers.com<br />
11-26 February<br />
> Sustainable Living Festival Melbourne<br />
Come and visit our stall.<br />
More details: http://festival.slf.org.au/<br />
21 February<br />
> Canberra 60 year celebration<br />
Keep your eye on AVI’s website for more<br />
details or email<br />
events@australianvolunteers.com<br />
Above > The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP and AVI CEO<br />
Dimity Fifer. Photo > Elmarie Pareezer/AVI<br />
March - date TBC<br />
> Adelaide 60 year celebration<br />
Keep your eye on AVI’s website for more<br />
details or email<br />
events@australianvolunteers.com<br />
14 April – 14 May<br />
> AVI Volunteer Recruitment Drive<br />
More details at<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com<br />
14 – 20 May<br />
> National Volunteer Week<br />
A national volunteer celebration. More<br />
details at www.volunteeringaustralia.org<br />
12 – 27 May<br />
> Human Rights Arts and Film<br />
Festival - Melbourne<br />
AVI will continue to support this amazing<br />
festival. Also running in Sydney, Alice<br />
Springs, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Perth and<br />
Canberra. Visit www.hraff.org.au<br />
for more information<br />
Please note: These dates are correct at the<br />
time of printing and may be subject to change.<br />
Dates to Remember > 2012<br />
29
Empower communities to lead their own development<br />
30<br />
Support Our Work<br />
Empower communities to lead<br />
their own development<br />
…donate to <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />
By donating to <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong>, you support an organisation that<br />
puts people at the centre of development. Our approach is to listen to communities<br />
and respond to their initiatives, and then identify the resources and knowledge<br />
needed to make their development goals a reality. It’s such an effective way for<br />
people to create a livelihood for themselves and their households; we know this<br />
through research and from our 60 years experience in international development.<br />
One example of this people oriented approach is our work with the Cooperative for Tais, Culture and Sustainable Development (Cooperativa Tais,<br />
Kultura, Desenvolvimento Sustenavel, CTKDS) in Timor-Leste. You can read the full story on page eight of how Timorese women in remote villages are<br />
working together to rebuild their livelihoods - with the support of AVI and volunteers like Deb Salvagno – so they can lead their own development and<br />
determine a brighter future for themselves.<br />
It’s a wonderful example of empowerment, and how through mentoring and guidance a community and economy can fl ourish. Our partnership with<br />
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<br />
and strengthen the work of our partners overseas.<br />
Empower a community today by supporting the work of <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong>. Together we can ensure everyone has access to the<br />
resources they need, the opportunities to achieve their potential and the right to make decisions about the kind of development they want to<br />
participate in.<br />
Please give generously today and support the amazing work of our volunteers.<br />
To donate to AVI’s maternal health appeal, visit<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com/support or call 1800 331 292.<br />
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.<br />
Thank you for your support.<br />
Above > Otelia Da Consesat (right) is one of the talented women in the<br />
Cooperativa Tais Kultura Dezenvolvimento Sustantavel group, seen here weaving.<br />
Photo > Louise Cooper/AVI<br />
“I would like to see CTKDS help more<br />
women all over the Lautem district<br />
and become a strong organisation<br />
with women in positions of<br />
leadership to lead their communities.”<br />
- Mana Elsa, CTKDS
» Photo gallery<br />
Want to share your photos? Send six highresolution<br />
images and short captions to<br />
mystory@australianvolunteers.com<br />
Since 1996 over 66 AVI volunteers have worked with refugee and displaced communities as part of its Middle East program. On<br />
<strong>International</strong> Volunteer Day 2011, AVI celebrated the opening of its office in Amman, Jordan at the <strong>Australian</strong> Embassy. Below are<br />
some of the faces and places of AVI’s Middle East program.<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer English Language Adviser Rick Steele<br />
(left) and UNRWA Education Team’s School Supervisor Said<br />
Teriyaki, show off the new English Language textbooks the<br />
team developed for Palestinian refugee schools in Lebanon.<br />
Photo > Alec Simpson<br />
Current AVI Middle East Country Manager Vicki Mau with AVI<br />
Liaison Offi cer and Jordan River Foundation staff member,<br />
Tariq Al Shawarbeh and his daughter. Photo > Alec Simpson<br />
Support the work of AVI...<br />
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.<br />
I would like to make a single gift of $_________<br />
OR<br />
I would like to make a regular gift to AVI by pledging a<br />
monthly gift of $_________<br />
(Pledge program donors give a monthly donation of $25 or more that is<br />
debited from their credit card on the 20th of each month until<br />
notifi cation is received in writing to change or terminate their pledge).<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> Hamish Dunsford and Jihan Mirza with<br />
their Arabic Language Teacher Saleh (centre), Amman, Jordan.<br />
Learning Arabic is an essential part of any placement in the<br />
Middle East. Photo > Alec Simpson<br />
Recently appointed AVI Middle East Country Manager<br />
Cassandra Mathie with Sister Antoinette Assaf from Sisters of<br />
the Good Shepherd in Beirut, Lebanon.<br />
Photo > Alec Simpson<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> Craig Bohm moved to Aqaba, Jordan, with<br />
