The Link | Winter 2015

winter 2015

healing the children of gaza

How you’re helping build a brighter future

Saving lives when disaster strikes Moana’s mission to keep people safe in Tonga

Emergency update Your gifts are helping survivors in Nepal and Vanuatu

Inside ‘the world’s largest prison’ Life under the Gaza blockade

Standing up for refugees Eating refugee rations to raise funds & awareness

The international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia ABN 64 493 941 795

Bake cookies for the Christmas Bowl

Christmas is a special time of year for spending with those you love, reaching out to old friends, and thinking of others in need. This year, make sure you set some time aside for the things that really matter to you.

Get your nearest and dearest together to bake some cookies for the Christmas Bowl appeal.

It’s a wonderful way to get into the festive spirit, and the money you raise by selling cookies will make a big difference to people in need this Christmas.

We’ll send you everything you need including the recipe, fundraising ideas, cookie gift packaging and more!

Register your interest now, and help share the love this Christmas.

www.actforpeace.org.au/christmasfundraise

Produced by Act for Peace, Locked Bag Q199, QUEEN VICTORIA BUILDING, NSW 1230 FREECALL 1800 025 101 EMAIL info@actforpeace.org.au web actforpeace.org.au Facebook.com/actforpeace

@actforpeace

CCoonntteennttss 04 Healing the children of Gaza Midwife Fatima is dedicated to building a brighter future for families in Palestine.

06 Saving lives when disaster strikes Moana won’t rest until all Tongan people have the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe when the next cyclone hits.

08 Emergency update The latest on how your gifts are helping survivors of the Nepal earthquake and Cyclone Pam.

10 Life inside ‘the world’s largest prison’ The humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza.

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

“I’m very happy in my job and I think we are helping a lot of people. What I love about it is it’s about the children and their future.”

Nurse Fatima

12 Standing up for refugees Australians eat refugee rations to raise funds and awareness.

14 Campaigning for change Calling for compassionate and just action from our Government.

you can leave

a lasting legacy

By remembering Act for Peace with a gift in your Will, you’ll be leaving a lasting legacy – a fairer and more just world.

Your bequest will ensure the continuation of the work that the Christmas Bowl began in 1949, standing alongside survivors of conflict and disaster and building a brighter future.

To find out how to include Act for Peace in your Will please call Claire on 1800 025 101 or visit www.actforpeace.org.au/bequests

Richard Wainwright/Ac t for

Peace

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My Story

healing the Fatima is a Palestinian mother with an unwavering commitment to serve her community. With your support, she works as a nurse with Act for Peace’s local partner, working tirelessly to make sure sick children get the crucial medical treatment they need. The loss she suffered during last year’s conflict, and the pain her community experiences daily as a result of the blockade, makes her determined to build a brighter future for families in Gaza.

12 months ago, Gaza was shattered by the third conflict in six short years.

Over 1,400 civilians died, the majority of them women and children. Hospitals were overrun with casualties and the health system simply could not cope.

This came on top of Israel’s eight year blockade, which has paralysed the movement of people, goods and humanitarian aid to and from Gaza, taking a terrible toll on the health and well-being of the people trapped there. There are chronic shortages of health supplies and spare parts and stocks of many essential drugs are close to zero. Services are completely overstretched. In this context, the health clinics you support, run by Act for Peace’s local partner, are more essential than ever.

Through your gifts, you’re helping mothers take care of their babies during pregnancy, and during the fragile first five years of life. Gaza’s already high rates of anemia and malnutrition have become even worse since the recent conflict. But thanks to you, healthcare professionals like Fatima are providing a home-visit 4

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

children of gaza

Fatima is determined to build a brighter future for families in Gaza.

service that screens children for these conditions, and helps them get the treatment they desperately need.

but it couldn’t get to us because of the bombing and the baby died as we waited for the fighting to stop.”

Fatima grew up in Gaza, and knows all too well the hardship people face here. Her home, where she lived with her young family, was completely destroyed in the recent conflict.

