Union Aid Abroad APHEDA The overseas humanitarian aid agency of the ACTU 2009 Annual Report 25 years of linking Australian workers with the world Executive Officer’s Report Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA was established in 1984 by the ACTU under the name APHEDA (Australian People for Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA Health, Education and Development Abroad) as the Australian union movement’s celebrates 25 years overseas aid arm. We assist projects in South East Asia, the of international solidarity. Pacific, the Middle East and southern Africa, working through local partner organisations and unions to deliver training in vocational skills, health and workers’ rights so women and men may commitment to assisting for workers, especially for have decent work that provides other workers in greater women workers, for a living wage, reasonable need. Their generous disabled youth and for conditions and a safe support is a tribute to their trafficked women. workplace. Our international program seeks to empower belief in justice and a fair go women and men in developing for all. Thanks to donors and countries so they and their partners families might live with their Decent Work essential None of this training is human rights respected, both to overcome poverty possible, of course, without in their workplace and in their society. The ILO, the global union two very special groups of As Union Aid Abroad – movement and the ACTU people – our donors and OUR MISSION APHEDA celebrates 25 all advocate Decent Work our partners. Without the As the ACTU’s humanitarian aid agency, Union Aid Abroad years of international as essential to overcoming generous and growing – APHEDA expresses the solidarity on behalf of the poverty. Work that provides support of our donors, the Australian union movement’s Australian trade union dignity to the worker and a trade unions and many commitment to social justice movement, it is worth living wage for their family is individual union members, and international solidarity recalling our humble essential if the more than no training would be through support to overseas education, training and beginnings, when a young 800 million workers who possible. Also, without the development projects, working Australian nurse trainer, Dr earn less than $2 a day and commitment, dedication in partnership with those Helen McCue, persuaded labour in sweatshop and competence of our whose rights to development the President of the ACTU, conditions are to ever have project partners overseas are restricted or denied. Cliff Dolan, to establish a a decent life. Independent, who actually deliver the OUR VISION trade union based aid democratic and strong training, no training could Unions and communities agency. Helen was training unions are crucial in take place. We continue to working internationally to nurses for the Palestinian ensuring that these workers be inspired by our donors eradicate poverty and achieve human rights. refugee camps in Lebanon. have a living wage, and and partners, who believe She was impressed by the therefore are able to feed, that a better world is ACFID CODE work of the Norwegian clothe and educate their possible, and are prepared OF CONDUCT Union Aid Abroad – union movement’s overseas children themselves, to work and make sacrifices APHEDA is an aid arm there, and thought without relying on to ensure it happens. accredited signatory it appropriate that Australian sponsorship from abroad. to the ACFID Code of Conduct. unions had a similar aid I would also like to thank The Code requires members to organisation. Cliff Dolan A skilled workforce the staff, both in Australia meet high standards of concurred, and APHEDA essential for decent and overseas, the many governance, public accountability and financial was born. work volunteers for their great management. For more But Decent Work also work, and the Committee of information, contact Union Aid Unions stand for requires a skilled workforce. Management for their Abroad – APHEDA or visit international solidarity Our projects assist strong support during the www.acfid.asn.au For 25 years, our many vocational and livelihood past year. We look forward CONTACT DETAILS projects in South East Asia, skills by training workers in to the next 25 years with Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA the Pacific, southern Africa literacy, sewing and confidence. Level 3, 377-383 Sussex Street and the Middle East have tailoring, agricultural Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: +61 2 9264 9343 been a living sign of the production, and sustainable Peter Jennings, Fax: +61 2 9261 1118 Australian trade union agriculture, carpentry, Executive Officer. Email: offi[email protected] movement’s belief in mechanical skills, media, Web: www.apheda.org.au international solidarity, and trade union training, HIV ABN 76 425 451 089 their continuing education, OH&S training FRONT COVER Laos: Trainees at the opening of a vocational training course run by the Vientiane Women’s Union in rural Laos. UNION AID ABROAD APHEDA ANNUAL REPORT 2009 PAGE 2 Chairperson’s Report For the past 25 years, Union Aid Abroad – WHAT IS UNION AID APHEDA has put a practical face on the trade ABROAD – APHEDA? Union Aid Abroad – union movement’s belief in justice and a decent APHEDA was established by the ACTU in recognition standard of living for all. of the union movement’s responsibility to contribute directly to countries and over 5,700 people have difference. With a human regions in the world where been trained in literacy, rights based approach to men and women workers sewing and tailoring and development, APHEDA has are disadvantaged through handicraft production for also campaigned for exploitation, poverty, women, and carpentry, democracy, rights and discrimination and civil mechanics and agriculture justice in many countries, conflict. for men, with media and and continues to do so librarian training also today in Burma, Zimbabwe Union Aid Abroad – provided. Most importantly, and Palestine. APHEDA aims to build self- we have helped establish reliance through support to and strengthen the trade Australian unions have education and training union movement in Timor much to be proud of with projects for workers and Australian unions can be Leste, ensuring that men their international solidarity their trade unions. Union justifiably proud of Union and women will have a fair arm over the past 25 years, Aid Abroad – APHEDA also Aid Abroad – APHEDA’s wage and a safe and Union Aid Abroad – assists with relief programs work in their name and on workplace. APHEDA’s work continues and emergency appeals in their behalf. to be crucially important. It cases of specific In Vietnam, health, is a living sign of the international emergencies. Over the past quarter vocational training and the Australian union century in South Africa, strengthening of workers’ movement’s solidarity with Through over 50 projects Union Aid Abroad – rights at a workplace level workers in need, and our and project partners, Union APHEDA was the lead have been a feature of our Australian unions’ strong Aid Abroad – APHEDA Australian aid agency in work, as well as assisting belief in justice and human assists many different fighting apartheid, assisting trafficked women and rights for all workers – here communities, including the ANC with capacity livelihood skills for young and abroad. workers struggling for their building, assisting those in disabled victims of Agent rights, vocational skills for exile to return during the Orange. I would like to thank the disadvantaged women and transition to democracy, many unions which support men to assist them to earn bringing Nelson Mandela to Throughout 25 years, on the work of Union Aid an income and improve Australia in October 1990, behalf of Australian unions, Abroad – APHEDA. Your their opportunities and and in recent years, Union Aid Abroad – support has grown over the options in life, assistance to assisting the fight against APHEDA has worked in years, and we are confident refugees and stateless HIV/AIDS, especially many other countries such it will continue to grow in people, those suffering from through the trade union as PNG, the Solomon the future. HIV/AIDS and education for movement. Islands and New Caledonia indigenous peoples and for in the Pacific, the I would also like to thank child labourers. In Cambodia, we have Philippines, Laos, Indonesia and congratulate our focused on and the Thai-Burma border donors and supporters for Support for these training technical/vocational in South East Asia, and your amazing generosity, projects comes from education, agriculture, with Palestinians living in our staff both in Australia Australian trade unions, forestry and fishery, refugee camps in Lebanon and overseas, and many individual union women’s health, HIV and or under military occupation especially the volunteers members and others who nutrition, and union in the Occupied Palestinian working overseas and in make regular donations, strengthening for women in Territories. our Sydney office. My international trade unions the informal economy, and thanks also to all my fellow and their aid arms as well have trained over 80,000 But it is not just projects to Committee of Management as from AusAID, the people, mainly women, train workers or strengthen members. Australian government’s aid since 1985. unions that has enabled agency. Union Aid Abroad – Sandra Moait, In Timor Leste, since 1998, APHEDA to make a Chairperson. UNION AID ABROAD APHEDA PAGE 3 25YEARS! ANNUAL REPORT 2009 A health trainer in Cambodia leading nutrition information sessions for rural workers. Health and Development There is an undeniable link between health and development. As countries develop While we in industrialised However, there are many access to personal economically and nations worry about health other indicators which are protection safety governments spend more issues such as obesity, not so obvious but which equipment in the on public health, water and pollution, addictions and have a significant impact workplace and the use of sanitation, health indicators road trauma, the 80% of on health in developing dangerous (and often and standards of health the world’s population who countries: the extent of banned) pesticides, generally improve.