July 2008 | Issue 7
the Humanitarian
a fork in the road
feeding the world’s most vulnerable
fine dining
behind bars
getting ready
for disaster
P2 the Humanitarian
the inside
editorial
Discussion about a world food crisis has escalated
dramatically recently, and with good reason. Food-related
demonstrations have been reported across the globe,
with low food stocks and high food and oil prices fuelling
the problem.
These are global concerns that have local ramifications.
In this issue of the Humanitarian, award-winning journalist
Alan Attwood explores why it’s increasingly difficult to feed
the world’s most vulnerable people in Australia and abroad.
Some suggest that Australia is well insulated against
hunger: that our relative wealth and natural resources
protect us from food availability or accessibility issues.
Unfortunately, and surprisingly for some Australians, this is patently inaccurate
for many of our most vulnerable people. Research shows that in some
disadvantaged areas of Australia as many as 30 to 40 per cent of households
experience ‘food insecurity’: enduring times when they have no food or money
to buy food. At its worst, this lack of access to food can lead to malnutrition.
As you’ll discover in this issue, we work with schools and communities to set
up and run Good Start Breakfast Clubs across the country, delivering nutrition
education and serving nutritious breakfasts to children who might otherwise go
without. And there are other ways to support people to improve the way they
shop, cook, eat, plan, budget and exercise through FOODcents, as revealed
in our article about cooking with women in Kalgoorlie’s prison.
Around the country, we are developing broader nutrition strategies, helping
communities build community gardens, assisting communities to work creatively
to find solutions and working with key industry and organisation partners.
Together, we can make the changes required for people to improve their
wellbeing, reduce their vulnerabilities and live longer, healthier lives.
Red Cross members, volunteers and staff working with communities can
really help make a difference.
Robert Tickner
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Red Cross
6a fork in
the road
8
fine dining
behind bars
Make a donation
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12
getting ready
for disaster
July 2008 P3
banned
cluster bombs
Laotian children living in areas heavily affected by cluster munitions play act during an education session about staying safe. Photo: ICRC/J Holmes
The world is one
step closer to being
free of cluster
bombs, writes
Rebecca Dodd.
Courageous survivors of cluster bomb
explosions travelled from around the world
to Dublin in May to witness the writing
of an historic international humanitarian
law treaty that bans the use of these
inaccurate and unreliable weapons.
Setting the tone for the landmark
conference, Laotian representatives spoke
of the deadly risk they still take simply to
cultivate their fields, herd cows or send
their children to school.
During the Vietnam War at least 250
million cluster bombs were dropped on
Laos, littering almost a third of the country
with unexploded munitions. The story
is one of many. Since World War Two,
innocent civilians in 21 countries have
had to live with unexploded ‘bomblets’.
Dropped from a plane, a holding
container opens mid-air and scatters up
to 600 sub-munitions over a wide area.
When cluster munitions are dropped
over populated areas, they can cause
immediate devastation to civilians.
Worse, history shows that large numbers
of bomblets fail to explode on impact as
intended. Areas are then infested with
unexploded bomblets many years after
the fighting is over, posing lethal obstacles
to communities reconstructing their lives
and struggling to recover from the effects
of conflict.
Since 2000, the International Committee
of the Red Cross has called for a ban
on inaccurate and unreliable cluster
munitions. In many countries, including
Australia, Red Cross has called on
governments to address this issue and
honour their obligations to minimise the
impact of these weapons on civilians,
as they must under international
humanitarian law.
Representatives of 110 countries attended
the Dublin conference, the culmination of
years of lobbying for an end to the use
of these weapons. Australian Red Cross
was there to participate in the process.
At the end of two weeks of intensive
debate, a treaty was agreed that will put
an immediate stop to the use of these
weapons as well as their production,
development, stockpiling or transfer.
Importantly, the treaty includes the
strongest-ever agreed provision to assist
survivors, victims and their families –
ensuring that areas are cleared as quickly
as possible and that they get assistance
to rebuild their lives.
The job is far from done. We now have
the words on paper, but the next steps
will be for states to agree and sign up.
The treaty will be open for signature
on 2 and 3 December 2008 in Oslo.
Red Cross will encourage governments
to honour the spirit of the Dublin
conference to live up to their obligations
under international humanitarian law.
Rebecca Dodd is international humanitarian law
manager, Australian Red Cross.
P4 the Humanitarian
news in brief national
From little things
big things grow
Harvesting the best ideas from the brightest
minds in Australia was the mission of the
2020 Summit, held in Canberra in April.
John Richardson, strategic development
consultant for Red Cross, was among
the ideologues.
We asked John about the experience:
Which section of the Summit did you
attend? Australia’s security and prosperity
in a future changing world.
What was the ‘vibe’ of the Summit?
Extraordinary, it was overwhelmingly
positive, one of those life defining
moments. The energy was also amazing,
as people just kept going, through the
dinner, through drinks and Sunday morning
at breakfast. There were many agendas
being pushed and the people I was with
were inspiring; from the Masters student at
ANU with a new idea for diplomacy to the
aid worker who kept gender equality in the
agenda when it kept slipping off. To see
their excitement at the end when their big
ideas were read out was just terrific.
What was your big idea? I tried to
articulate that the challenges we face –
climate change, pandemics and terrorism
– require a new way of thinking about how
we manage disasters as a nation and
region. Particularly a strategic approach
is required to how we prepare individuals,
households and businesses – locally,
regionally, state and national.
What does the Summit mean
for Red Cross? I think the focus
on vulnerable people was very strong,
it was clear that as a wealthy country
we shouldn’t be leaving people behind.
There was a strong commitment
to improving – be it food, security,
homelessness, or indigenous Australians.
There was also a strong rights focus and
a stronger commitment to the rights of
people in our region and further afield.
John Richardson
Celebrating our Red Cross people
In Australia, the Red Cross family is 60,000
people strong. This simple graphic shows just
how strong our member and volunteer support
is and therefore, how effective we can be in
reaching the most vulnerable people in our
communities. We would like to acknowledge
the tremendous contribution our members
and volunteers make and celebrate these very
special Red Cross people.
