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#38Oct - Nov 2013 Saving Lives Changing Minds

The newsletter of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Pacific Regional Office

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

2 /International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesSaving Lives Changing Minds / The newsletter of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Pacific Regional Office

The Movement in Action

Learning as Haiyan hits Palau

Haiyan completely devastated island of Kayangel.

AIt was supposed to be disaster response training, but became all too real. Personnel from the IFRC, Australian Red Cross and Micronesia Red Cross had just arrived in Palau to provide community disaster response team training for staff and volunteers. In the early hours of 7 November, Typhoon Haiyan strengthened to a category five tropical cyclone: the strongest to ever make landfall in Palau. It was rapidly approaching the northeast of Palau. The team quickly switched gear to response readiness: volunteers were placed on standby, communications equipment was tested and relief supplies and equipment were prepared for distribution. That night, with the city of Koror boarded up, many people across the country took shelter in evacuation centres. It was a terrifying reminder of Typhoon Bopha that had caused so much destruction only 11 months earlier.

The following morning the damage looked severe, with numerous homes destroyed but no lives lost. Palau Red Cross Society staff and volunteers fanned out across the country to make an initial assessment of the damage and plan the emergency response operation. Over the coming days, 129 families received family kits of essential items including drinking water, tarpaulins, jerry cans, soap and towels, emergency lighting and cooking stoves. To the north of the country the island of Kayangel – once home to some 70 residents – had been completely devastated. The National Society dispatched relief supplies with the first helicopter to visit the area. Volunteers were on hand to provide comfort and support to the families who were evacuated by boat to a shelter in Koror, where they will remain for some time while their homes and livelihoods are restored.

For Palau Red Cross Society, it was a learning experience far richer than any workshop could offer. The visitors from the IFRC, Australian Red Cross and Micronesia Red Cross were able to provide on-the-job training and additional support for many of the new volunteers, and the opportunity was taken to test and assess the effectiveness of the National Society’s new disaster management plan. The lessons learned from both Typhoon Bopha and Typhoon Haiyan will help to further strengthen the disaster response capacity of the Palau Red Cross Society. With this year’s typhoon season only just beginning, there is no time to waste.

3 /International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Saving Lives Changing Minds / The newsletter of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Pacific Regional Office


Water catchments delivered to Namu atoll

Water tanks are loaded to MV Kwajalein.

On the evening of Friday 22 November, the MV Kwajalein set sail from Majuro, carrying the IFRC Drought Response Team and more than 20 tanks and guttering sets, bound for Namu Atoll in the Marshall Islands.. “It’s great to see this finally happening, after all our hard work”, said Ana Zarkovic, IFRC delegate for early recovery, water and sanitation: “The communities on Namu are ready to help with installation and we will be conducting hygiene promotion and awareness for maintaining the catchments in good condition, so they provide a lasting benefit.”

The tanks and gutters were supplied under an agreement between the IFRC and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SOPAC), with funding from the European Union. The IFRC is procuring additional tanks, gutters and other catchment materials to support families on Likiep Atoll and Mejit Island in the coming months.

Just as exciting will be the opportunity to recruit longer-term volunteers for the newly forming Marshall Islands Red Cross, which has just been recognised by the Nitijela (Marshall Islands Parliament). Hemina Nysta, IFRC Admin/Finance officer and long time member of the national volunteers group, which led the establishment of the Marshall Islands Red Cross, has been helping to raise awareness. “During my last visit to Namu, people were excited to hear about the work of the Red Cross,” she said. “I am sure we will have lots of interest from people wanting to help their communities and be a part of this amazing organization”.

A National Society is born

National volunteers group leader Dr Pinano and member Fred Nysta celebrate recognition with IFRC representative Victoria Bannon.

