Media Releases
For all media enquiries, please contact Emma Halgren, Media & Online Coordinator, on 0458 303 515 or ehalgren@actforpeace.org.au.
18 March 2013 Australian peace and conflict agency urges UN: Don’t miss historic opportunity to reduce armed violence
United Nations negotiations to agree on an Arms Trade Treaty, starting today, could result in fewer deaths from armed violence and stop the flow of arms that fuel conflicts in countries like Syria, according to Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia.
18 December 2012 Australian churches’ aid agency helps communities stay safe during tropical cyclone Evan
Act for Peace’s support of communities in Fiji has helped them to be better prepared for the worst tropical cyclone to hit Fiji in 20 years. Communities have been assisted as part of the Pacific Community-focused Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction (PCIDRR) program to develop disaster action plans and minimise harm to people and property.
15 November 2012 Gaza: violence will worsen plight of already-suffering civilians
Act for Peace is alarmed at the escalation of violence in and around Gaza following the death of a senior Hamas figure, and deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian plight of the people of Gaza as a result of the violence.
26 July 2012 Minister Carr urged: no backflip on Arms Trade Treaty promise
Efforts to end the irresponsible and poorly-regulated international arms trade are at risk of failure as month-long negotiations at the United Nations enter their final days, campaigners have warned.
27 April 2012 Australia must keep its aid promise
Australia cannot break the bi-partisan promise to those in extreme poverty in the upcoming federal budget. Alarmed by recent reports that this is likely, the governing body of Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia, has written to Prime Minister Gillard urging her Government not to break the commitment.
29 March 2012 Elections an important step for conflict-ravaged Burma
By-elections in Burma / Myanmar this Sunday will not change the balance of power in the nation, but could be an important step in its struggle towards democratisation, according to Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia.
21 March 2012 Australia’s detention of children highlighted in global campaign
Tens of thousands of children around the world, including over 500 in Australia, are currently estimated to be held in immigration detention simply because they do not hold the right documents, the International Detention Coalition reveals in a new report.
11 November 2011 The Christmas Bowl shines a light on suffering women in Pakistan
Australians who support Act for Peace’s Christmas Bowl appeal in 2011 will be helping to provide quality doctors and health workers in Kohistan, promote greater awareness of the importance of health care and hygiene and help women access the pre- and post-natal care they need.
3 November 2011 More Burmese people displaced in past year under 'democracy' than in previous ten
A report on displacement and poverty in Burma to be released in Australia on Monday has found that despite growing opportunities for change by the Burmese government, the Burmese army has forcibly displaced more people in the past year than at any time in the past 10 years.
17 October 2011 Australian churches help change lives in Zimbabwe through the Christmas Bowl
Church-goers who support this year’s Christmas Bowl will be helping to lift farmers in Zimbabwe out of poverty, thanks to improved farming techniques which deliver greater crop yields.
13 September 2011 Invest in peace on International Peace Day, say aid agencies
Leading Australian and international experts will discuss issues of peace and conflict resolution in Canberra on September 20, on the eve of the International Day of Peace. The panel discussion,
Build Peace, End Poverty: What Can Australia Do?, will highlight the role Australia can play in building global peace and security.
12 August 2011 Festival will Highlight Contribution of Refugees to Australian Society
The Festival of Refugees in St Kilda on Sunday August 21 will celebrate the positive and creative contributions made by refugees and asylum seekers to Australian society.
20 July 2011 Ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa exacerbates effects of drought
Severe food shortages as a result of drought, and ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa, have left millions of people on the brink of starvation, and help is urgently needed, says Alistair Gee, Executive Director of Act for Peace.
5 July 2011 International support needed for South Sudan as violence increases
As South Sudan prepares to become the world’s newest country on 9 July, Act for Peace and other humanitarian organisations are deeply concerned about heavy fighting in the disputed border areas between North and South Sudan, including Abyei and South Kordofan. Between January and mid-May 2011, over 117,000 people were displaced and almost 1,400 killed in South Sudan alone, more deaths than in all of 2010.
14 June 2011 Violence against civilians in Sudan sparks fears of return to war
Escalating violence against civilians in Sudan’s disputed South Kordofan state is leading to a major humanitarian catastrophe and threatens to return war to Sudan just weeks before the independence of South Sudan.
26 May 2011 New Global Figures Highlight Need to Act for Peace
The latest figures from the 2011 Global Peace Index launched today in Canberra show that overall the world has become less peaceful over the past year. Around 740,000 people die from armed conflict each year.
28 April 2011 Afghan campaigner will highlight need for action on deadly cluster bombs
International cluster munitions campaigner Soraj Ghulam Habib will visit Australia from 1 to 14 May to raise awareness of the grave threat posed by cluster bombs and other remnants of war. He hopes his visit will help highlight the need for strong international action to implement the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, a groundbreaking international treaty which seeks to completely ban cluster munitions for all time.
4 March 2011 Australia’s chance to stop arms sales to Libya and other dictatorships
As violence and unrest in Libya worsens, Act for Peace urges the Australian Government to increase its support for a global Arms Trade Treaty that would help prevent the flow of weapons into conflict zones and countries with poor human rights records.
22 February 2011 Churches across Australia throw their support behind the Christmas Bowl
Generous giving by churches around Australia to the Christmas Bowl, the annual program of Act for Peace, will help people in war-torn communities worldwide to rebuild their lives.