Incredibly, despite losing so much, Fatima refuses to focus on her own suffering. Instead, she channels all her energy into a determination to help others. She says the pain that her community experiences daily is the reason she continues to work hard to build a brighter future for families in Gaza.

“At the beginning of the war it was like normal, no electricity and bombing all around us, not easy but we were used to this, we are a strong people. Then the bombing intensified and was closer. We were evacuated at dawn when the house next to us was bombed. When we left thousands of people were just walking, it was chaos and families were split up. When we returned we found our house had been destroyed. We lost all of our belongings, our papers, and our memories.”

Tragically, their home wasn’t the only thing the war took from Fatima’s family: “My sister was 8 months pregnant and during the strikes she had to give birth to her baby on the floor whilst the bombing surrounded us. We called the ambulance

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“I’m praying to God that the situation gets better…I don’t have any expectations that it will…but I’m hoping it will be better. I will work hard to keep families safe and to educate mothers on how to prevent their children from getting sick in these very difficult times.”

Day in, day out, Fatima works tirelessly to reach as many families as possible, ensuring that the most at risk children are identified. She spends over 12 hours each day driving from house to house, through the rubble of Gaza. She refers sick children to the general clinic where they are tested

Richard Wainwright/Ac t for Peace

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

red by 4 year old Najwa has her height measu children Fatima during a house call to screen for anaemia and malnutrition.

“I’m very happy in my job and I think we are helping a lot of people. What I love is that it’s about the children and their future.

It’s always nice to meet healthy children and also to help those that are in need.”

Tarek (5) is helped to colour in a picture by his psychologist Budour during a Psychosocial Program in Shijaia clinic in Gaza City.

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

find out more Find out more about the blockade of Gaza, and how you can take action on page 10 and 11.

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

for anaemia and receive iron and multivitamin supplement support to improve their health condition.

Thank you!

You may remember reading about a little boy called Tarek in the recent Gaza appeal. He’s only 5 years old, but he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by the horrors he witnessed in the last war. Your response to the appeal was amazing.

Thanks to you, Tarek is progressing in his recovery and has been drawing happy pictures in his psychosocial support sessions.

Your gifts are transforming lives like Tarek’s and making important work like Fatima’s possible. Thank you for helping to heal the children of Gaza and bringing hope for the future.

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My Story

saving lives

when disaster strikes Moana is a woman on a mission. Growing up in Tonga, she knows all too well the death and destruction that tropical cyclones can cause. But as a Community Disaster Risk Manager with Act for Peace’s local partner, she’s also seen how the right training and preparation can save lives. With extreme weather events on the rise, she won’t rest until all Tongan people have the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe when emergencies hit.

and two twin sons, aged 10, for days on end. It is a tough job, but she’s extremely dedicated to it.

176 small islands make up the Pacific nation of Tonga. The 100,000 people who live there are extremely vulnerable to devastating natural disasters – in fact it’s the second most at risk country in the world – and that risk is increasing every year as a result of climate change.

Tropical cylones are the biggest threat. They bring heavy rain, strong winds, large storm surges and leave widespread destruction.

Most Tongans have experienced the terror of a cyclone. Many have lost their homes and known friends or family members who have been killed or injured by a cyclone in the past. As well as the damage to buildings and crops, without disaster plans in place, remote communities were also often left without safe drinking water or adequate food supplies.

But recently, thanks to your support and the passion of people like Moana, communities have been able to develop strategies for extreme weather events that are minimising destruction and loss of life when disaster strikes.

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Moana is on a mission to help keep people safe in Tonga.

In the case of Tropical Cyclone Ian, which struck Tonga in January last year destroying 90 per cent of homes in the Ha’apai Islands, this preparation saved countless lives.

“Ian was really damaging because it was a Category 5 storm. I have never seen anything like the damage of that cyclone before. But, luckily the work that we had done with Act for Peace in disaster training meant lives were saved.