Justice David Harper
Red Cross people
Volunteers
28,000
Excellence and school breakfast
Members
30,000
Staff
2,000
A South Australian school that brings its children together for breakfast recently
won a federal government award for quality schooling.
Solomontown Primary School, in the smelter town of Port Pirie, was the only
country South Australia school to receive the 2008 Commonwealth award
for excellence in school improvement in the highly commended category.
Principal Jenne Chegwidden says their school’s success is due to a unique
combination of kids, teachers and volunteers with a common focus on school
and community wellbeing. A number of creative and flexible strategies are used
at the school to support students, including Red Cross Good Start Breakfast Club.
Breakfast Club was set up three years ago in Port Pirie. Jenne describes it as
a valuable social experience in a bright, friendly environment where children can
meet and talk with other children and adults.
‘There’s less conflict in the yard and classrooms, which means more focus on
learning.’ Breakfast Club serves 60 students three times a week and reaches
into the community.
Order of Australia for law reform champion
Justice David Harper AM, Chairperson of the Red Cross International Humanitarian
Law Advisory Committee in Victoria, was recently made a member of the Order
of Australia.
He was recognised for service to the community through support services for the
care and resettlement of offenders and their families. The honour also recognises
his service to law reform, the judiciary and for raising awareness of international
humanitarian law.
In his eight years of work with Red Cross, Justice Harper and the International
Humanitarian Law Advisory Committee have used their connections and legal
knowledge to creatively educate people around the country in this important
area of law.
One of the most popular strategies developed by the committee was a mock
trial held at the Supreme Court, where Blue Heelers actor John Wood played
a defendant accused of opening fire on civilians in a refugee camp. The trial
was a gripping demonstration that highlighted the judicial processes of the
International Criminal Court.
July 2008 P5
international news in brief
Cyclone strikes at core
in Myanmar (Burma)
China quake hits
most vulnerable
Labutta, Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar, after Cyclone Nargis. Photo: International Federation
Tropical cyclone Nargis hit the coast of Myanmar on 2 May 2008 and devastated large
parts of the low-lying Irrawaddy delta. Winds exceeding 190 kilometres per hour ripped
through Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, for more than ten hours.
Homes were flattened, sturdy structures damaged, trees uprooted and power lines
downed. In rural parts of the country up to 95 per cent of homes were wiped out.
With 78,000 people dead, and 2.4 million more affected, the challenges faced during
the relief and recovery phase are huge. Enormous efforts by the local Myanmar Red
Cross and its team of volunteers means the relief supply pipeline continues
to operate in difficult circumstances.
Seven Australian aid workers have travelled to Myanmar since the cyclone, playing
crucial roles in coordinating the relief and recovery effort.
Thousands of Myanmar Red Cross volunteers, many of them personally affected by
the cyclone, worked tirelessly to reach people after the disaster. They have distributed
goods to more than 250,000 cyclone survivors in some of the worst hit areas.
Thein Tun Aung is a volunteer at Red Cross headquarters in Yangon. ‘I am still worried
about many of my friends living in the affected area,’ he said in May. ‘I am eager to
work here and want to contribute to help our people.’
Ethiopia threatened by famine and failed rains
More than four million Ethiopians are on the brink of famine, after seasonal rains
and crops have consistently failed over the past ten months. The Ethiopian government
estimates only a third of food needs can be covered.
A combination of recurrent drought, poverty, minimal assets and high food prices make
it difficult for families to access provisions from an already weakened market. Famine can
cause many deaths, force people to sell their tools and abandon their homes, heading
for cities in search of better lives, which often creates further vulnerabilities.
Families do not recover quickly from food crises and rains do not produce immediate
food, according to Red Cross. It can take three to five years of continuous support and
favourable conditions for a community to achieve complete recovery and revival work
must begin alongside emergency relief.
The government, World Food Program and humanitarian organisations including
Red Cross are working to make sure adequate food supplies are available in-country.
Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, after the May
2008 earthquake. Photo: International Federation/
Sho Huang
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated
the south-western province of Sichuan
in China on 12 May, leaving more
than 70,000 dead and more than
15 million displaced.
More than 35,000 local Red Cross staff
and volunteers were working with rescue
and medical teams in the aftermath of the
earthquake to distribute tents, food, water,
clothes and medicines around the clock.
Red Cross is targeting the most
affected, paying special attention
to the health and psychosocial needs
of the most vulnerable groups such
as children, the elderly, pregnant
mothers, the homeless and disabled,
among others.
Red Cross spokesperson on the ground,
Francis Markus, hailed the dedication
of the volunteers.
‘Many of them have lost members of their
own family, their homes and livelihoods too,
but still have been working non-stop since
the earthquake happened.’
P6 the Humanitarian
a fork in the
road
Jamie, 3, Samantha and Phillip live on the outskirts of Kalgoorlie, where it can be difficult and expensive to get fresh food.
The world is
not short of
food, writes Alan
Attwood. The
problem lies in
unequal, and
often inequitable,
distribution
of food.
Long before I first heard the word
‘globalisation’, I learned that everything is
connected. I was spending the summer
in Mallacoota, near the border of Victoria
and NSW, doing odd jobs including
shifts at the local abalone processing
plant. Then, I lost my job. Apparently
the Japanese discovered they could get
cheaper abalone from Chile. Demand
dropped, production was slashed … and
so were jobs. I wasn’t distraught; it gave
me more time to bum around on the
beach. But I remember sitting on a jetty
one glorious evening, pondering the ways
of the world. There I was in Australia, far
away was Japan, in a different direction
altogether was Chile – and somehow,
they were all linked. A decision taken
somewhere by invisible business people
rippled across thousands of kilometres
and had an impact on me. Every action
has a flow-on effect.
We must talk of the global food crisis
in this context. Events in one part
of the world have a direct, though
not necessarily immediate, impact
somewhere else. In relation to the global
food crisis, the result is dubbed a ‘silent
tsunami’ that threatens the welfare of
countless millions, including children.
July 2008 P7
‘We see mounting hunger and increasing
evidence of malnutrition, which has
severely strained the capacities
of humanitarian agencies to meet
humanitarian needs,’ he says.
