The Australian Government’s aid initiatives 10.3

Key Knowledge: Key Skills: the priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives and the role it plays in developing programs to improve global health and sustainable human development Key Skills: describe the role of international and Australian government and non-government agencies and organisations in promoting global health and sustainable development

Global health: the health of populations in a worldwide context that goes beyond the perspectives and concerns of individual countries. Global health is about an international collaborative approach to achieving equity in health for all people worldwide.

The Australian government’s aid program Through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) the Australian Government acts to promote sustainable human development by working to reduce poverty in developing countries The purpose is to promote Australia’s national interests by contributing to economic growth and poverty reduction DFAT provides aid in developing countries in our region of the world

Where DFAT provides assistance http://dfat.gov.au/aid/where-we-give-aid/Pages/where-we-give-aid.aspx

The ways the Australian Government provides aid Provides funds to multilateral/international organisations such as the UN (about 1/3 of Australia’s aid budget) Forms bilateral partnerships with developing countries Training, advice, providing material resources and funding Improve partner countries to strengthen their economic, political, health and education systems The aim is for countries to eventually become self-sufficient Funds non-government organisations (about 6% of aid budget) Provides humanitarian assistance in times of need Personnel and materials such as food, water, shelter and health care to save lives

The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid programs infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness agriculture, fisheries and water effective governance: policies, institutions and functioning economies education and health building resilience: humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction and social protection gender equity and empowering women and girls

The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness Improving infrastructure promotes economic development, improves trade opportunities and reduces poverty E.g. reliable energy supply, better roads and transport systems, clean water, accessible health care and telecommunications systems Assists with buying/selling goods Access to health clinics, schools Ability to participate in political, social and cultural activities

The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness Trade increases economies – reduces poverty – improves living standards (better ability to afford food, clothing, housing, sanitation, healthcare and schooling) How Australia helps developing countries trade Funding infrastructure – roads – movement of goods Streamlining processes such as cargo inspection processes Promote trade agreements between developed and developing countries Training local people in global and agricultural trade, competition policy and intellectual property

Promotes growth in the private sector (businesses) through: The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness Promotes growth in the private sector (businesses) through: Microfinance (see clip) Funding and education to improve skills, increase employability Building better environments for business. E.g. business registration processes, implementing contract laws, establishing institutions to provide support to business and providing businesses with access to finance Providing infrastructure such as electricity supply, ICT systems

Australia promotes health by: The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Education and health Australia promotes health by: Contributing to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria providing funds to GAVI the Vaccine Alliance to support immunisation and health systems, and introduce new vaccines in developing countries providing funding for programs to assist malaria-affected countries in the Asia Pacific to achieve their national malaria reduction targets working in partnership with governments, WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for global polio eradication

Australia provides education opportunities by: The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Education and health Australia provides education opportunities by: contributing funds to assist children in Afghanistan attend school helping poor children in Indonesia attend school by building schools helping poor Bangladeshi families with skills training, income support and basic health care providing short- and long-term scholarships under the Australian Awards scheme to address critical human-resource needs in developing countries

The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Gender equity and empowering woman and girls Australia is helping to promote gender equality and empower woman and girls by: Implementing programs that address low levels of woman’s representation in Pacific politics Improving infrastructure so that woman have safer places to work and increase their incomes (Safe Cities Program) Helps female victims of violence get access to services such as emergency shelter, counselling and legal advice Support organisations such as UN Woman who promote gender equality and empower woman

Good governance and governments The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Effective governance: policies, institutions and functioning economies Good governance and governments Promote trade, investment, economic growth, law and order, and peace Provide stability, education and health Australia helps promote effective governance by: Providing advice to governments on financial management and establishment of health systems, police forces and legal systems Support training and security coordination, support election observers, help voter education to be delivered and support training for female candidates Improve budget processes – reducing debt Training public servants in administration positions Giving policy advice etc.

Responds to crisis situations where life is at immediate risk The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Building resilience: humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction and social protection Responds to crisis situations where life is at immediate risk Help countries develop resistance to such disasters through planning and risk-management strategies Humanitarian assistance Provide staff, emergency supplies such as medical kits, blankets, food, shelter, water Fund NGOs that also provide humanitarian assistances Work with the UN World Food Programme to deliver food and address food insecurity

To address this Australia seeks to: The priorities of the Australian Government’s aid initiatives Agriculture, fisheries and water These industries provide employment and opportunities for trade – improving economic development Food demand is rising so sustainable management of ag, water and fisheries is important To address this Australia seeks to: Strengthen markets (help small farmers and fishers) Innovating for productivity and sustainable resource use Promote effective policy, governance and reform Examples of work: Water management plans and assist with efficient use of water Building skills and knowledge of the community (farmers) particularly woman Increasing horticultural and agricultural exports to international markets Helping local farmers to supply food to hotels (tourism)

Case study – Seeds of life Student activity Watch a number of Australian aid clips and complete the following: Name programs Identify type of aid evident How do these programs improve global health and human development Identify the priorities of the Australian aid programs evident in the programs and justify your choice

AusAID - Indonesia AusAID - Security in Vanuatu AusAID - Tonga – Health AusAID - PNG teacher training AusAID - Laos -Mine action AusAID - Fiji - Health care for school children

Programs and supported programs Scholarships Disability strategy Disaster risk reduction programs Trade and development Improving education systems and access to education Climate change programs Global Enivronment Facility (GEF) Climate Investment funds Emergencty food assistance Food security Prevention and treatment of disease Human rights programs Development and maintenance of infrastructure Mine action Regional stability Water and sanitation Rural development Agriculture Food security Supporting gender equality Education Leadership roles Access to health care

Why Australia Gives Aid Australians place a priority on helping those less fortunate than themselves Giving aid improves Australia’s regional security by working with governments from partner countries and helping these countries create more stable governments and productive communities, Australia can improve its own economic and security interests Benefits to trade

Other Australian aid programs achievements

Australian aid programs achievements Polio has been wiped from the Pacific. Funding has been provided for the immunisation of 1.5 million children from measles and polio in Papua New Guinea. In East Timor, many children are now able to access educational opportunities as a result of 980 schools being reopened, including 500 primary schools. Nearly 500 000 people in South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe now have access to fresh water

Australian aid programs in Indonesia Australia is working with Indonesia to: install water and sewerage connections to 13,000 households in Banjarmasin build around 1,000 schools that can be accessed by children with disability give around 330,000 more children access to nine years of education help 80,000 villages improve their rural infrastructure build 2,000 new junior secondary schools to benefit 300,000 children

Disability achievements Australia has: supported nearly 80 Cambodians with disability to undertake leadership training provided disability-inclusive training to 375 educators and school counsellors in PNG enabled over 120 people with disability from developing countries to study in Australia supported the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji to examine at least 20,000 patients helped Indonesia build around 1,000 wheelchair accessible schools

Australian aid programs in Papua New Guinea Australia has helped Papua New Guinea: provide half a million text books for schools halve maternal deaths in Bougainville triple the number of people tested for HIV train 700 female village magistrates maintain 2000 kilometres of roads and highways send 200,000 more children to school

Complete “Seeds of Life for East Timor” Case Study page 379-380 10.3 Questions