The degree of the hurricane was so bad, was so huge and very strong, but we managed to have only had 2 people die.”

Moana travels from island to island on small boats training village leaders in disaster preparedness.

She’s often away from her husband

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“I’m even more committed to doing this kind of work after seeing the positive outcome after Ian. I like to work with my team passing on the messages to the people out there who don’t know a thing about how to reduce their risk associated with disaster. I know in the future this will keep them safe.”

Moana works with community leaders to design and implement emergency action plans specifically for their village. This often includes building evacuation centres (or restoring old ones) and ensuring there is access to safe, clean water by installing water tanks or settingup water catchment areas. She then runs training to ensure everyone knows and understands their village action plan. The training is focused on practical things families can do to keep themselves safe, ensuring people know what to do before, during and after a cyclone, and how to evacuate.

Tongan culture places a significant amount of importance on personal

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peac

e

Richard Wainwright/Ac t for Peace

Moana shows a family how to pack an emergency suitcase full of essential items to use when they need to evacuate during a cyclone.

“I like working with people from all walks of life. They appreciate what we do in terms of raising people’s awareness on disaster…they also appreciate that we pass on knowledge to them and help them build and grow in their own villages.”

Moana’s work is part of a program run by Act for Peace and our partner, the Tongan National Council of Churches.

Your gifts are saving lives!

You gave over $66,000 to the Tonga appeal in March, thank you! Your gifts will help equip communities with knowledge, resources and tools that will reduce the risks they face from natural disasters such as cyclones. So far more than 6,000 individuals have been trained in disaster risk reduction, benefiting 468 villages.

With your support, the team are planning to train people on every one of Tonga’s 36 inhabited islands.

Their aim is to ensure all Tongan people are prepared – and stay safe – when the next disaster hits.

“We believe that this work is very important and we are saving lives.

We are committed to helping our Tongan people.”

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

relationships. Moana has a double degree in Industrial Relations and Management, but it’s her warm personality and way with people that makes her so good at what she does. She’s welcomed with big smiles and open arms in every community she works with. This trust is crucial to the success of the program, and reflects just how much people value the support she’s giving them.

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The world was moved by the recent devastating events in Vanuatu and Nepal.

But through your generosity, you are bringing comfort and hope to the survivors of those terrible disasters. Thank you.

Christian Aid

EMERGENCY UPDATE

Bringing urgent relief

Your generous gifts have been providing urgently needed food, water, blankets, clothes, medical supplies and shelter to the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal. The 7.8 magnitude quake affected more than 8 million people across the country when it hit on May 12th. More than 8,000 people were killed, tens of thousands injured and nearly a million homes, schools and other buildings were destroyed. You responded fast, together with other members of the global ACT Alliance, to provide emergency relief to those worst affected.

Your gifts in action

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Through our ACT Alliance partners you are supporting over 56,000 people in the worst hit areas of Nepal, providing:

Water

health

Water filter systems and hygiene kits have been distributed to communities, helping protect them from diseases like cholera which can spread rapidly in disaster situations.

Temporary health centres set up in some of the worst hit districts to respond to immediate medical needs. Pyschosocial support given to families to help them come to terms with the disaster and cope with the loss of loved ones.

Shelter

protection

Emergency or permanent shelter in the worst affected districts.

Safe spaces for women and girls set up across several target districts.

education

food

Temporary learning centres constructed to keep classes open and ensure children can continue their education.

Food baskets containing rice, lentils, oil and salt.

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Christian Aid

to Nepal earthquake survivors

Helping communities recover and rebuild

in Vanuatu

Julia Loersch/Act for Peace

Cyclone Pam was the worst natural disaster to hit Vanuatu in decades. It left the island nation devastated, destroying over 90 per cent of the crops the population relies on for food. Together with other members of the ACT Alliance around the world, you have given over $1 million to the Vanuatu emergency appeal.

