The Weekly
CEO Top of Mind
Marc Purcell, what is at the top of your mind this week?
ACFID warmly welcomes the generous and principled humanitarian announcement of by the Albanese government $29 million response to addressing dire hunger in countries around the world.
The $29 million comprises 15m for the Horn of Africa, 10m for displaced people in the Middle East and 4m for the long suffering people of Yemen.
Australia playing a global role as a humanitarian responder is a vital contribution to upholding a rules based order. It takes leadership and a common sense of humanity to look beyond our backyard and help the international effort to prevent famine. Read the article here.
I’d like to pay tribute to the efforts and collaboration of the  people leading the ACFID Public Engagement Campaign Committee and Micah Challenge. Through PECC members’ campaigning, closely linked with Micah Challenge and the ACFID Policy and Advocacy Team, we have had considerable success. The Help Fight Famine campaign has successfully raised 69 million dollars from the Federal government, announced in three tranches over 9 months.
The campaign is funded by members who voluntarily contribute fees into a common fighting fund, and offer staff time voluntarily create collaboration. Members collectively contribute a total of around 150k per year to campaign together. This is spent on advertising and campaign costs. The return on member’s investment, with a total of $69 million in government announcements, looks to be effective and very good value for money. If you would like your agency to join the next phase of sector campaigning – and a new campaign in development –  please contact me at [email protected]
National Reconciliation Week 2023 – Be a Voice for Generations, has been a period of reflection and action at ACFID. We have held a staff learning event, attended events in our region, and finalised a page on our website in regards to The Voice. We encourage our members to take a look and let us know if you would like us to promote or link to resources or events that you may be organising as we near the referendum later this year.
To Attend
ACFID Connect – ANCP Insights
Join us for a virtual panel to discuss accreditation under the Australian NGO Cooperation Program. Bringing together accreditors, your NGO representatives to the Committee for Development Cooperation (CDC), and member organisations who have undergone the Organisational Review process, this panel seeks to draw out the insights from presenters to assist both current and aspiring ANCP organisations with the process.
This is a MEMBER ONLY SESSION – do not share outside your organisation please.
When:Â Thursday 8Â June
Time: 4 – 5 pm
Where:Â Online via Zoom (Zoom links will be sent on Wednesday)
To Attend
ACFID Connect – DFAT Procurement 101
ACFID invites members for an overview of DFAT Procurement led by Darren Sharp, Assistant Secretary, Development Procurement, Agreements and Systems Branch.  Darren has kindly agreed to brief all ACFID members on how DFAT procurement works, including all the ins and outs of tenders, bids, grants and contributions.  Come with your questions — the things you’ve always wanted to know but have never had the chance to ask! The session will be chaired by ACFID’s Chief of Policy and Advocacy Jessica Mackenzie.Â
When: Friday 9 June
Time: 12.30 – 1.30 pm
Where:Â Online via Zoom (Zoom link will be sent out next week prior to the session)
To Attend
Allies For Uluru – Online Voice Town Hall
Join the Allies for Uluru online community Town hall session to hear Yuwallarai woman Kirstie Parker, Director of Reconciliation Australia and Strategic Adviser to the Uluru Dialogue and renowned Arrernte and Kalkadoon director, writer and producer Rachel Perkins as they talk about why constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through a Voice to Parliament is a crucial step on the path to creating a better future.
What:Â Understanding the Voice
When:Â Wednesday 14 June
Time: 12pm – 1pm AEST
Where:Â Online
To Attend
Misconduct Disclosure Scheme – proposed Code change for humanitarian organisations
One of the proposed changes to the ACFID Code under consideration is the introduction of participation in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme as a mandatory requirement for organisations who support or undertake humanitarian initiatives. Members involved in humanitarian initiatives are invited to join ACFID to discuss and provide feedback on the proposed change.
When:Â Thursday 8 June
Time: 11am – 12pm (AEST)
Where:Â Online via Zoom
To Action
Call for Applications: UNHCR Innovation Funds 2023
The UNHCR’s Innovation Service offers four Innovation funds to accelerate innovation that makes a difference for people forced to flee. These four funds support UNHCR teams and refugee-led organizations working to creatively solve complex challenges with and for displaced communities across the world. All four funds are currently open to applications!
Find out more and apply now! Or register for an information session to learn more.
To Attend
ACFID Connect Webinar Series
Practical Steps to Integrate Climate Action: Starting the Journey
ACFID invites members to the second part of the webinar series. Aimed particularly at ACFID members who are looking to start or step up their climate action, this series will include foundational information, case studies, practical steps, participant engagement, and linkage to resources.
The webinars will build on ACFID’s Climate Action Framework and recent research (Integrating climate change action across the Australian international development sector: Setting the Scene for ANGOs and Enablers of Best Practice), and support ACFID members to genuinely consider climate action in line with the direction of the sector.