November 26 will be remembered as the day the Marshall Islands Red Cross Society was officially recognized. The Speaker of the Nitijela (National Parliament) gave the final signature needed for the Red Cross Recognition Act to enter into force. “It’s a great day for the Marshall Islands,” said Dr Pinano, leader of the national volunteers group involved in the formation of the National Society. “After two years and seven months of effort, we are here. But it’s just the beginning, the real work still lies ahead of us.” Indeed, the recent drought that led to the launch of an IFRC emergency appeal earlier this year is a reminder of the vulnerabilities facing many communities. “We need to prepare ourselves to respond to all kinds of situations – disasters, health issues, development issues – and it will take time to grow our capacities and meet those needs” says Pinano, “but this is a very important step on that journey.”


Family reunited after 13 years

With help from the Australian Red Cross, Samuel was reunited with his son and daughter after 13 years.

On 5th January 1999 Samuel* left his home and two children to work in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone in West Africa. During his shift, violence erupted in the city, and the hospital where he worked was attacked.

Unable to return home because of the siege and escalating violence, Samuel fled to nearby Ghana. He lost contact with his children during this time. “All my thoughts were about my kids,” he said. Despite his many efforts, he was unable to get any news of their whereabouts or wellbeing. After spending seven years in a refugee camp in Ghana, Samuel was granted a visa to come to Australia.

In Australia, Samuel approached the Australian Red Cross tracing service to help find his children. He wrote a Red Cross Message which was sent to the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society. Through its local networks, the National Society found his two children now aged 16 and 17. For the first time in many years, Samuel was able to contact his children directly and know they were safe. Nobody slept that night, he told Australian Red Cross. “We were just talking,” he said. “They were crying and talking”.

The Australian Red Cross tracing service sends Red Cross Messages on behalf of family members separated by conflict, disaster and migration. Red Cross Messages are short letters used by the Red Cross to share family news when there is no other means of making contact with loved ones.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.


Help for the Pacific

The Australian Red Cross provides technical support for Pacific National Societies to develop their Restoring Family Links services. To learn more, contact Katrina at the Australian Red Cross ([email protected]).

New acceptance criteriaThe Australian Red Cross has recently broadened its tracing criteria to accept cases where loss of contact was caused by migration. This is in line with the Restoring Family Links Strategy (2008-2018) for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The National Society now accepts tracing cases where family separation has occurred for one or more of the following reasons: • Armed conflict or other situations of violence;• Disasters• Detention in an Australian government immigration

detention facility• Migration• Health and well-being of a close family member with

whom contact has suddenly been lost• Other situations of humanitarian need, when

possible.




Water system opens in Mota Lava, Vanuatu

Children celebrate the opening of their new gravity-fed water system.

On 28 November 2013 in Torba Province, the population of Mota Lava celebrated the official opening of their newly built gravity-fed water system. The 9.5 kilometre-long infrastructure will provide water to 1,450 persons in 5 communities through 20 tap stands. The facility is able to provide 45 litres per person per day. Residents have been trained to participate in the construction effort and to maintain and repair the system in the future. Water sub-committees were set up in the five communities supplied by the gravity-fed water system.

The event was attended by Vanuatu and French Red Cross teams, community leaders and representatives of the government and corporate partner Union Electrique du Vanuatu Limited (UNELCO).

Community leaders, area council secretaries and water committee representatives signed a handover document from the Red Cross.

Funded by the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and UNELCO, this project will help people from Mota Lava to cope with the regular drought periods experienced each year.

Fiji street appeal

A young volunteer places a sticker on a passer-by to say thanks for his cash donation.

Fiji Red Cross Society staff and volunteers throughout Fiji hit the streets from 9–16 November. They shook cans and called on the people of Fiji for their kind financial support towards the annual national Street Appeal. On November 15, staff and volunteers held a health walk to promote the ‘Climate Change to Protect Human Health program. The Fiji Red Cross Society has many programmes that take place throughout the year helping to promote the health, safety and welfare of vulnerable people and to prepare for disasters. In 2012 Fiji experienced two floods and tropical cyclone Evan, which severely affected vulnerable people throughout Fiji.


Working together

Calling for cyclone preparedness in Tonga

The workshops have led to a stronger working relationship for disaster preparedness and response.

