News Shorts: $620m health security funding boost, social sector Voice campaign launches, new charity-led business coalition and more
1 March 2023 at 4:43 pm
All the news you need to know from around the sector.
$620 million announced for regional neighbours
Southeast Asia and the Pacific are set to receive a $620 million boost, with the federal government announcing funding to address health challenges facing our regional neighbours.
The Partnerships for a Healthy Region program will be delivered from 2023 to 2027, and support five key areas threatening health security. This includes communicable disease prevention and control, including vaccine development; sexual and reproductive health and rights; non-communicable disease prevention and control; strengthening health systems and making them more resilient; and cross-cutting priorities such as supporting gender equity.
The announcement comes after campaigning last year by the Health Expert Advisory Committee, a group of respected Australian health agencies including the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, among others.
New charity-led business coalition spotlights child safety
National not-for-profit organisations YMCA Australia and Australian Childhood Foundation have partnered together to drive action on child safeguarding across Australian businesses, by assessing risks, developing policies and practices, and sharing resources with organisations.
The newly-established Australian Child Safeguarding Business Coalition, which received seed funding from Westpac Group’s Safer Children Safer Communities program, has already gathered support from high-profile corporations including TikTok, IHG Hotels & Resorts and the GPT Group.
“We have a responsibility to children who are some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Supporting the coalition means we can work with other organisations who share our interest and commitment to safeguarding children. If we get it right for our children today, we are setting up our communities to be safer into the future,” said Westpac’s chief sustainability officer Siobhan Toohill.
First Nations people with disability supported in new partnership
First Nations voices will be at the centre of a new NDIS First Nations Strategy, co-designed by the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) in partnership with the NDIA. The strategy will involve an action plan reflective of the aspirations and experiences of First Nations people with disability and will align to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
NDIS minister Bill Shorten welcomed the partnership, saying it “represents the type of cooperation necessary for the NDIS to thrive for all its participants”.
The partnership will also involve the establishment of a First Nations Advisory Council, which will provide advice to the NDIA to ensure programs and initiatives are culturally safe and embed principles of self-determination.
Social sector coalition launches to support Voice
Key organisations across the social sector have united to throw their support behind establishing a Voice to Parliament in the upcoming referendum.
Oxfam Australia, ACOSS, ANTAR and the Fred Hollows Foundation launched the Allies for Uluru Coalition, representing 144 organisations and thousands of individuals, as a means to drive meaningful action on the matter. It follows the First Nations-led yes campaign which formally kicked off in Adelaide last week.
“This inclusion in the Constitution, along with enshrining a Voice to Parliament, is long overdue and critical for Indigenous Australians to have self-determination and a greater say over their lives, alongside Treaty, and Truth,” said ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie.
Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their connection to Country in the Constitution and enshrining a Voice to Parliament is long overdue and critical for Indigenous Australians self-determination #Yes23 #AlliesForUluru
— ACOSS (@ACOSS) February 28, 2023
Social enterprises selected for inaugural incubator
Eight social enterprises working to break cycles of disadvantage across Australia have been chosen to participate in Paul Ramsay Foundation’s inaugural Social Enterprise Growth Incubator.
The 10-month program, delivered by not for profit Sefa Partnerships, will provide expert coaches, networking opportunities and personalised learning exercises to participants to help accelerate growth and drive social change.
Participants include Ability Enterprises, Blend Creative, Free to Feed, Fruit2Work, Hamlet, Hotel Etico, Social Science Translated and Welcome to Country.