Your generosity provided immediate, life-saving relief in the days following the cyclone and now, four months on, it is helping with the long process of recovery; rebuilding livelihoods and ensuring communities are better prepared for future natural disasters.

Julia Loersch/Act for Peace

How you’re helping in Vanuatu Emergency provisions In the first two weeks following the disaster, you provided emergency food and water to 14 communities in Tongoa, as well as fresh water and purification tablets to people on Ambrym and Tanna island. 680 tarpaulins, donated

by Cotton Growers Australia, were distributed to the worst hit islands and clothing from ‘Give Vanuatu’ was issued to women’s and youth groups to distribute to their communities.

access to safe water

Julia Loersch/Act for

Peace

To help prevent the spread of disease and provide vital access to safe drinking water, 2,000 personal hygiene kits were given out and 25 communities received water purification kits called LifeStraws.

long-term food supply Seeds were distributed across 4 islands immediately after the disaster; and a further 46kg of seeds were given out in May. Nurseries have been set up on many islands and communities have been provided with gardening tools and training to help replant and protect their farms.

Community water systems were repaired in Tanna and new water harvesting tools and tanks purchased.

Issue Spotlight

life inside

‘the world’s largest prison’ They call it ‘the world’s largest prison’. At least that’s what it feels like for Palestinians trapped inside Gaza and living under Israel’s illegal blockade of the territory. While the fighting has stopped for now, women, children, the elderly and disabled continue to suffer from the ongoing legacies of war. And their suffering is made worse by the blockade, now in its eighth year. is nearing collapse, and sick people are denied access to critically needed healthcare outside the Gaza Strip. One year on from the conflict, little reconstruction work has been completed because of the lack of building materials, leaving thousands of families homeless and without access to essential services.

Israel, as the occupying power, is bound by international law to ensure adequate public health standards and medical care is provided to the population under occupation. But the World Health Organisation says the public health system

The United Nations has repeatedly raised concerns about the humanitarian situation, and recently warned that Gaza was “more isolated than ever”.

Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

The blockade prevents vital humanitarian aid, medicine and basic supplies, including materials needed for reconstruction, from entering the territory. It continues to prolong the humanitarian crisis for Gaza’s 1.8 million citizens, and is contributing to the ongoing cycle of conflict in the region.

“We are looking for peace, a better future for yourself, your kids and family. Better conditions in terms of health, better community, education for the youth. For the childr en, for the women, for all my people here. We deserve that.”

Dr Wafa Kanaan, Act for Peace’s partner in Gaza.

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Will you join a global call to lift the blockade of Gaza?

More than 2,300 Act for Peace supporters have already written to Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs, demanding she publically call for Israel to lift the blockade and use all diplomatic efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The time to act is now.

Will you join us?

Add your voice to the call at: www.actforpeace.org.au/blockade

A devastating impact The conflict and blockade is having a devastating impact on almost all aspects of life for Palestinians trapped within Gaza.

Food 72% of households are vulnerable to food insecurity.

80% of Gazan residents are dependent on aid.

Fishing

Disability

The sea blockade denies access to 85% of Gaza’s fishing waters and has reduced the main fishing catch, sardines, by 90%, leaving Gaza’s fishermen in poverty.

Over 11,000 people were injured during the 2014 war, including 3,374 children.

1,000 children will be left with a permanent disability.

Medical services

Business

75 hospitals and clinics were damaged in the bombing. 202 out of 480 essential drugs are currently out of stock.

Psychological trauma 370,000 children need specialised psychosocial support after the 2014 conflict.

Nearly 30% of Gaza’s businesses have closed since the blockade started. An additional 15% have laid off 80% of their staff.

Water & sanitation 90-95% of water is unfit for

Agriculture An area of agricultural land the size of Wollongong, NSW, was damaged in the last conflict.

Unemployment 70% of young people in Gaza

drinking. Many households only have access to running water for 6-8 hours every four days. Construction materials and parts needed to repair Gaza’s collapsing water and sanitation network have been banned or delayed.

are unemployed.

