Foreign Aid: Future Directions and Challenges
Event details
Presented On:
Thursday 18 May 2023, 6.00pm - 7.15pm, ACST
Online & Allan Scott Auditorium, Hawke Building,
UniSA City West Campus, 55 North Terrace Adelaide
MAP
18 May 2023
Foreign Aid: Future Directions and Challenges
INSIGHTS FROM
GARETH EVANS AC KC
AND
BILL ARMSTRONG AO
staff member provides disaster Psychological First Aid services to a client in Fiji.
Bottom: AVI (Australian Volunteers International)-SIMPLER medical laboratory services
Does foreign aid truly make a difference?
Join us for an important discussion on the future direction of foreign aid policy with former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC KC FASSA FAIIA and former Director of Australian Volunteers International, Bill Armstrong AO.
Bill's career has been devoted to grassroots community development, while Gareth's focus has been on program and policy development and advocacy at the highest levels of global governance. Drawing from their diverse and complementary lived experiences, they will share their hopes and concerns for global development, particularly in a world marked by the escalation of arms and defence spending, widening wealth disparities within and between nations, and the increasing gap between countries with access to education and those without, which disproportionately affects girls.
As part of the conversation, they will consider the impact of foreign aid and the challenges for the future, with a particular focus on the role of Non-Government Organisations that are already overwhelmed with responding to catastrophic weather events and displacement of peoples. Additionally, the discussion will explore what the future holds for our neighbours in the Oceania region.
Gareth Evans served as Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister from 1998-1996 and CEO of the International Crisis Group from 2000 to 2009. Bill Armstrong was the Director of the Overseas Service Bureau later known as Australian Volunteers International from 1982 to 2001.
The book Everything and Nothing - The Life and Development Work of Bill Armstrong, written by Peter Britton, provides an in-depth account of Bill's career in community development. If you are interested in learning more about the book or how to purchase it, please refer to the information provided below.
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre
speakers
Purchase the book
Being everything and nothing? it's an old community development technique. Done right the critical work you do looks like nothing, it's invisible, it's in the background. But it can also change everything, it can catalyse people and communities to take their own action for change.
This book is about Bill Armstrong's life in international and community development. It's about the people and events that influenced him and the social, political and economic issues he has worked to change. Long known as a critic of traditional aid programs, Bill's approach crystallised around support for self-determination, most evidently with the people of Timor-Leste and the First Nations people of Australia.
Everything and Nothing - The Life and Development Work of Bill Armstrong is written by Peter Britton. Peter joined the staff of Australian Volunteers International (AVI) in 1984 where he worked closely with Bill Armstrong for 18 years. After 32 years at AVI, he undertook to write a history of this iconic organisation.
Everything and Nothing - The Life and Development Work of Bill Armstrong is available to purchase directly via the book website.
Presented by
The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre
While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia, or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - Building our Future. The Hawke Centre reserves the right to change their program at any time without notice.
