Australian Red Cross Delegates Program

04Delegates Program Annual Report 2011-2012Delegatesprogram overviewAs a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,Australian Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network. Withmillions of volunteers, members and staff across 188 countries, Red Cross is in aunique position to reach vulnerable people quickly in times of need and to workwith local people to provide the most appropriate assistance.Australian Red Cross recruits, trains, deploys and supports technical specialists,who utilise their skills and experience around the world in response to requestsfrom any part of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. AustralianRed Cross delegates may be mobilised to:• Work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties (‘the Federation’) to respond to the immediate impacts of disasters.• Work with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provideurgent humanitarian assistance to people affected by war and armed conflict.• Work with the Federation and National Red Cross Societies to assist peopleto prepare for and recover from disasters and achieve healthier, safer andmore sustainable lives.Delegates share their technical expertise, working directly with people in vulnerablesituations as well as strengthening the capacity of national societies to be effective,well-functioning humanitarian organisations. Through these deployments, delegatescontribute to the program’s four objectives, including:1. To help strengthen the Red Cross Movement’s disaster managementcapacity, particularly in the Asia Pacific, by strategically deploying disastermanagement delegates 1 to key roles 2 within the Federation and/or supportingnational societies.2. To assist disaster prone and disaster affected communities, particularly in theAsia Pacific, by mobilising rapidly deployable disaster response delegates 3 tosupport Red Cross National Societies’ disaster response activities.3. To contribute to the ICRC’s global mandate to help victims of conflicts andinternal violence by deploying suitably skilled delegates.4. To contribute to the effectiveness of Australian Red Cross programming,particularly in disaster management, by acquiring, retaining and sharing theknowledge and experience of returned delegates.1. Disaster management delegates include delegates skilled in water sanitation, health, shelter, logistics, tracingand general disaster management (including response, preparedness and recovery).2. Key roles are missions that have a disaster management focus in the Asia Pacific, or positions aligned withAustralian Red Cross disaster management programming, including grassroots positions or senior positions ofinfluence in key locations.3. Relief supplies and technical equipment may also be dispatched as part of other Australian Red Crossprograms or appeals, to support disaster response activities.