The Tonga Red Cross Society has called again on district and town officers to prepare for the cyclone season. The National Society ran one-day workshops in Tongatapu, Vavaú, Haápai and Éua.

The first sessions of this type were run in November 2012. Village district leaders were trained on the roles and relationships between communities, the National Society and the National Emergency Management Office during a disaster. As a result of the initiative, relationships have continued to strengthen. During flooding early in 2013, town officers relayed information about the situation in affected villages to the Tonga Red Cross Society, who were able to respond more quickly to the identified needs.

Each one-day program included district and town officers and Red Cross-trained village emergency response team members. It focused on refreshing people’s memories of Red Cross roles during a disaster, and introduced the National Society’s revised disaster management plan. A session with the director of the Tonga Met Services focussed upon preparedness using seasonal forecasts, presenting the three-month outlook for Tonga. District and town officers provided some great ideas for enhancing the working relationship between agencies.

Disaster simulation in three countries

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Tonga Red Cross Society volunteers attend to injuries during the Pacific sub-regional disaster simulation.

OCHA and its humanitarian partners completed a disaster simulation across Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. Over 100 people took part in the simulation, including representatives from United Nations agencies, non-government organizations, Red Cross societies, IFRC, governments, donors, schools and the community. Throughout the exercise, participants received more than 60 updates in the form of emails, phone calls, mock newspaper articles and radio broadcasts, helping to add a sense of realism to the exercise, and challenging participants to adapt new information to existing policies and procedures.

This is the first time that such an exercise has involved multiple countries in the Pacific. Held on 10 September 2013, the exercise is part of continuing efforts to strengthen response at a community, country and regional level. “The geographical size and distribution of nations in the Pacific means disasters can affect a number of countries at one time,” said Sune Gudnitz, Head of the OCHA Regional Office for the Pacific. “The simulation was a good way of testing not only country responses, but a regional response through OCHA and the Pacific Humanitarian Team.”

The scenario was based on actual events in 2009, when an 8.7-magnitude earthquake generated a tsunami that impacted both Tonga and Samoa. In both countries, National Emergency Operations Centres were activated and linked in with the Pacific Humanitarian Team in Fiji.

-- Original story: Disaster simulation boosts readiness across three countries / www.unocha.org



Ha’apai branch renewed

Volunteers from Foa district prepare to do a community assessment

The Ha’apai branch of the Tonga Red Cross Society is almost unrecognisable from the one that struggled to operate only a year ago. The successful revitalisation of the branch is testimony to the importance of reaching out to the most remote island communities, and investing seriously in resourcing and skill development at branch level.

There is one staff member at Ha’apai, the officer in charge. Last year there were only seven active volunteers. Following some difficult decisions in March 2013, a new officer was appointed. She immediately set to work cleaning and renovating the branch office space and equipment, conducted a stock take of all relief stores and recruited more volunteers. The officer has facilitated the establishment of a 17-person branch volunteer committee. Each month the committee meets and agrees to a community project for the coming month. Projects have included advocacy for the prevention of soil erosion, voluntary blood donor drives, collecting information from each village about the most vulnerable members of the community and fundraising.

Community-based first aid training has been conducted for members of the Pangai and Foa communities and for 23 people on the island of Ha’ano. First aid training sessions have also been conducted for students from each secondary school and first aid kits were distributed to primary and secondary schools. First aid volunteers are now present at local netball and rugby matches, providing an important community service and also building the profile of the branch.

Trained emergency response team members have formed local emergency response committees. The new officer and two new volunteers will soon be trained as emergency response team trainers.

The dramatic changes at the Ha’apai branch of have only been possible because the National Society has prioritized branch development and directed

significant resources to achieve this goal. Donors have provided funds for the construction of new infrastructure, transport, communications, office equipment, prepositioning of relief stock, community-based activities, staff and volunteer travel, delegates and training.

About Ha’apaiHa’apai is one of Tonga’s five major island groups and comprises 19 populated islands. The total population of Ha’apai is 6,650, with 3,796 people living on the islands of Pangai and Foa. The rest of the people live throughout the islands, which have populations of between 50 and 500 residents. While there are daily flights to the main island of Pangai, most of the outer islands rely on small fishing boats or ferries for transport.