This is not about relief work in disaster
zones. Food shortages, due either to
scarcity or prohibitive prices, have already
led to protests (some violent) in countries
as diverse as Haiti and Yemen, Italy
and Ivory Coast, Egypt and Ethiopia,
Cameroon and the Philippines.
The situation is exacerbated by countries
such as Brazil, Argentina, Vietnam, India
and Egypt either reducing or halting their
food exports.
Australia is very much involved, both
as part of the solution – the Rudd
Government has pledged $30 million in
response to the appeal by the World Food
Program – and a cause of the problem.
In April, The New York Times sent a
correspondent to Deniliquin, in southern
NSW, to visit the site of the largest rice
mill in the southern hemisphere, which
once processed enough grain to feed
up to 20 million people around the world.
But the mill, like so much of primary
production in Australia, is a casualty of
sustained and savage drought. Australia’s
water-intensive rice crop has been
slashed and the Deniliquin mill ground
to a halt late last year.
Photo: Rodney Dekker
A series of warning bells sounded in April
this year. First, the World Bank president,
Robert Zoellick, called for urgent
contributions to the World Food Program.
‘We have to put our money where our
mouth is now, so that we can put food
into hungry mouths. It is as stark as
that,’ says Zoellick.
Soon after, United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon – who says his
priority is to ‘feed the hungry’ – indicated
he would personally lead a task-force
established to combat soaring food
prices and export bans on staple crops.
As the Times put it: ‘Ten thousand
miles separate the mill’s hushed rows of
oversized silos and sheds – beige, grey
and now empty – from the riotous streets
of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but a widening
global crisis unites them.’
Drought and plunging production in
Australia partly explain why global rice
prices soared early this year. But steep
price rises in other staples such as corn,
soya and wheat compound the problem.
In some countries the result has been
hoarding; in others, riots. Senegal and
Haiti both import the vast majority of their
rice, so when the price increased, the
poor could no longer afford it and civil
unrest broke out.
‘It’s increasingly
difficult to justify
converting a
valuable food
crop to fuel
while people in
poorer countries
struggle to feed
their families.’
Prolonged drought in Australia is just one
piece in the climate-change jigsaw.
It is, of course, a global phenomenon.
A UN panel on climate change has
already warned that warmer temperatures
in tropical and sub-tropical regions are
likely to reduce agricultural production.
Conversely, this could enhance food crop
production in areas far from the equator,
in countries such as Canada and Russia.
Food will need to be shipped from some
areas of the world to others – assuming,
of course, there is the political will to do it.
There is another aspect to the situation:
how food crops are used. As the price of
oil rises, there is increased interest in the
use of biofuels, especially in the US, where
one quarter of the corn crop is now used
for ethanol production. But it’s increasingly
difficult to justify converting a valuable
food crop to fuel while people in poorer
countries struggle to feed their families.
The world is not short of food.
The problem lies in unequal, and often
inequitable, distribution of food.
Not to mention how it is used. The Times
recently reported that more than onequarter of all food in the US is wasted,
often simply tossed out. Closer to home,
Sustainability Victoria estimates that
Australian households discard up to
three million tonnes of food a year.
Food shortages in disparate locations are
global problems requiring global solutions.
The Secretary General of the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, Markku Niskala, puts
it simply: ‘Markets fluctuate, but people
should never go hungry.’
Alan Attwood is a Walkley Award-winning journalist
and editor of The Big Issue.
P8 the Humanitarian
fine dining
behind bars
Do the women
in prison near
Kalgoorlie know
how to make
the best damper?
Kelly Chandler
finds out.
Peeling the ‘gundy’. Photos on this page and over: Rodney Dekker
July 2008 P9
Tanya is getting out in 22 days. She’s
sitting at a long table in the maximum
security kitchen at Eastern Goldfields
Regional Prison in Western Australia,
chopping vegetables and thinking
about what will happen next.
A posse of female prisoners meets
in this kitchen every Friday to talk food
and prepare cheap, healthy meals,
through Red Cross’ FOODcents
Program. Having raised four kids in
Kalgoorlie on a tight budget, Tanya is
a natural and Red Cross wants her to
become a FOODcents Program facilitator
when she’s back on the outside.
‘My daughter is expecting a baby soon,
and I’ve got a job teaching young
mums to prepare quick and easy meals.
Inexpensive ones,’ she says. She can
barely contain her smile.
Around her, four other women with aprons
over their mustard-coloured uniforms are
sizing up the ingredients for lunch. Chicken
breasts, check. Veggies and breadcrumbs
for stuffing, check. Veggies for roasting,
check. Rice and skim milk for a diabeticfriendly dessert, check.
Dawn is peeling the gundy, and I’m
learning some local language. Gundy:
potato. Mimi: breasts (chicken and
women). There’s some tittering in the
background. Chicken breasts wouldn’t
ideally be the first thing on the menu for
a healthy, cheap meal, according to local
program manager Kaye McLennan, but
we’re using our imagination, pretending
it’s bush turkey (kiparra), goanna
(murlumaru), rabbit (nani), red meat (kuka)
or roo (marlu). At the very least, the recipe
might be useful when meat is on special
at the supermarket.
‘With food it’s
easy to tell a
story. Food has
always been a
tradition – they
could live off
the land, they
didn’t have
corner stores
or pubs.’
Amid the chopping and the stuffing,
there’s talk of the missing ingredients –
chilli and garlic – and Melinda pipes up
about last week’s damper pizzas. She’s
animal tracks at each waterhole he visits.
The second painting is about honey ants
and the female hands that dig for it.
‘With food it’s easy to tell a story,’ says
Tanya. ‘Because more or less that’s what
Aboriginal people did in the olden days.
Food has always been a tradition – they
could live off the land, they didn’t have
corner stores or pubs.’
In a couple of months, Red Cross has
organised an outing for the FOODcents
Program group so the women can
spend the whole weekend out bush,
talking about food, making contact with
the land. Tanya, who’ll be out of jail by
then, will hopefully lead the group.
‘We’ll go bush for two days and one
night, looking for witchetty grubs (paarti),
silky pear (karlkurli), bush banana,
whatever,’ says Tanya. Kalgoorlie is
named after the silky pear, she says.
So will they dig for honey ants?
Today, we’re learning how to make
a meal go further.