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Your action, your impact

Australia stands up

for refugees

People from all over the country came together last month in an act of solidarity that proved Australians want to do more for refugees.

Karen McGrath/Act for Peace

was impossible to ignore – raising awareness and changing attitudes (including their own).

1,600 dedicated Act for Peace supporters signed up for the Act for Peace Ration Challenge which took place during Refugee Week in June. For seven days they ate exactly the same rations as a Burmese refugee living in a camp on the Thai-Burma border– just a small amount of rice, split peas, flour, salt, fish and oil. That’s it. No meat, coffee, or alcohol!

Thanks to the generosity of friends and family who sponsored them, they raised an incredible $450,000 which will help provide rations, seeds, tools and training to make sure refugees from Burma have enough to eat, and help refugees around the world to build safe, just and dignified lives.

As well as raising vital funds for the world’s most vulnerable people, they also shared their powerful experience with family and friends, bringing the refugee struggle closer to home in a way that

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We’ve been humbled and inspired at the stories and messages of each and every Ration Challenger who put their money where their mouth is, and took a stand for refugees. Thank you for making a difference!

“I only had to do the challenge for a week, unlike many others who eat like this every day. It made me realise how thankful I am to live in Australia and proud that I was able to raise awareness of this issue.” Karen, Kirrawee “I really enjoyed the opportunity to have conversations with people about refugees and asylum seekers. Many people only engage with popular media and only ever see negative portrayals designed to dehumanise and demonise. I felt the ration challenge gave me a really positive platform to engage people and try to gently get them to open their eyes.” Kirsty, Seville Grove “The ration challenge was hard at times but remembering why I was doing this and how much it could help someone, even just one person, was what kept me going.”

Kirsty McCarthy, Glenelg South “It was an eye opening experience. I learnt to appreciate not only what I have and where I live and the country I was born into to, but to also have respect for the refugees who do it so tough. Until this, I had never really done much to understand refugees, but since this challenge I have been more passionate about the issue and have plans to do more for them in my local area.” Alicia, Darwin

“It was elevating as an activist to see so many people and groups rallying around the cause and contributing in a positive way.” Bec Melrose, Engadine “Before the ration challenge I was very focused on myself.

This challenge reminded me that not everyone has the opportunities in life that I do and [I have] the ability to make a difference.” Georgina, Brisbane “Challenging but exciting! It was one of the best weeks of my life!” Tanisha Bennett, Hoxton Park “It was so humbling and eye opening to realise that this is how people survive... you are aware of these things, but it's not until you are in that situation that it really hits home.” Felicity, Hoppers Crossing “Great experience. This was a tough challenge but very humbling, making my first world problems seem so insignificant”. Tim Symonds, Altona

Pre-register now for next year’s Ration Challenge

“It was one small way to take personal ACTION on the issue of asylum seekers and refugees at a time when I feel totally hamstrung politically to help effect change or express my support for those seeking protection.”

Alice, Glebe

This year’s Ration Challenge kits sold out. If you’d like to take the challenge next year, pre-register now to guarantee your place!

“I emerged from the challenge extremely grateful and appreciative of the countless blessings we are privy to in this nation, and with a renewed urgency and determination to prevent people from having to live without adequate nutrition. I'll always remember this experience. Extremely glad I participated in this challenge!” Kirsty Sharneil, Albion Park

Visit www.actforpeace.org.au/pre-register

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Your action, your impact Your action, your impact

WE’RE FOR

The 2015 Budget was announced in May, and the news wasn’t good for Australian Aid. The Government’s cuts mean that Australia is now one of the least generous developed nations in the world and the most selfish we’ve been in our proud history of international development.

