annual report 08-09 - Public Interest Advocacy Centre

eleased; PIAC is required to complete its
transition to the new package by early 2010.
Each year, in January and June, PIAC
distributes a calendar of public training
courses.
Work the System & Effective
Advocacy Skills and Strategies
PIAC’s advocacy training aims to assist
individuals and communities with the
knowledge and skills to be effective
advocates. This reflects PIAC’s aim
of enhancing the responsiveness
and representativeness of Australian
democracy.
Training is also one way that PIAC can
facilitate closer relationships with the
community sector, from which the majority
of PIAC training participants come.
Support for PIAC training was strong
throughout the year.
Work the System public courses were
presented twice during the year with a
total of 45 participants. Effective Advocacy
Skills and Strategies public courses were
held three times during the year, with
61 participants. Both courses increased
numbers from the previous year.
The Work the System and Effective Advocacy
Skills and Strategies course materials for
participants were reviewed, updated and
reprinted early in 2009.
PIAC is grateful to the Learning and
Development unit of Legal Aid NSW for
making their training room available for
PIAC training.
Advanced Media Skills
Throughout the year, PIAC continued
to offer Advanced Media Skills Training
conducted by experienced journalists
Lynette Simons and Don Palmer. This
course covers radio and television interview
skills and writing media releases. It
continues to be a very successful program,
with four courses training 37 participants
(including some PIAC staff members)
during the year.
The course has also been presented inhouse
for the following organisations:
• The Wilderness Society
• Positive Life NSW
• Northern Rivers Community Legal
Centre
• Fairfield City Council (two courses)
• Macarthur Diversity Services
Customised training
PIAC customises its training for particular
organisations, groups and networks. PIAC
increased both the number of courses and
the number of training days compared to
the previous year.
During the year, PIAC delivered 22 in-house
training courses, including media skills
courses, over 27 days. These courses were
delivered to the following organisations:
• Parramatta Migrant Resource Centre
• The Cancer Council of NSW Consumer
Advocacy Training (four courses)
• Newcastle and Hunter Homelessness
Interagency Network Conference
• Amnesty International
• STARTTS
• Combined Koori Regional Home and
Community Care Network
• Street Care (Homeless Persons’ Legal
Service)
• Cancer Council South Australia
Consumer Advocacy Training
• Fairfield City Council
• Ethnic childcare
• Deafness Forum Australia
• Vision Australia
• The Wilderness Society
• Positive Life NSW
• Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre
• Fairfield City Council
• Macarthur Diversity Services
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PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCACY CENTRE • ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009