‘We’ll stuff ’im right up,’ says Melinda,
who’s in charge of … you guessed it …
the stuffing. Feeding a big family on a
small budget can be a challenge, and
these weekly sessions show ways to save
money and be resourceful. When they
get out of jail, these women will take what
they’ve learned into their communities and
pack as much nutritional value as possible
into each portion. Thanks to Melinda,
today’s portions are full to bursting.
Smoko in the high-security yard at Eastern
Regional Goldfields Prison.
Veggie production line during a FOODcents
session at Kalgoorlie’s prison.
not convinced about using wholemeal
flour, but the others say they could hardly
taste the difference.
Tanya disappears into her cell, and
comes out holding two small paintings.
The first is the story of a hunter who’s
travelling in search of food, but a snake
has beaten him to it and he finds only
‘You can find them from here straight
up to Warburton, they nest under a tree
then take a step back and start digging
underneath the nest. It’s a rich honey
that the ladies used to go out and dig
for and they still do. Other Aboriginal
cultures might be disappearing, but
out here ours is still alive,’ says Tanya.
And while the roast cooks, the women
agree on the menu for next Friday’s
FOODcents Program session: banana
and pecan muffins, lamb shank soup
and damper with a compromise – half
white flour, half wholemeal.
*names have been changed to protect the identity
of the women at Eastern Regional Goldfields Prison.
P10 the Humanitarian
checking out
after arrival
To help asylum seekers overcome these
barriers Red Cross provides financial
assistance and health care through
a scheme for asylum seekers funded
by the Department of Immigration
and Citizenship.
Claudine Ntbagize now knows what to look for in the supermarket, with help from
the FOODcents Program in Perth. Photo: Tim Lofthouse
After enduring
war and famine,
the supermarket
checkout presents
its own challenges
for refugees,
according to
Jo Maloney.
Every year, thousands of asylum
seekers flee their war-ravaged
homelands and seek a life of peace
and protection in Australia.
Unfortunately for many, their tumultuous
journey does not stop once they touch
down. Language, cultural and financial
barriers all conspire to isolate them from
their new communities. These barriers
can make the seemingly simple task of
buying a loaf of bread a daily challenge
for many new residents.
‘Can you imagine walking into a
supermarket surrounded by labels
you can’t read, vegetables you’ve never
seen before and foreign currency in
your pocket which you are still learning
to count?’ asks Nicole Cunningham
from Australian Red Cross.
‘Every day I talk to clients who have fled
from the most tragic of circumstances,
including war and political persecution,
but find just walking into a supermarket
a very daunting task,’ says Nicole.
Case workers assist people to meet
a wide range of needs including health
support, counselling, accommodation,
material aid, education and legal
referrals, and social support.
‘We work with vulnerable and destitute
asylum seekers in order to assess and
address their essential needs. Red Cross
staff aim to establish trust and rapport
with clients to help ensure they feel safe
and able to settle into a new society and
foreign culture,’ says Nicole.
Workers can also connect asylum
seekers to the FOODcents Program,
which currently runs in Western Australia
and will be rolled out around the country.
‘Volunteers offer guidance on ways
to save money on food shopping, talk
about the healthy eating food pyramid
and even teach the family how to
prepare and cook easy and tasty meals,’
says Nicole.
For more information on
FOODcents call 08 9225 8888.
For Asylum Seeker Assistance
Scheme, please contact the
Department of Immigration
and Citizenship on 131 881.
July 2008 P11
Photos: Luke Mayo and
Lauren Hargreaves
thinking
outside the box
Breakfast Club
in a Box takes
nutrition into
the homes,
and hearts, of
Aboriginal people
living on the tip
of the Northern
Territory, writes
Janine Gray.
When Nancy Gudaltji returns from a
hunting trip, she hopes she’ll be carrying
yams, stingray, turtles and fish from the
Arafura Sea to cook on an open fire.
With only one supermarket and two
take-away shops to serve 2,200 people
living in Galiwin’ku community – several
hours by plane from Darwin – hunting is
also a good way to supplement the diet.
Food prices in remote communities
are considerably higher than in the
main centres.
‘It’s hard to get fresh fruit,’ says Nancy,
‘but every week the barge comes in
from Darwin with stuff for the shop.’
Malnutrition is an issue in this remote
community, but it must be addressed
within traditional cultural structures,
according to Tom Redston, of Red
Cross in the Northern Territory. This
involves sitting down with families,
identifying the issues and how they
might be overcome.
Breakfast Club in a Box is one
community-developed idea spreading
quickly throughout Galiwin’ku with the
help of enthusiastic volunteers from
ten family groups.
Each clan or family group is given a kit
that includes three robust plastic boxes;
one for plastic utensils, another with
soap, towels and a bowl for washing,
and the third for food that is replenished
weekly. Each kit feeds about 20 children
a day and local health and education
teams are helping weave important
information about early learning, nutrition
and hygiene into the morning routine.
‘It’s a way to get volunteers engaged
in discussions and workshops around
the bigger issues: why these kids have
such high rates of malnutrition, poor
oral hygiene and low engagement in
education,’ says Tom. This model
will soon be adopted in other
remote communities.
Breakfast Club in a Box is also a way
of introducing Red Cross to families,
building trust and respect, so everyone
can agree on how Red Cross works
directly with communities to
overcome disadvantage.
There are more than 40 Breakfast Clubs
across the Northern Territory. Some are
only accessible by light plane, others
by boat, while some are down long
dusty roads. Every day more than 1,000
breakfasts are served by local volunteers
to children in these remote communities.
P12 the Humanitarian
getting ready for
Photo: International Federation/Sharilyn Amy. Over page: International Federation
While China’s
economy booms,
millions of
rural people are
vulnerable to
natural disasters,
writes Leanne
Mitchell.
When floodwaters washed away Liu
Jihuai’s village last year, the 54-year-old
farmer lost his crops and his home, and
was left with no idea how to replace them.
Camping out on the roof of a neighbour’s
house, Liu and his wife’s biggest anxiety
was what would happen next.
‘We don’t know how we are going to find
the money to rebuild our house, and all
our fields are flooded,’ he said soon after
the 2007 disaster that left more than 200
million people homeless.
