30 January 2007
Australia Boosts Peace, Youth and Women’s Groups
The Australian Government’s development agency, AusAID, has provided extra funding for NGO’s working on peace, youth and women’s activities.
AusAID’s Director General, Bruce Davis, said during his recent visit that the aim of the NGO program is to help local NGOs deliver better services to the community focusing on peace training, youth and women’s activities.
“There is real value for the people of Solomon Islands in productive work by NGOs that supports peace, youth and women’s activities”.
”Australia has decided to extend the NGO program to ensure that communities continue to benefit from practical activities” Mr Davis said.
He noted the work is broad ranging covering peace and reconciliation, institutional strengthening of local NGO partners, through to ensuring that communities have increased capacities to identify economic opportunities across all nine provinces in Solomon Islands.
Project partners include:
• Church of Melanesia working with Anglican Board of Missions and Anglicord Consortium
• Adventists Development and Relief Agency Solomon Islands working with ADRA Australia
• Caritas Solomon Islands and the Catholic Church working with Caritas Australia
• International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA)/APHEDA and Live and Learn Environmental Education
• Tanagai Rural Training Centre working with the Marist Mission Centre
• Save the Children’s Youth Outreach Project
Mr Davis said churches and other community based organisations working with women and youth play an important role in community governance at the local level.
“Church-based development activity has been highlighted for particular support in this NGO Cooperation Agreement Program both during the extension phase and in any future activity”, he said.
The extra SBD 9 million means Australia’s three year NGO program in the Solomon Islands will continue for another 12 months.
Contact Person:
Hickson George (Program Officer), phone- 21561 ext. 267.