Ba branch refurbished and ready

The branch was upgraded with generous support from a corporate donor.

The president of Fiji and patron of the Fiji Red Cross Society, His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, launched the official opening of the refurbished Ba branch on 30 October. The opening of the building was well attended by volunteers, representatives of government and the private sector, community service organisations and friends of the branch.

In 2013 the Fiji Red Cross Society received a generous cash donation of 100,000 Fiji dollars (48,505 Swiss francs) from the Vinod Patel Foundation, specifically to renovate and upgrade the infrastructure of the Fiji Red Cross Society branch in Ba. This contribution is the first of its kind, and is a leading example of how the corporate sector is actively partnering with the Fiji Red Cross Society to assist the most vulnerable.

Working together


Working together

Pacific presence in Warsaw

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At the COP 19 side-event: Linking Adaptation and Mitigation to Address Multiple Risks.

As United Nations-led climate talks in Warsaw – known as COP 19 – ended on Saturday 23 November, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for bold announcements and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen adaptation and resilience. His plea was addressed to “world leaders [and others] from business, finance, local government and civil society”. Mr Ban welcomed the decision of the 19th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to intensify immediate actions to fight climate change, and come forward with national contributions to a legally binding treaty for 2015 that would cut greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty would enter into force, his statement said, by 2020.

Mr Ban said that COP 19 was an important stepping-stone towards a climate deal in 2015, but much more needed to be done in the next two years to keep the global temperature rise below the two-degree Celsius threshold. A flexible timetable was laid down for continued work on the 2015 agreement for countries to publish their targets for emission reductions. A compromise was reached on ‘loss and damage’ caused by climate change: this year’s COP established a new ‘Warsaw international mechanism’ on loss and damage, but without the commitments on compensation requested by some of the most affected developing countries. On finance – another important topic on this year’s agenda – little progress was reported, although some developed countries did make new pledges to existing international climate funds.

The IFRC – including National Societies, the Secretariat and the Climate Centre – has been actively engaged in the COP process for at least a decade in an effort to highlight the humanitarian impact of climate change, and engage negotiators and other stakeholders to

identify solutions. It sent a 30-strong delegation to COP 19. Volunteers from the Polish Red Cross Society helped staff the IFRC’s exhibition stand at the main National Stadium venue, and the delegation organized two important side-events: a workshop co-hosted with the Center for International Forestry Research and other partners, looking at ecosystem- and community-based interventions, and the popular Development and Climate Days.

-- Original story from the Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre

Hear Sala’s perspective

Sala Toganivalu Lesuma represented Fiji Red Cross Society at the Warsaw meeting. In this video, she speaks of the issues faced by islands in the South Pacific. She says that their purpose for coming to the conference is to learn and discuss things on a global level. She speaks about the problems faced by those governments, in particular the question of relocating their citizens as the number of environmentally displaced increases. Finding solutions for these affected communities she feels is the biggest challenge. On the question of who is responsible for paying for these solutions she speaks of the need for larger countries to step up.

To watch the video go to: http://bit.ly/1gIvH8s



Working together

Assembly in Papua New Guinea

The General Assembly was opened by the governor general, patron of the PNG Red Cross Society.

From 12–21 September, the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society held its General Assembly for 2012-2013. Below is a selection of highlights from the opening speech of Grand Chief Sir Michael Ogio, governor general of Papua New Guinea:

As Patron of the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society, I am honoured to be at this General Assembly … I am proud that we are a leading humanitarian organization in Papua New Guinea, a very important and vital role in empowering and improving the lives of vulnerable and marginalized people in our communities and societies … We are established in 13 provinces in Papua New Guinea and our presence is felt fully in these provinces including the other Provinces that we are not physically present. However, we need to cover 22 provinces reaching the whole country with our humanitarian efforts and continuing these efforts requires powerful and innovative leadership with strong commitment, positive attitude and the passion to serve with trust, honesty, accountability and transparency…

We are better placed as members to serve and reduce vulnerability because we are already in our own communities, districts, provinces and the country at the national level. Resources continue to be a major challenge for us to do more, do better and reach further to serve the most vulnerable people. Therefore, it is imperative that innovative leadership must be in place to really drive in order to mobilize and harness resources that can help us to achieve our mission and vision and continue to be a leading humanitarian organization in Papua New Guinea.