The world’s attention again turned to
China in May this year when earthquakes
devastated Sichuan province – and while
it was the worst earthquake in decades,
it is certainly not the only major natural
disaster to hit one of the most disasterprone countries on Earth.
Every year, millions of people around
China lose their homes and livelihoods to
natural disasters – floods, droughts, fires,
earthquakes – and most, like Liu, are poor
farmers with no safety net.
China’s economic boom often
dominates headlines. Over the past
25 years China has successfully lifted
millions of people out of poverty, but
more than half the population still lives
on less than $2 a day.
Urban citizens can expect to earn more
and live up to five years longer than their
rural counterparts. In Tibet, only half of
the population can read and write, while
most Chinese living in Beijing, Shanghai
and Tianjin are literate.
‘China is a massive country and the
regional differences – income and social
disparities – are just as huge,’ says
China program coordinator for Australian
Red Cross, Ling Chin.
‘On one hand there is the booming
economy and new wealth prevalent
in the big cities, but the story we don’t
hear is one of poverty and disadvantage
in rural areas, particularly in west and
southwest China.’
July 2008 P13
Helping
communities
prepare for,
cope with and
recover better
from natural
disasters.
disaster
For those of working age there is a lot
more money to be made in factories
than on family farms – and according
to the nation’s social security authority,
rapid urbanisation has led to the loss
of land for about 40 million farmers.
Few farmers have enough land on
which to farm and sustain a livelihood
for their family.
As economic opportunities draw many
of the most able people away from
rural life, children and the elderly are left
behind to head up households and fend
for themselves.
When disaster strikes they are even
more vulnerable. Thousands of farmers
find their crops and small plots of land
completely ruined, perpetuating the
crisis: they are left with no choice but
to go to the city and earn an income to
support their families. This also creates
a new group of disadvantaged people –
largely uneducated migrant workers with
few rights and little protection.
Chin says this is where Red Cross,
with its mandate, extensive network of
grassroots units and some 20 million
members around the country, has
a unique role to play. It’s the largest
humanitarian organisation in the country,
with branches, members and volunteers
at provincial, prefecture/city and county/
district levels. It is in a strong position,
working alongside the government to
both prepare for and respond to disasters,
as well as to address the country’s social
and humanitarian challenges.
Australian Red Cross supports
a community-based disaster
preparedness program in China,
working with 12 villages in Guangxi
province to assess the risks they face,
learn how to prepare for disasters and
support them in building infrastructure,
such as roads and bridges, that will
improve living conditions and help
communities cope and recover better
from natural disasters.
‘There are more than 14,000 villages in
Guangxi alone, so there is potential to
do more,’ says Chin.
‘And we have to do more, given the
expected onset of more severe and
unexpected weather events associated
with climate change.’
P14 the Humanitarian
disaster survivors
deserve dignity
Building a roof
overhead is only
part of recovering
from disaster.
Survivors must
be able to earn
a living, school
their children
and manage
their financial
independence,
writes Chris
Staines.
Asia-Pacific is the world’s most disasterprone region, accounting for more than
60 per cent of natural catastrophes in the
past decade, and close to 80 per cent
of the world’s disaster-related deaths.
We need to use all our experience, and
continually improve our involvement in the
region, to make sure that people receive
appropriate help when disaster strikes.
Disaster-affected communities must
lead the conversation about what is
needed to rebuild their lives, find jobs
and strengthen their economies. They
are the only people qualified to identify
the issues they face. Only together, by
marrying our western experience with
critical local knowledge and involving
the community at all stages, can we
help solve the problems.
While saving lives is the humanitarian
imperative, other humanitarian concerns
cannot be ignored.
Our challenge
is to place the
advice and
wishes of our
beneficiaries
at the centre of
our thoughts.
After the initial recovery phase, we must
help create jobs, build skills, set up
infrastructure and help protect human
rights. After all, what good is a roof
overhead without the opportunities
that flow from financial independence?
After the tsunami, the results from the
aid world were mixed. In many cases
the response has been ‘supply-led’,
rather than ‘demand-driven’. This was
particularly true in the initial phase when
agencies were under pressure to spend
money quickly. This demand came from
a general public hungry to help.
People opened their hearts and their
wallets, and they rightly wanted to know
where their dollars were going. But there
are vagaries in delivering large-scale aid
in developing countries – particularly
where infrastructure was wiped out by
disaster, or didn’t exist in the first place.
As a result, many agencies missed
opportunities to engage communities
in the early phase.
In our experience, different communities
have very different needs – adopting a
one-size-fits-all solution severely limits
community engagement. This lulls
disaster response agencies into a false
sense of security. While we can certainly
count the outputs, the outcomes are
a little less concrete.
Our challenge is to remain open to
possibilities, consider alternatives and
place the advice and wishes of our
beneficiaries at the centre of our thoughts.
This lesson has been played out many
times in many different disasters – we
need to do what we can to ensure that
it is not forgotten the next time
a devastating disaster occurs.
Simeulue island in Indonesia was badly affected by the tsunami. Residents are now rebuilding their lives.
Photo: Hotli Simanjuntak
Chris Staines is general manager of the tsunami
response team for Australian Red Cross.
July 2008 P15
‘I’ve seen the
inside of the
houses and I’m
really looking
forward to
living there.’
stay
somewhere safe to
Among thousands of tales written by the
tsunami, some resonate so strongly they
are unforgettable, writes Pete Haydon.
Amalia Rosa, or Ocha as she is known
to everyone at the Cot Cut transitional
shelter camp in Banda Aceh, was
spending a normal morning with her
family as a six-year-old when the world
turned upside down.
‘I was in the market with my father when
the water came,’ she says calmly. Aceh,
on the western coast of Sumatra in
Indonesia, was hit hardest by the tsunami.
‘I lost sight of my father straight away.
Another man I didn’t know lifted me up
out of the water onto the top of a house.
I waited there until some people from my
village came and found me,’ says Ocha.
The terrible violence brought by the
tsunami in December 2004 was
mirrored along the coast for hundreds
of kilometres. Towns with exotic names
like Calang, Tenoum and Meulaboh were
devastated, and the first United Nations
flyovers of these remote and rarely-visited
places famously reported ‘no survivors’.