You’re standing alongside supporters of other international relief and development charities to campaign for Australian Aid. Australia’s aid program reaches millions of vulnerable people and communities around the globe. According to the Australian Council for International Development, in the last year alone Australia’s aid program enabled over 1.3 million more children to enrol in school, built more than 9,000 new classrooms, vaccinated more than 2.3 million children, gave 2.9 million people access to safe drinking water, and 1 million people access to basic sanitation – as well as responding to humanitarian crises in more than 20 countries.

While ordinary Australians continue to show their generosity to the world in the wake of the Nepal Earthquake and Cyclone in Vanuatu, our Government is moving to reduce Australian Aid to its lowest level in history.

Despite the life-saving difference it makes, over the last two years the Government has made the most significant cuts to aid in the history of our aid program. Since September 2013, projected aid expenditure has been reduced by more than $11 billion over five years. This year it will fall by 20%– the single biggest in-year cut to aid ever.

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Richard Wainwright/Act for Peace

AUSTRALIAN AID

Aid has become an easy area for the Government to cut, being the source of more than a quarter of the Federal budget savings despite being only 1% of Federal expenditure. Next year, our aid budget as a share of national income will fall to just 22 cents in every $100. It puts at risk the progress we’ve made helping millions of people living in poor communities.

Act for Peace is a member of the Campaign for Australian Aid, a joint initiative of the Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge coalitions.

The campaign is for all Australians who believe we can and should do more as a nation to end extreme poverty around the world.

Australian Aid is part of who we are as Australians.

We’re the kind of people who believe in a fair go not just for ourselves, but for our neighbours too.

If you believe we can and should do more to end extreme poverty around the world, you can add your voice to the campaign for Australian Aid at: www.australianaid.org

demanding a humanitarian approach to refugees

Once again Australia is being shamed in the international community for its inhumane and immoral stance on refugees and asylum seekers.

Over the past month more than 26,000 of you signed the Act for Peace petition telling Tony Abbott “nope nope nope” is unacceptable – we need a humanitarian approach to refugees.

Ben Littlejohn/Act for Peace

HAVE YOUR SAY...

“I was horrified by Tony Abbott's response to the question of whether Australia is going to help the Rohingya people stranded on boats, by saying "Nope, nope and nope".

Shame on you Tony Abbott, you do not speak for me.”

- Philippa Joyce

“I want Australia to be a kind & generous country, not selfish and cruel.”

We are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis: for the first time since the second world war, there are more than 60 million forcibly displaced people around the world. The average time spent in a refugee camp is 17 years.

By towing boats back to sea, keeping people in detention offshore without the possibility of gaining asylum, returning people at risk of further human rights abuse, and even rewriting the law to remove international protections.

- Marjorie, Bairnsdale, VIC

Every day, tens of thousands of people flee their homes to avoid human rights abuses such as torture, persecution, armed conflict, extreme poverty and even death. Many risk – and lose – their lives trying to find safety. And how does Australia respond?

More people are signing the petition every day. If enough of us take action, together we will show our Government that Australians are a fair and generous people, and that we want our refugee policies to reflect this.

- Jenny Pike

If you haven’t already, you can sign the petition at: www.actforpeace.org.au/refugees

““But there for the grace of God go I.” That applies to all of us who are lucky enough to live in Australia.

Surely we can be kind and compassionate and share what we have.”

“I am appalled at the cruelty of our detention system– it makes me ashamed to be Australian.”

- Caroline Thompson

“We cannot stand by and watch the suffering of these people. ‘For the triumph of evil it is enough that good people do nothing’. Sadly, there are a lot of good people doing nothing in our parliament today.”

- Anne Shay

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Give a Gift for Peace!

Show your family and friends how special they are with a meaningful gift that will help rebuild lives.

Each ‘Gift for Peace’ comes with a beautiful fridge magnet and gift card with room to write your own personal message.

Visit www.actforpeace.org.au/gifts and view the catalogue today.

$2 5

Vegetable Garden

mar Zimbabwe / Myan

“ It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving ” — Mother Teresa Ben Littlejohn/Act for Peace