his family and is working with the Marine Park Management Team.<br />
Here, Craig works with two of the park rangers to clear fi shing<br />
lines. Photo > Alec Simpson<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Volunteer Ruth Campbell worked as a Physiotherapist at<br />
the Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization in<br />
Bourj-el-Barajneh Palestinian Refugee Camp from 2001-2003.<br />
Photo > Courtesy Ruth Campbell<br />
Please fi nd my cheque / money order made payable to:<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />
Please debit my credit card:<br />
Amex MasterCard Visa<br />
Card no. ______ /______ /______ /_____ Expiry ___ /___<br />
Name ________________________________________________<br />
Address _______________________________________________ OR OR<br />
Signature _______________________ Date ___ /___ /___<br />
________________________________ Postcode __________ donate online at www.australianvolunteers.com/support<br />
AH Phone _________________ BH Phone ________________<br />
or over the phone on tollfree 1800 331 292 (within Australia) or<br />
+61 3 9279 1788<br />
Mobile ___________________<br />
Email _______________________________________________<br />
Please send me more information on:<br />
Becoming an AVI volunteer Leaving a bequest in my will to AVI<br />
AV Magazine December 2011 Appeal (613) Post or fax form to AVI Melbourne offi ce. Details on back page.<br />
Photo gallery – AVI’s Middle East Program<br />
31
Are you aged between 18 to 80 years?<br />
> Do you have skills, qualifi cations or experience to share?<br />
> Do you want to make a difference around the world?<br />
Volunteering overseas is a life changing and rewarding experience. <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong> (AVI) has 60 years<br />
experience sending skilled <strong>Australian</strong>s to work with developing communities in Asia, the Pacifi c, Africa and the Middle East.<br />
<strong>Volunteers</strong> receive airfares, accommodation, a living allowance, insurance, ongoing support and more!<br />
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<br />
about assignments and information on volunteering overseas.<br />
tollfree 1800 331 292 www.australianvolunteers.com<br />
The <strong>Australian</strong> Government is working in partnership to send volunteers overseas<br />
through the <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> for <strong>International</strong> Development program.<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Volunteers</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />
71 Argyle Street (PO Box 350) Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065, Australia ABN 88 004 613 067<br />
Volunteering overseas:<br />
the best thing you’ll ever do!<br />
AVI WOULD LIKE TO GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR AUSTRALIAN SUPPORTERS:<br />
ACE Insurance, AFAP, Anglicord, ANZ, Asialink, AusAID, Austcare, <strong>Australian</strong> Business <strong>Volunteers</strong>, ACIAR, <strong>Australian</strong> Development Gateway, <strong>Australian</strong> Doctors <strong>International</strong>,<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> Disability and Development Consortium, <strong>Australian</strong> Federal Police, <strong>Australian</strong> Football League, <strong>Australian</strong> Sports Commission, Baptist World Aid Australia, Blake<br />
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<br />
Port Phillip, Coffey <strong>International</strong>, Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Commonwealth Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts,<br />
Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Community Housing Ltd,<br />
Corporate Traveller, Darebin City Council, Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW), Department of Premier and Cabinet (VIC), Department of Victorian<br />
Communities, Department of Employment, Education and Training (VIC), Department of Planning and Community Development (VIC), Dubsat, East Timor Women Australia,<br />
Engineers Without Borders, Ernst & Young, Freehills Lawyers, Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation, Global Poverty Project (GPP), Good Shepherd, Hume City Council,<br />
Indigenous Business Australia, Insurance Australia Group, Interact Australia, Interchange Outer East, <strong>International</strong> Women’s Development Agency, Intrepid Travel, Jardine Lloyd<br />
Thompson, Kiwanis, Leichhardt Council, Live and Learn Environmental Education, Loreto Vietnam-Australia Program, Macquarie University, Maddocks Lawyers, Mansfi eld Shire<br />
Council, Marketing Printing, Marie Stopes <strong>International</strong>, Minter Ellison Lawyers, Mitchell Communications Group, Monash University, Moreland City Council, Mornington Peninsula<br />
Shire Council, Motivation Australia, Occupational Services Australia, Offi ce of Indigenous Policy and Coordination, Order of Malta, Oxfam, Planning Institute Australia, Planet<br />
Wheeler Foundation, ProjectAID, Reconciliation Australia, RMIT, Rotary Club of Doncaster, Ryder Cheshire Australia, Same Agricultural Services, Scope, Sexual Health and Family<br />
Planning Australia, Sisters of Mercy, Stonnington City Council, Students Partnership Worldwide, Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning, Tendersearch, The Spastic Centre of NSW,<br />
The Travel Doctor – TMVC, Transparency <strong>International</strong>, Trinh Foundation Australia, United Nations <strong>Volunteers</strong>, University of Sydney, Victorian Local Governance Association,<br />
Victorian Police Department, Westpac, Youth Challenge Australia, Zoos Victoria, 3Fish.<br />
tollfree 1800 331 292<br />
www.australianvolunteers.com<br />
Tel +61 3 9279 1788 Fax +61 3 9419 4280 Email info@australianvolunteers.com Print post approved PP350190/0006<br />
Photo > Louise Cooper / AVI