But people along the coast of Aceh
did survive.
One of the new houses at Ladong in Banda
Aceh. Above: Ocha will soon be moving from the
transitional shelter camp and into her new home.
Photos: Ade Sonovil
Traumatised and confused, with
communications completely wiped
out, many decided to walk to
Banda in search of information and
family members. They walked past
unspeakable sights on an almost
unimaginable journey.
Among the walkers was Ocha’s uncle
Safuadi. He’s a very quiet man, not
prone to exaggeration, and he says
he walked for ten days to reach Banda.
After searching for several days he finally
found Ocha.
Ocha is now cared for by her uncle and
the entire community. Three years after
the tsunami, she is an outgoing, friendly
girl who speaks softly and is quick to
smile and laugh.
Together with other survivors from
the local community they have
gradually rebuilt their lives and are
now preparing to move into their new
homes, constructed by Red Cross in
consultation with the community.
‘I go to school here now,’ she says.
‘I really like drawing and maths. Maths is
pretty difficult though.’ Nothing changes
the world over.
While the Cot Cut camp where Ocha
lives is comfortable and well-maintained,
few things help disaster-affected people
more than having somewhere to call
home. Ocha and her community have
recently visited the Ladong housing
site where they will soon live. The final
touches are now being added to their
permanent homes.
To secure her future, Ocha will receive
the title to one of the homes.
‘I have visited the new houses at Ladong.
I really like them. I don’t know which one is
mine but I think it will be brown and white.
I’ve seen the inside of the houses and I’m
really looking forward to living there.’
Ocha says one day she would like to
be a teacher. For now though, her focus
remains firmly on fun.
‘When I get to the new house my friends
and I want to play with our skipping
ropes and also play tag.’
Almost universal priorities for a nine-year-old,
it seems.
P16 the Humanitarian
working
for a living
Sex workers
in Mongolia
are teaming
up with their
Australian peers
to understand
their rights and
advocate for better
treatment, writes
Laura Bellamy.
In a traditional ger tent in Khövsgöl,
the northernmost province of Mongolia,
a dozen women talk while lying
on couches and beds. They share
chocolate and warm cups of salty milk
tea, a Mongolian specialty. The air is
cold outside, and they have a warm fire
to gather around as they pass the day.
Their cosy surrounds cushion the
complex issues to be tackled today,
with the help of a translator. These
women are sex workers and they
are meeting with the Scarlet Alliance,
an Australian-based sex worker
organisation, to discuss issues around
the rights of sex workers, their health
and HIV.
They explain to Elena Jeffreys, the
president of Scarlet Alliance, that they
face ongoing harassment and medical
discrimination.
Sex workers’ rights are not enshrined
in legislation in Mongolia. The Mongolian
government’s 100 per cent condomuse policy, implemented to reduce HIV
incidence, according to Elena, ‘involves
intense surveillance and monitoring of the
sex workers’ locations and activities’.
Sex workers have the option of
registering for mandatory testing, which
entitles them to free testing for HIV and
sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
However, they are then subject to
scrutiny, and can lose both privacy
and autonomy in their affairs.
Elena is familiar with the discrimination
faced by sex workers. In Australia, it is
the peak representative body for sex
workers, and plays an important role
in advocating for sex workers’ rights
and policy development.
‘Everywhere is different, although sex
workers face discrimination and stigma
all over the world,’ says Elena.
Mongolian sex workers are a focus of the
HIV policy and policing responses
in that country, and they are being invited
to develop their own HIV prevention
programs with Mongolian Red Cross.
At their first meeting in Khövsgöl the
women discuss what they want from the
program being developed with the support
of Mongolian Red Cross and Scarlet
Alliance, through funding from Australian
Red Cross. Then they take Elena to where
they work and ask questions about life for
workers in other countries.
July 2008 P17
‘Sex workers in
Mongolia will
be recognised
as the safe sex
leaders that they
are – educating
the broader
community about
protected sex.’
Traditional Mongolian gers. Photo: AAP
‘One of the aims of the program is to bring
sex workers together to begin to form their
own network, and determine their own
responses to issues they face such as HIV,’
says Australian Red Cross’s Jo Shetliffe.
Working with trust, confidentiality and
effective communication, the program
hopes to reach increasing numbers of
sex workers. Scarlet Alliance has helped
develop an effective way for sex workers
to share information with their peers
about health and HIV, communication
and negotiation skills and the rights
of sex workers.
‘Once they have the skills and
information, they’ll be able to run with
it themselves – they won’t be dependent
on technical support,’ says Jo.
The first reported HIV case in Mongolia
was in 1992. The rate of infection has
remained low compared with surrounding
countries like China and Russia, but is
now on the rise. There are 36 reported
cases of HIV in Mongolia and 60 per
cent of the female cases are sex workers,
although it is estimated that there are
around another 475 unreported cases.
While the pilot 100 per cent condom-use
program initially reduced STI incidence
in nearby Darkhan Uul province, it also
‘creates opportunities for harassment
and discrimination,’ according to Elena.
This adds to existing stigma and can
lead people to conceal their activities,
which threatens their health and can
make them more vulnerable.
Through this program, sex workers are
empowered to understand their rights
and advocate for better treatment in
Mongolia. Education will be central to
the program, as the United Nations cites
a lack of awareness about sexual health
issues as one of the major factors in the
spread of STIs in Mongolia.
‘We hope that sex workers in Mongolia
progress to have strong advocacy and
their voices heard, not only by Mongolian
Red Cross but also by the Mongolian
Government,’ says Elena.
‘Sexual health is an entire social
responsibility – sex workers aren’t the
only community affected, and everybody
has the right to access HIV information
and protection,’ says Elena.
‘With the right support, sex workers in
Mongolia will be recognised as the safe
sex leaders that they are – educating the
broader community about protected sex.
‘This project recognises that sex workers
are central to the response to HIV in
Mongolia, for the sex worker community
and beyond,’ says Elena.
Mongolian Red Cross
www.redcross.mn
Scarlet Alliance
www.scarletalliance.org.au
‘The program has only been developed
in certain provinces, and there is a lot of
interest from local government and other
non-government organisations,’ says Jo.