Strategic Plan approved: The general assembly of the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society approved the National Society’s new strategic plan. This is a four-point plan:

Goal 1 – Reduce the number of deaths, injuries and impacts from disasters and the effects of global warming by reducing vulnerabilities in:• Disasterriskmanagement• Disasterriskreduction• Climatechangeadaptation

Goal 2 – Reduce the number of deaths, injuries and impact from disease & public health emergencies. This is reduced by:• Education• Partnership• Advocacy

Goal 3: Increase and improve Red Cross internal organizational capacity and delivery mechanism to be an effective and leading responsive organization.

Goal 4: Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity targeting youth violence, gender based violence, children with special needs. This goal can be achieve through:• Advocacy• Networkingandpartnership• Education• Resourcemobilization


Learning Together

New Zealand delegates blog

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Water and sanitation engineer Chelsea Giles-Hansen with Helena Tambwe Okongo, one of the Congolese women she is working with Burundi. Both women are 27 years old.

“It’s my last night in Bangui, and I’m cowering on the tiles of my second floor hotel bathroom. A fire-fight with AK47s has erupted somewhere near my hotel.” This somewhat alarming report is part of the latest blog post from Joshua Herron, a New Zealand Red Cross aid worker whose job it is to assess security all over Africa for the IFRC.

Like many aid workers, Josh’s work day can be challenging and like nothing anyone back home could imagine, so New Zealand Red Cross has launched an aid workers blog, enabling donors, supporters, colleagues, friends, family and the public to get a taste of what an aid worker’s life is like.

From the dangerous to the surreal, and sometimes the downright funny, the aid workers report back on problems like a goat wandering into the operating theatre, or having to work by the light of a mobile phone because their hospital has no power. Even filing a blog can be challenging – with intermittent power and internet in many places.

The New Zealand Red Cross has around 20 aid workers in the field at any one time, in the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Last year 40 aid workers completed 50 missions in 27 countries around the world, often seconded to the IFRC or ICRC. New Zealand Red Cross communications manager Corinne Ambler says the blog has been very popular and has led to an increase in people applying for the aid worker training programme, held each year in March. Places are limited and less than 10 per cent of those who apply are selected.

The New Zealand Red Cross aid worker programme is supported by funding from New Zealand Aid Programme through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. To read more aid worker blogs go to https://www.redcross.org.nz/blog/from-the-field/

Readying disaster law in Tonga

IFRC humanitarian diplomacy delegate Finau Heuifanga Limuloa and Tonga Red Cross Society legal researcher Rosamond Bing at the consultation workshop.

In 2013 the Kingdom of Tonga endorsed a new initiative in partnership with the Tonga Red Cross Society, to undertake a legal preparedness study for strengthening the legal and policy framework for foreign disaster response in the country. As a result, a Tonga Red Cross Society legal researcher has facilitated the consultation and drafting of the report.

The legal research culminated in a two-day stakeholder workshop facilitated by the Tonga Red Cross Society in the first week of October. The legal researcher presented the findings from her research on the application of national, regional and international standards as they relate to international assistance. The workshop focused on identifying the key legal and policy issues that are expected to arise in the event of a large-scale disaster requiring international assistance in Tonga. Particular attention was given to the gaps and variances with international best practices.

Through discussions and dialogue, the participants were able to exchange ideas and discuss real-life, practical recommendations to address these issues within Tonga’s existing legislative and policy framework. Participants represented the most crucial elements of disaster management, for professional and humanitarian assistance, technical and logistical support: through customs, health, public utilities, transport sector, legal experts, law enforcement, defence, civil society organisations, the National Emergency Management Office and other core disaster management agencies.

