Volunteer tourism: Evidence of cathartic tourist experiences

The study involved in-depth interviews with participants of an Australian non-government organization (NGO) that organizes projects in which young volunteers aged between 17 and 26 years from Australia and New Zealand participate in welfare projects with partner NGOs in developing countries. The welfare projects provide on the ground assistance to communities; these may not lead to longer-term sustainable development through longer-term skills training but engage the volunteers and community in a mutual exchange. Typically, participants will be engaged in short term courses in health and hygiene, micro-enterprise management skills, assisting in community health projects, community service with children with disabilities or orphans, painting, construction of school playgrounds and classrooms, guest teaching in schools, cultural exchange and disaster relief. The Australian NGO provides no financial assistance for participants; it primarily organizes and facilitates the travel, project and community work. Each project lasts between two and four weeks and are thus typically short-term in duration. As such, participants can be considered 'shallow volunteer tourists' (Callanan and Thomas 2005)

Contesting Accusations of ‘Foreign Interference’: New Agendas for Australian Civil Society

In 2017 the Australian Government announced a raft of measures designed to combat ‘foreign interference’ in the Australian political system. The measures propose new constraints on civil society advocacy and threaten to seriously curtail democratic rights. They form part of global trend towards the increased regulation of International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs), driven by fears of ‘foreign’ political influence. In response to the shrinking ‘civic space’, NGOs are defining new agendas. Recently in Australia and elsewhere NGO advocates have gained some traction in extending the legitimacy and scope for political advocacy. The new rhetoric of countering ‘foreign interference’ threatens NGO advocacy, but also creates new political possibilities. This article surveys the international trends and Australian contexts; it analyses recent legislative proposals in Australia to combat ‘foreign interference’, and outlines the public debate. The double standard for INGOs and multinational corporations is highlighted as a key theme, and the article ends with a concluding discussion about emerging possibilities for new political obligations for corporations in Australi

Aboriginal women working in vocational training and education: a story from Central Australia

This article outlines research undertaken by an Aboriginal women’s non-government organization (NGO) into vocational training and education (VTE) needs and issues for remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. It describes the Central Australian context, and in particular the impact of remoteness, inequity and disadvantage upon Aboriginal people’s access to and participation in VTE. Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi (Waltja) is an Aboriginal NGO based in Alice Springs, at the centre of the desert region of inland Australia. Waltja supports the development of family services and the self-determination of remote Central Australian Aboriginal communities. Senior Aboriginal women from widespread communities govern Waltja. In their communities, and working with and through Waltja, women play a significant role in identification of training needs, advocacy for their communities, and facilitation of education and training, including VTE. This article outlines Waltja’s research over the past decade into training needs and issues and documents the organizational ‘journey’ of this Aboriginal NGO into and within the VTE system. In particular, the article discusses Waltja’s ‘Training Nintiringtjaku’ initiative to develop a professional role for Aboriginal community leaders mediating between the VTE system and their communities

Health and community services for trafficked women: An exploratory study of policy and practice

The trafficking of women has attracted considerable international and national policy attention, particularly since the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (2000), of which the Australian Government has been a signatory since 2005. The provision of health and community services for trafficked women is a central feature of this Protocol, but in Australia service provision is made difficult by how trafficked women are understood and treated in policy and legal terms. This study aimed to explore the provision of health and community services for trafficked women in the Greater Sydney region through a series of interviews with government and non-government organisations. The findings reveal that services have been inaccessible as a result of sparse, uncoordinated, and poorly funded provision. The major obstacle to adequate and appropriate service provision has been a national policy approach focusing on 'border protection' and criminalisation rather than on trafficked women and their human rights. We conclude that further policy development needs to focus on the practical implications of how such rights can be translated into the delivery of health and community services that trafficked women can access and be supported by more effectively

Privateers in Australia’s conflict and disaster zones

The private security industry has become an established component in the conflict and disaster zones where the Australian Government operates and looks set to be an enduring feature of the security landscape. Although behind the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa, Australia is now a substantial contributor to the global private security industry. Australian companies provide security services across the globe, from Asia to Africa, to governments and private clients alike. Many Australians, mostly former ADF personnel, work as contractors for PSCs—leveraging their military skills to protect infrastructure and individuals. Australians are key players in the private security industry, relied upon for their expertise, combat experience and interoperability with US and UK militaries and private security operators. The Australian Government has been forging a greater leadership role in the private security arena. Australia has been among the most forthright supporters of nascent initiatives designed to regulate the established private security industry. Australian diplomats, academic specialists and international legal experts have actively driven initiatives like the Montreux Document, the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers, and the development of international standards for the private security industry. In August 2013, Australia become a foundation member and key government supporter of the Association of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers, contributing seed funding to this non-government organisation (NGO), which aims to provide a forum to oversee PSC operations

Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Dr. Ngo Anh Son, Mr. Bui Van Khanh and Ms. Nellissa Ling for their assistance with the radiographs. We are grateful to Dr. Dr. Nguyen Gia Doi for permission to extract histological samples. This work was supported by a National Geographic Early Career Grant (EC-54332R-18);Royal Society of New Zealand Skinner Fund Grant; University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship; Australian Research Council DP110101097 and FT120100299. Histologicalprocessing was funded by the Australian Research Council (DE190100068).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Carers\u27 preferences for the delivery of therapy services for people with disability in rural Australia: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment

Background: The implementation of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is expected to generate a responsive, person-centred system that will empower people with disability to choose the services and support they receive. However little attention has been paid to examine how users of the NDIS will choose and spend their individual budgets. This study aimed to determine quantitatively the relative importance that carers of people with a disability living in rural Australia place on different therapy service delivery characteristics. Methods: A stated preference discrete choice experiment (DCE) was incorporated into a survey of carers of people with disability living in rural Australia. Carers chose between therapy delivery services differing in attributes such as travel time to receive therapy, sector providing the service (i.e. Government, not-for-profit, private), out-of-pocket costs, person who delivers the therapy (therapist or other staff) and waiting time. Results: A total of 133 carers completed the DCE. The majority of respondents cared for a child with a disability (84%), the average age of the person they cared for was 17 years (SD 14.25). Participants expressed strong preferences for a short waiting time (0-3 months) to receive therapy services; services delivered by a therapist, no out of pocket cost and travelling up to 4 hours to receive a therapy session (p Conclusion: Carers of people with a disability in rural Australia exhibited strongest preferences for short waiting times (0-3 months). Therapy services that are delivered by therapy assistants or support workers will require careful introduction to achieve uptake and acceptability

Third sector accounting and accountability in Australia: anything but a level playing field

This research report seeks to understand why some Australian not-for-profit organisations make voluntary financial disclosures beyond their basic statutory obligations. Introduction This paper surveys previous work on voluntary information disclosures in accounting reports of Australian Not-for-Profit organisations (NFPs). This is new research and is a part of a project to evolve a comprehensive explanation of why Australian NFPs disclose what they do disclose; and to capture and explain patterns of variations between NFPs between what they regard to disclose and the type of information they disclose. To accomplish this, first some background information about the NFP sector are considered. Then, the Australian NFP sector is reviewed. Third, the information needs of some key stakeholders are briefly discussed. Next, the research methodology where a literature survey which looks at not just disclosures to NFPs but to the commercial sector that are plausibly &nbsp

A research and evaluation capacity building model in Western Australia

Evaluation of public health programs, services and policies is increasingly required to demonstrate effectiveness. Funding constraints necessitate that existing programs, services and policies be evaluated and their findings disseminated. Evidence-informed practice and policy is also desirable to maximise investments in public health. Partnerships between public health researchers, service providers and policymakers can help address evaluation knowledge and skills gaps. The Western Australian Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Applied Research and Evaluation Network (SiREN) aims to build research and evaluation capacity in the sexual health and blood-borne virus sector in Western Australia (WA). Partners’ perspectives of the SiREN model after 2 years were explored. Qualitative written responses from service providers, policymakers and researchers about the SiREN model were analysed thematically. Service providers reported that participation in SiREN prompted them to consider evaluation earlier in the planning process and increased their appreciation of the value of evaluation. Policymakers noted benefits of the model in generating local evidence and highlighting local issues of importance for consideration at a national level. Researchers identified challenges communicating the services available through SiREN and the time investment needed to develop effective collaborative partnerships. Stronger engagement between public health researchers, service providers and policymakers through collaborative partnerships has the potential to improve evidence generation and evidence translation. These outcomes require long-term funding and commitment from all partners to develop and maintain partnerships. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation can ensure the partnership remains responsive to the needs of key stakeholders. The findings are applicable to many sectors