Those involved also hope that the
program will help change Mongolian
policy toward sex workers, shifting to
a holistic, non-discriminatory attitude
toward sexual health and HIV.
Sera, Elena, Tera and Liza at the Mongolian Red
Cross headquarters in Ulaanbatar for meetings
with Scarlet Alliance about HIV prevention among
sex workers.
P18 the Humanitarian
gimme
shelter
Soon, the homeless
young people who
sleep on Brisbane’s
streets will be
offered more than
shelter, writes
Julia Southgate.
Photo: Hamish Cairns
July 2008 P19
Night Café is a safe space for young homeless people in Brisbane. Photo: Tim Page
‘Living on the street means constantly
looking over your shoulder and thinking
about where your next feed and warm
night’s sleep is going to be. It can mean
waking up with a torch shining in your
eyes and someone tapping you on the
bottom of your feet.’
Night Café is the only after-hours
safe space in Brisbane for homeless
people under 25. As well as feeding
those who visit Night Café, Red
Cross regularly provides access to
mentors, materials and a place where
creative skills can be encouraged and
achievements celebrated.
Providing a
meal or putting
a roof over
someone’s head
for a night just
isn’t enough.’
But more is needed.
run over the next ten years. Providing
basic needs – such as food, shelter and
safety – is essential for urgent and initial
satisfaction, but a more sophisticated
approach is needed.
‘If you fill a young person’s empty
stomach, within a few hours they will be
hungry again,’ says Matthew Cox, from
Australian Red Cross.
Young people will receive a tailored
support plan to help with the transition
from multiple, complex personal issues
toward a more positive path.
‘The trick is to provide the right package
of support to help get their lives back
on track for the long term.’
Despite the many organisations that
provide housing, health care and drug
and alcohol management assistance,
Matthew believes there is a need for
more long-term help to get young
people off the streets permanently.
So now it’s time to build on our
experience at the Night Café. Red
Cross wants to be part of a long-term
response that addresses the emotional,
learning and physical needs of homeless
young people in Brisbane and present
young people with real opportunities
and alternatives to living on the street.
Construction of the new Centre for Young
People will commence later this year
and cost approximately $17 million to
‘The approach is based on international
experience in New York, France and
London, where significant success has
been achieved with integrated programs
that give young people a secure place
to live, ongoing personal assistance and
access to employment and training,’
says Matthew.
There is evidence from an extensive
study in New York that this kind of
holistic approach is cost effective
for the community. Over a five-year
period, crisis interventions surrounding
the chronically homeless cost the
government around AUD $65,000
per person per year – far dearer than
delivering a holistic response that helps
solve the problem.
Perhaps the most difficult cost to
quantify, however, is the loss of future
potential for the individual. Decreased
health or time spent in crisis means
more obstacles to making a positive
contribution to society.
‘People tend to forget these young
people generally don’t end up where
they are by choice. Statistically, most
of the young people who come into
the Night Café have experienced sexual
exploitation, violence, diminished
mental health, hunger and have limited
employment opportunities,’ he says.
‘One of our main frustrations is that
we currently provide young people
who come into the café with referrals
and access to food and showers, but
we know that it isn’t enough to break
the cycle,’ Matthew states.
P20 the Humanitarian
windstorm
Ferocious winds,
dust and torrential
rain buffeted
Victoria, during the
most extraordinary
storm to hit Victoria
for decades, writes
Karina Coates.
whips
through Vic
Two people lost their lives and there
was widespread damage, knocking
out power to 420,000 homes.
Two days later, approximately 20,000
homes remained without electricity,
and 300 homes were still in the dark
by the end of the weekend.
‘The wind was horrendous. Large
branches were dropping beside the
car. It was frightening but we had to
keep going as we were in a wooded
area,’ says Red Cross volunteer Penny
Ramsden, who was near Ballarat when
the storm hit.
Red Cross provided outreach support to families affected by power loss after a severe wind storm in
April. Photo: Lisa Fitzgerald
When Penny returned to Melbourne,
she joined 35 other volunteers to visit
those whose homes were still without
power to check on the welfare and
needs of residents who may have been
vulnerable and in need of support.
This kind of outreach work is a first
for Red Cross in Victoria. Similar work
has been conducted in Queensland
and New South Wales in the aftermath
of floods and cyclones and is part of
Red Cross expanding its emergency
services, ensuring communities have
assistance to recover from a disaster
as well as immediate help.
At the request of the Department
of Human Services, they delivered
information on how to live safely without
electricity and provided information on
local services.
During a crisis people can be distressed
and may not know of, or be able to
access, information or services. Red Cross
outreach staff visited more than 70 homes
across 13 municipalities in Melbourne.
‘It was clear that people had been
hit financially by the lack of electricity,’
says Ms Ramsden. ‘One woman had
lost $400 worth of frozen meat and food.
A gentleman was finding it hard to
afford eating out for every meal as
he was a pensioner.’
Red Cross supported the Department
of Human Services to provide grants
to meet immediate needs. Plans are
underway for a joint project to develop
a disaster outreach model in Victoria.
To find out more or to volunteer,
call 1800 246 850.
July 2008 P21
so much
to give
Australians have
this winter
Traralgon donor Andrew (left) was chuffed to learn that his regular donations helped someone like Darren recover from a bleeding ulcer.
This winter,
put on your coat
and scarf and
receive a warm
welcome at an
Australian Red
Cross Blood
Service Donor
Centre.
21,000 blood donations are required every
week to ensure that hospitals have the
blood and blood products they need to
treat people. But in winter, with seasonal
illnesses rife, many regular donors have
to cancel or reschedule their donations.
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
estimates that around ten per cent of
donors will be unwell at some point during
the winter months and therefore around
40,000 new donors will be needed.
As a result, the winter months can
be a challenging time for managing
the national blood supply.
where you can donate blood with more
than 80 donor centres around the country
and Blood Service mobile units visiting
regional areas too.
It doesn’t take long to help save three lives.
One life that was improved was Darren’s
(above right). He had a severe bleeding
ulcer which was affecting his everyday
life, but blood products donated by
people like Andrew improved his
condition dramatically.
