The first series of audio files from Day 1 of the conference are now available for download. Whether you weren’t able to attend, want to catch up on sessions you missed, or want to relive the action, stick them on your computer or mp3 player and get listening!
Attending the last conference changed my life - it is the reason I am now back at university in France. Lots of fun and lots to think about - I highly recommend!
Jessica Padman
2005 Conference Delegate
Merilyn Parker is a Director of Jasper Coffee; A leading Australian Fairtrade Licensed and Organic Certified Coffee Roaster.Since 1989 Jasper Coffee has grown from a small niche roaster to become a major force in the Australian Coffee Market.
As an Australian Owned Family business Jasper Coffee aims to foster well-being and sustainable economic success in all its trading partnerships through its daily choices and operating practices.
Jasper Coffee’s commitment to Economic Social and Sustainable business practice, lead to the Company becoming the First Commercial Coffee roaster to become Fairtrade Licensed in October 2003. ince that time by promoting the Principles of Fairtrade through their coffee sales in the market place they have been partnering Fairtrade coffee growers in the Rehumanising of the food chain that FAIRTRADE embodies.
This led to Merilyn to visit Peru: where she saw first hand the impact of FAIRTRADE on the lives of the people who grow the coffee Jasper sells, and met the inspirational women of the remote Penachi region of Northern Peru who have realized their dream to sell their Café Femenino Coffee to the world. Speaking the story of these remarkable women is one of her favourite activities.
Rassel Chisango is a development Project Planning and Managemnet professional, founder member and Chief Projects Officer of the Royal Youth Organisation (RYO), a youth for youth empowerment for sustainable development organisation. RYO advocates for meaningful youth participation in such critical development issues as the Millenium Development Goals and currently prioritising Youth mobilisation in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe. Rassel manages the Royal Youth Sport, Art, Livelihood and Training (RYSALT)Program for HIV and AIDS Prevention and Mitigation in the Harare Metropolitan Province of Zim. The program thrives on Youth for Youth Services - otherwise known as Youth Peer Education Services. These have been tried and tested not only in Zimbabwe but globally and have proven to be effective particularly for behaviour change programmes related to HIV and AIDS prevention and impact mitigation. Rassel is also the Coordinator of the International Young Professionals Foundation`s HIV and AIDS Network (IYPHAN) and an acknowedged Youth Advocate and soap star in Zimbabwe. As a result of his Youth and Community Development practice, he is also an Oxfam International Youth Partnerships Action Partner for the period between 2007-2010
Session Outline
On the eve of World AIDS Day, Rassel Chisango will present at Engineers Without Borders 2007 National onference. The forum will explore the impacts of HIV/AIDS on development programs and focus on the ractical and innovative approaches to education and prevention in Zimbabwe. Rassel will also share on the round experince gained through rolling out their organisation`s unique RYSALT Program for HIV and AIDS Prevention and Mitigation. This is a scale up from the Improved Urban Youth Reproductive Health Program his organisation implemented as a key implementing partner of the Zimbabwe National AIDS Council with UNAIDS support, between 2002 and 2005.He will also share a didactic and exciting musical CD recently produced in aid of his organisation`s RYSALT Program.
Brett Solomon is the Executive Director of GetUp!. He has worked both in Australia and internationally on a range of social justice and human rights issues.
Dr Chakriya Bowman is Trade Advisor to AusAID’s Pacific Group. She has responsibility for trade policy issues ranging from the WTO and “aid for trade” through to Pacific economic integration, trade agreements and bilateral trade issues. Previously Chakriya worked on trade policy for AusAID’s Asia regional program, where she managed trade and APEC programs. Immediately prior to joining AusAID, she worked in the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University on projects including the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research and the Advancing East Asian Integration series of policy maker meetings. She is the author of “The Naked Investor: Uncovering the Secrets of the Australian Financial Markets” (Text Publishing, 2005), and speaks regularly on the topic of trade and development. At some stage in her distant past she was a computer systems engineer and worked for CSC and Boeing.
Christina has a degree in environmental engineering and a background in environmental management and policy development having worked for both consulting companies and the Victorian Government. She recently returned to study to pursue an interest in overseas aid and development and is studying for a Master of International Development at RMIT. Christina worked for Engineers Without Borders during parts of 2006/07 with the Programs team. Most of her work at Engineers Without Borders was as a volunteer. Christina now works with Oxfam Australia on Oxfam’s extractive industry advocacy program.
Session Outline
The ‘Empowering Women in Mining Affected Communities’ session will outline Oxfam Australia’s work with women from mine affected communities. Oxfam has found that women are particularly affected by mining projects yet women are often excluded from the decision making processes that relate to mine development. The session will focus on a recent Oxfam initiative – the 2007 Pacific Women and Mining Conference. The conference allowed women from across the Pacific to come together to network, share their experiences of mining, develop skills, and share tools and ideas that may be used to advocate for change in their communities/countries. Locally specific strategies and solutions were also developed to address issues of concern for women from mine affected communities/countries. The conference provided an important space for women to come together, and was aimed at empowering women from mine affected communities.