The outcome of the workshop was positive, with constructive feedback from stakeholders, full support of the report’s content and their expression of solid commitment to the implementing the findings. The National Society now looks forward to the handover ceremony in early 2014.



Learning Together

First aid trained in Koro

The Fiji Red Cross Society ran its inaugural first aid training on Koro Island.

For three days in November, the Fiji Red Cross Society conducted first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid at sea training on Koro Island. This was the first time that the Fiji Red Cross Society has taken its courses to this maritime island located in the Lomaiviti Group.

A total of 15 participants attended the course. Safety instructor Riaz Khan was very impressed with the participants who rely on the ocean for food and travel. The participants were pleased to gain new life-saving skills, as they live far away from a hospital or doctor.

About Koro and LomaivitiKoro island – which has a population of 4,500 – is the sixth largest island in Fiji. The largest town in the Lomaiviti group of Islands is Levuka. It has a population of 3,700 people and served as the capital of Fiji from 1871 to 1877.

A step forward for safer access

Pacific participants experience a simulated ambush during ICRC’s safer access training in Nadi, Fiji.

Representatives of National Societies and the IFRC attended a safer access consultation workshop in Nadi during the month of October, run by the ICRC. The workshop aimed to develop a structured approach to meeting the challenges of operating in sensitive and insecure environments, drawing on the experience and good practice of National Societies. The workshop included a simulation exercise with workshop participants, Fiji Red Cross Society volunteers and the Fiji military forces. The workshop focused on holistic capacity building around safer access issues. It also enabled the group to identify committed National Societies to pilot the safer access framework and build a plan of action in 2014 and 2015. The pilot National Societies will first work on a gap analysis with support from Movement partners.


Statutory meetings a success

Australian Red Cross president Michael Legge and CEO Robert Tickner clap as the resolution to eliminate nuclear weapons is passed at the first session of the Council of Delegates meeting.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s Statutory Meetings closed on 18 November 2013 in Sydney. The meetings brought together more than 1,000 delegates from 189 countries, including over 50 Pacific delegates (the largest Pacific delegation ever to attend these meetings). The Statutory Meetings are held every two years and set the global strategic direction for the Movement. This is the first time that the Statutory Meetings have been held in the Pacific region.

The IFRC declared three commitments on the post-2015 development agenda:

• Every community in a high risk area will have the capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters

• A volunteer in every community will be responsible for facilitating access to basic health service

• Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies will be trusted partners and effective auxiliaries to their governments in humanitarian and development work

The declaration also places emphasis on the ethical use of technology and innovation in advancing sustainable development. The General Assembly endorsed a revised set of principles and rules aimed at improving coordination between the IFRC secretariat and National Societies.

Mr Tadateru Konoé was re-elected to a second term as president of the IFRC. At the end of the General Assembly delegates endorsed the youth engagement strategy (Y.E.S.), which speaks to the role of young people in building strong National Societies and promoting community resilience, as well as the importance of their participation as leaders at all levels of the organization from governance to management to service delivery. The IFRC’s General Assembly welcomed the Cyprus Red Cross Society and the South Sudan Red Cross Society who became the 188th and 189th members of the IFRC.

Read the resolutionsThe Council of Delegates passed a number of important resolutions during this time, including, Working towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, Weapons and International Humanitarian Law and Strengthening legal protection for victims of armed conflicts. Workshops were also held to discuss issues, including, Health Care in Danger: Health-care workers, volunteers and communities at risk and Movement responses to sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict and disasters. To read the resolutions and workshop outcomes in full, visit http://www.rcrcmeetings.org/news/media/outcomes-and-resolutions/

A message of unity and hope

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The week-long meetings ended with an uplifting closing ceremony celebrating our place in the Pacific region and our strength in unity. The Movement’s leadership delivered a strong message of unity and hope for the future of the world’s largest and oldest humanitarian movement. “Our challenge looking ahead is to adapt to the changing face of humanitarian action by harnessing new technologies, improving communication with people caught in a disaster or humanitarian crisis, and guaranteeing safer access for ourpeopleinconflictzones,”saidAustralianRedCrossCEORobert Tickner. “Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are looking to the next generation of young humanitarians to respond to new cultural, technological and humanitarian challenges and help shape our future in a changing world.”