As well as colds and flus preventing
people from donating, a recent survey
commissioned by the Blood Service
found that 36 per cent of people cited
their busy lifestyles as the reason they
don’t give blood.
There are thousands of people who
rely on blood and blood products with
around two thirds of blood donations
going towards helping people who need
everyday care, like people with cancer,
blood disorders, heart and kidney
disease, as well as pregnant women
and babies.
But giving blood only takes around an
hour and most donors can give blood
every 12 weeks. There are lots of places
Do something special this winter.
Give blood. Call 13 14 95 or visit
donateblood.com.au
P22 the Humanitarian
bouncing off breakfast,
not the walls
‘Everyone
is welcome,
which means
that the kids
who are poor
or don’t get
breakfast at
home don’t feel
embarrassed.’
Sanitarium is a company committed
to life-long nutrition, a commitment it
demonstrates through its support of the
Good Start Breakfast Club.
breakfast at all,’ says assistant principal
Annette Sanders.
The Red Cross National Community
Partner supplies cereals, soy milk and
Marmite to clubs right around Australia,
helping kids learn good eating habits
and providing an important meal to
children who may otherwise miss out.
‘When it first started they’d run in and
run out,’ says Annette, gently
admonishing a grade six boy for
dripping condiments onto the floor,
while a volunteer in the corner spoons
out cereal and cooks great towers of
toast. A young girl crunches into a fresh
apple, and in the next room, two children
laugh with a parent while they dry a
stack of plastic plates.
Cooloongup Primary School in
Rockingham, WA, is one school that
has noticed the difference good
nutrition makes.
‘The kids used to come with $10 worth
of lollies and a cold drink. What lunch
money they had would be spent on
lollies and they’d get a sugar hit and be
hanging from the lights by the time
school started. And then there were the
kids who clearly didn’t have any
When Breakfast Club was introduced
three years ago, things started to change.
‘One girl who was in grade six, I taught
her how to use a knife and fork.
Breakfast Club teaches kids to work
in groups, to take turns, share, do the
washing up. It builds their social skills,’
says Annette.
‘Now they come in, sit down and talk to
each other over cereal, toast and fruit,
and the parents come in to volunteer, or
sit with their kids and chat with us, which
is a much better way to find out how their
kids are going at school,’ says Annette.
‘We’ve found that there are fewer
behavioural problems in the past three
years, since we’ve had Breakfast Club.
Academic performance is going up, and
behavioural problems are going down,’
says Annette.
‘There’s no stigma, everyone is
welcome, which means that the kids
who are poor or don’t get breakfast at
home don’t feel embarrassed to come.’
Summah Cruse, 7 (and above), with sister Crystal, 6, and dad Bill, who often come to Good Start
Breakfast Club at Cooloongup Primary School in Rockingham, WA. Photo: Rodney Dekker
Sanitarium’s support means kids right
around Australia are getting a better start
to their days, and learning great habits
for life.
July 2008 P23
You don’t
have to
be
strong
sandbags.
ARC3022_HUM
to stack
You can reduce the impact of climate change on vulnerable people.
Visit www.redcross.org.au or call 1800 811 700 to donate today.
Contact your local
Red Cross office for
more information.
In all activities, Red Cross staff and volunteers are
guided by the following Fundamental Principles.
Humanity The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, born of a desire
to bring assistance without
discrimination to the wounded
on the battlefield, endeavours,
in its international and national
capacity, to prevent and
alleviate human suffering
wherever it may be found.
ts purpose is to protect life and
health and ensure respect for
the human being. It promotes
mutual understanding,
friendship, co-operation and
lasting peace among all people.
Impartiality It makes no
discrimination as to nationality,
race, religious beliefs, class or
political opinions. It endeavours
to relieve the suffering of
individuals, being guided solely
by their needs, and to give
priority to the most urgent
cases of distress.
National Office
155 Pelham Street
VIC 3053
Tel +61 3 9345 1800
Fax +61 3 9348 2513
www.redcross.org.au
Neutrality In order to continue
to enjoy the confidence of all,
the Movement may not take
sides in hostilities or engage
at any time in controversies of
a political, racial, religious or
ideological nature.
Independence The
Movement is independent.
The National Societies, while
auxiliaries in the humanitarian
services of their governments
and subject to the laws of their
respective countries, must
always maintain their autonomy
so that they may be able at all
times to act in accordance with
the principles of the Movement.
Unity There can be only one
Red Cross or Red Crescent
Society in any one country.
It must be open to all. It must
carry on its humanitarian work
throughout its territory.
Universality The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, in which all
Societies have equal status and
share equal responsibilities and
duties in helping each other,
is worldwide.
Cover image Rodney Dekker
Iris Donaldson and Angus Sinclair
from Coolgardie in remote Western
Australia are regulars at the school’s
Good Start Breakfast Club.
Designer Miguel Valenzuela,
house mouse design pty ltd
Editor Kelly Chandler
Proof reader Rohan Bassett
Printer DPA printed on Monza Satin
recycled 200 and 130 gsm.
the Humanitarian is published three
times a year by Australian Red Cross.
Mailing address 155 Pelham Street
Carlton VIC 3053, Australia.
Telephone 00 11 61 3 9345 1800
Voluntary Service It is a
voluntary relief movement not
prompted in any manner by
desire for gain.
ACT
Cnr Hindmarsh Drive
and Palmer Street,
Garran ACT 2605
Tel 02 6234 7600
Fax 02 6234 7650
NSW
159 Clarence Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel 02 9229 4111
Fax 02 9229 4244
NT
Cnr Lambell Terrace and
Schultze Street,
Larrakeyah NT 0820
Tel 08 8924 3900
Fax 08 8924 3909
TAS
40 Melville Street,
Hobart TAS 7000
Tel 03 6235 6077
Fax 03 6231 1250
QLD
49 Park Road,
Milton QLD 4064
Tel 07 3367 7222
Fax 07 3367 7444
VIC
23-47 Villiers Street,
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Tel 03 8327 7700
Fax 03 8327 7711
SA
207-217 Wakefield Street,
Adelaide SA 5000
Tel 08 8100 4500
Fax 08 8100 4501
WA
110 Goderich Street,
East Perth WA 6004
Tel 08 9225 8888
Fax 08 9325 5112