The sessions will be facilitated by Anna Gero and Dr Tazrina Chowdhury from the University of Technology Sydney – Institute of Sustainable Futures, who co-authored the papers.
Webinar 1: Wednesday 7 June, 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Webinar 2: Wednesday 14 June, 1 pm – 3 pm
Please note: as this is a two-part series, it is strongly recommended that participants attend both sessions.
Register here.
To Attend
Invitation to join the meeting of Climate Policy and Practice CommunityÂ
ACFID members are welcome to join the next meeting of the Climate Policy and Practice Community (CPPC) on June 5 from 1:30-3 pm. This meeting will be an opportunity for a stocktake of the Community’s direction and planning for how it will operate moving forward. We welcome participants from organisations that are still exploring how best to engage in the sector and incorporate climate into their work and also organisations that already have an active role in climate policy and programming.
The agenda includes: Â
- Plans for the CPPC going forwards, research planning, proposed outputs, proposed sub-groups
- Updates on engagement on CANA, Civil Pacific Civil Society, COP 31 Advisory Committee
- DFAT consultation on the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership design
Who:Â Climate Policy & Practice Community (CPPC)
When:Â Monday 5 June
Time: 1.30 – 3.00 pm
Where:Â Online via Zoom
For more information contact Head of Policy & Partnerships Antonia Pannell at [email protected]
To Attend
Save the Date: Policy & Advocacy Team Member Visits
Members of ACFID’s Policy & Advocacy Team will be meeting with members from in Melbourne from 3-5 July and in Sydney from 5- 7 July.Â
Workshops will be held on the 4 July in Melbourne, and the 6 July in Sydney.
We look forward to catching up and will be organising visits with members shortly!
To Action
ACFID is Hiring a Research Officer
ACFID is currently hiring a Research Officer (0.8-1 FTE) to support the Policy and Advocacy Team to create and implement policy positions for ACFID, particularly in the wake of the new Development Policy, through research and administrative support. This is a unique opportunity to join our Canberra Secretariat with flexible working arrangements (home or office).
To Share with Colleagues
Save the Date: Policy & Advocacy Team Member Visits
Members of ACFID’s Policy & Advocacy Team will be meeting with members from in Melbourne from 3-5 July and in Sydney from 5- 7 July.Â
Workshops will be held on the 4 July in Melbourne, and the 6 July in Sydney.
We look forward to catching up and will be organising visits with members shortly!
To Read
Albanese government urged to push international banks to stop funding fossil fuel development
ACFID is currently hiring a Research Officer (0.8-1 FTE) to support the Policy and Advocacy Team to create and implement policy positions for ACFID, particularly in the wake of the new Development Policy, through research and administrative support. This is a unique opportunity to join our Canberra Secretariat with flexible working arrangements (home or office).
To Attend
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative research seminar on humanitarian challenges
When:Â Wednesday 7 June 2023
Time: 14:00 – 15:30 (Seminar and Q&A 14:00 – 15:00, networking and afternoon tea 15:00 – 15:30)
Where:Â Deakin Downtown, MelbourneÂ
Presenters:Â Vincenzo Bollettino, PhD (Director of Program on Resilient Communities / National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership) and Hannah Stoddard, MPA (Program Manager, Program on Resilient Communities)
Previously in The Weekly:
- ACFID’s members’ projects – Explore the Interactive Aid Map here.
- ACFID Connect Webinar Series – Read more about the sessions here.
- ACFID National Conference 2023 Concurrent Sessions Expressions of Interest – Read more here and download the expression of interest pack here!
- ACFID anticipates the release of the Government’s new Development Policy, led by DFAT in the coming weeks. Read our submissions below.
Upcoming Events
| Date | Time (AEST) | Event |
| 14 June | 12pm – 1pm | Allies For Uluru – Online Voice Town Hall |
| 14 June | 1pm – 3pm | ACFID Connect – Practical Steps to Integrate Climate Action Part 2 |
| 19 June | 4pm – 5pm | AP4D Symposium | Enhancing Australia-France Coordination in the Indo-Pacific |
| 29 June | 11am – 1pm | Understanding Race & Racism Workshop |
| 3 – 7 July |  | Policy & Advocacy Team Melbourne & Sydney Member Visits |
| 12 July | 2pm – 4pm | Understanding Race & Racism Workshop |
| 30 August | 9:30am – 11:30am | Understanding Race & Racism Workshop |
| 18-19 October | Â | ACFID National Conference 2023 (Sydney) |
| 16 November | 2pm – 4pm | Understanding Race & Racism Workshop |
Food for Thought
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Australia last week, and amidst the hoopla, serious questions were raised about why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other senior Australian leaders have not been visibly raising India’s human rights record. AP4D writes in The Interpreter with some very sensible suggestions on how Australia can raise this as an issue at arm’s length from the government.
How Australia can speak up on human rights in India
Lowy Interpreter | Hugh Piper