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General enquiries 1 800 246 850 Donations Annual Report 1 800 811 700 2005-2006 First Aid enquiries 1 300 367 428 Blood Donor enquiries 13 14 95 www.redcross.org.au Australian Red Cross Annual Report 2005-2006 National Office NT TAS 155 Pelham Street Cnr Lambell Terrace 40 Melville Street Carlton VIC 3053 and Schultz Street Hobart TAS 7000 Tel 03 9345 1800 Larrakeyah NT 0820 Tel 03 6235 6077 Tel 08 8924 3900 ACT VIC Cnr Hindmarsh Drive QLD 23-47 Villiers Street and Palmer Street 49 Park Road North Melbourne VIC 3051 Garran ACT 2605 Milton QLD 4064 Tel 03 8327 7700 Tel 02 6206 6000 Tel 07 3367 7222 WA NSW SA 110 Goderich Street 159 Clarence Street 207-217 Wakefield Street East Perth WA 6004 Sydney NSW 2000 Adelaide SA 5000 Tel 08 9325 5111 Tel 02 9229 4111 Tel 08 8100 4500 Moving on after Cyclone Larry Jerry Galea North Queensland, 2006 Contents goal 1 7 8 12 goal 2 Champion 5 Assist and empower 15 humanitarian values vulnerable people International 7 Tsunami update 16 humanitarian law Emergencies 18 Assisting asylum seekers 8 Aid workers 22 The gift of blood 10 Overseas assistance 25 Youth & education 12 Local work 30 Statistics 40 Partnerships 42 16 18 goal 3 Forge a unified, 47 inclusive and 30 sustainable movement Governance 48 Financials 56 Production team Editorial Australian Red Cross Design House Mouse Design Printing Document Printing Australia Cover Image: Dave Tacon Australian Red Cross P2 Executive message Our Vision For many Australians, the past year will To improve the lives of vulnerable be remembered for its cyclones, floods people in Australia and internationally and fires. Most significantly of course, by mobilising the power of humanity. Cyclone Larry, which tore through North Queensland in March 2006, leaving a Our Mission level of destruction not seen since Tracy To be a leading humanitarian in 1974. organisation in Australia, improving the For those worst affected, it will be years lives of vulnerable people through before they fully recover. But what will services delivered and promotion of remain for some 300 Red Cross staff humanitarian laws and values. and volunteers who fronted the response was the extraordinary strength of spirit amongst people like Frank Sciacca, pictured here on the front cover as he prepares for his first harvest since 7 Fundamental Principles the disaster. In all activities our volunteers and staff are guided by the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Five months earlier, when an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale Humanity struck a remote region of Pakistan we The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring were truly humbled by the strength of assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavours, our own Movement as we saw Red in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering Cross and Red Crescent workers risk wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and ensure their own lives to save others in the respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship most challenging and difficult of co-operation and lasting peace amongst all people. circumstances. With 3.5 million homeless, 73,000 dead and 128,000 Impartiality injured the scale was unimaginable, but a swift and coordinated emergency It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political response prevented many more deaths. 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. The foundations of effective response on any scale are solid planning and clearly Neutrality defined goals. During the past year In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not take Australian Red Cross has worked sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, strategically toward three goals that religious or ideological nature. marry local activity with the Fundamental Principles that serve the Movement so Independence well when disaster strikes. The Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the We have recorded the highlights of the humanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their past year in the coming pages alongside respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy that they may be able these goals and they will continue to at all times to act in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Movement. underpin our work throughout the year to come. We look forward to realising Voluntary Service them with the help of staff, Board and It is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire or gain. committee members, our membership around the country, our donors and the Unity volunteers who embody the power of humanity by giving so generously of There can be only one Red Cross or Red Crescent Society in any one country. themselves. It must be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory. Greg Vickery Universality Chairman 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, Robert Tickner is worldwide. CEO Annual Report 2005-06 P3 goals 1. champion humanitarian values for the protection of life, health and human dignity through promotion, education and advocacy 2. assist and empower vulnerable people, especially those most in need in Australia and in the Asia-Pacific region, in their everyday lives and in times of crisis 3. forge a unified, inclusive and sustainable movement, soundly managed and financially secure, which reflects our country’s diversity Australian Red Cross P4 goal 1 champion humanitarian values for the protection of life, health and human dignity through promotion, education and advocacy Annual Report 2005-06 P5 Advocacy on behalf of humanity The humanitarian services provided by In the Northern Territory’s Tiwi Australian Red Cross are widely known, Islands, Red Cross supports but awareness of our advocacy on meetings of the ‘Strong Women’s behalf of vulnerable people at home Group’, which are often attended by and abroad is much less known. government officials both as a There are two reasons for this: in forum for them to consult and to contrast to the commonly understood hear the issues facing the women meaning of the term ‘advocacy’ as and their families. public campaigning, many successful In the Australian Capital Territory Red Cross advocacy activities take Red Cross volunteers and staff place in confidence and, secondly, working in the community follow up there is a misperception that the concerns from clients about various organisation’s Fundamental Principles providers with the agencies of ‘impartiality’ and ‘neutrality’ prohibit concerned or refer them to advocacy, which is not the case. appropriate agencies. Some examples of advocacy in action At a national level, Red Cross over the past year illustrate this: engages with the Australian Around the country, Red Cross government and government draws the attention of government agencies on key issues of and agencies to the health and relevance. In the past year this welfare needs of people in included representations on immigration detention and of asylum weapons and treaties and weapons seekers who are not entitled to control, and the ‘fair trial’ work or to social security. requirements for people detained for the alleged commission of crimes in In South Australia, Red Cross is the fight against terrorism. represented on a state committee for the annual Anti-Poverty Week in October, which encourages schools and other agencies to raise awareness of poverty and the ways we can work together to prevent such hardships. Profile Mallesons Stephens Jaques leading the way in advocating volunteerism Promoting volunteerism is an advocacy role that has been taken on with gusto by Australian Red Cross’ longest term corporate partner, Mallesons Stephens Jaques. Nominated during the year for the Prime Minister’s Awards for excellence in Community Business Partnerships for longevity, in recognition of their long term relationship with Red Cross, Mallesons have actively encouraged 25 percent of staff to get involved in volunteering for Red Cross programs like the Good Start Breakfast Club for kids who would otherwise go without breakfast (pictured). The firm also enables staff members to provide free legal information and advice on site at Brisbane’s Red Cross Night Café for young homeless people, and to make calls from the workplace each day through Red Cross’ Telecross program to elderly and isolated people living alone to check on their wellbeing. In addition to their substantial workplace giving financial donations and free legal work each year for Red Cross, Mallesons staff are helping to advocate for volunteerism by example. Australian Red Cross P6 International Humanitarian Law Protecting civilians in times of conflict – live debate Some of Australia’s most prominent legal, military and academic minds came together with the Australian Red Cross in Melbourne on the anniversary of the Nuremburg Trials in October 2005 to consider the most pressing humanitarian issues arising from current conflicts. Moderated by SBS newsreader Anton Enus, a live stage hypothetical ‘All’s Fair in Law and War,’ considered a fictitious conflict where the use of cluster bombs in urban areas led to the death of a large number of civilians – the so-called ‘collateral damage’ of modern urban conflicts. Over 700 people attended and the event highlighted all the basic principles of Red Crystal International Humanitarian Law (IHL), particularly that all civilians must be respected recognised and protected in times of conflict.

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