Election outcomes:President of the IFRC: Mr Tadateru KonoéVice-presidents:

Mr Abbas Gullet, Kenya, for the Africa regionMr Osvaldo M. Ferrero, Argentina, for the AmericasDr Baige Zhao, China, for Asia PacificMrFrancescoRocca,Italy,forEurope

Twenty National Societies were elected as members of the governing board, with five National Societies represented from each of the four IFRC statutory regions. Congratulations to Mr Nitin Ghandi, President of Fiji Red Cross for his election to the governing board.

See moreTo view more photographs from the meetings, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifrc/sets/72157637872604984/

2013 Statutory Meetings in Sydney



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Pacific leaders re-group

Just before the statutory events from 6–9 November, Pacific Red Cross leaders held their regional meetings in Sydney. The Pacific governance enhancement programme working group met to discuss the outcomes from the two-year review of the initiative and to define the way forward. Presidents and secretaries general had their closed meeting, the outcomes of which informed the day of strategic discussions with the IFRC regional office. This was followed by two days of policy dialogue in preparation for the General Assembly and Council of Delegates.

Some of the key decisions arising from the Pacific meetings:• Continuation of the Pacific governance enhancement programme with a commitment to five governance

‘conversations’ in 2014• National Societies to work toward self-reliance and developing financial autonomy• EstablishmentofthePacificcollaborationworkinggrouptoprogresspeersupportonresourcemobilisation,

volunteering development, financial management, information and communication technology and prepare for the conference on the sustainable development of small island states (September-October 2014).

• National Societies to engage more actively in national dialogue on the post-2015 development agenda• National Societies to follow up on international conference pledges with governments and prepare for the next

international conference• Develop a regional strategic framework to guide each National Society’s work on climate change

2013 Statutory Meetings in Sydney

Welcomes and farewellsPNG Red Cross Society offers its sincere gratitude and appreciation to John Malai and Regina Graham - former deputy national chair – and former branch chairs – and to all council members for a job well done, and welcomes the new governance leaders for 2013-2015.

Congratulations to Zakkiya Ali from Suva Muslim College in Fiji. Zakkiya won the regional speech competition on a nuclear-free Pacific and spoke at the Humanitarium Forum at the statutory meetings in Sydney.

Farewell and thanks to John Manley, American Red Cross on-loan logistics delegate to the Marshall Islands. John completed his six-week mission and has arrived safely home in Washington.

Welcome to two new National Society presidents: Wep Kanawi, new president of the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society, and High Chief Vaasili Jackson, new president of the Samoa Red Cross Society.

Welcome Victoria Bannon to the position of IFRC representative for the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This position has been established to provide closer support to the National Societies of the north Pacific.

There have been significant changes at the Tonga Red Cross Society in recent months. The National Society would like to say a big thanks and farewell to Australian Red Cross Advisor to Tonga Red Cross Society Kate Davies and disaster management and dissemination officer Siu Fangupo. Farewell to finance manager Sandra Fa’anunu, health coordinator Uepi Lea, and Teisa Fakatene, officer in charge at the Ha’apai Branch.

New members of the Tonga Red Cross Society team include: senior finance officer Kulasi Vaomotou, disaster management officer Inoke Taufa, dissemination officer Polikalepo Kefu, health coordinator Frances Tu’ifuavaha, officer in charge of the Ha’apai branch Lu’isa Palu, officer in charge ‘Eua branch Meleane Mahe, and administration officer Filimoe’unga ‘Aholelei.

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Saving Lives Changing Minds - International Federation › Global › Photos › Asia Pacific... · Saving lives, changing minds. 2 / ... respond to all kinds of situations – disasters,