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UNE community contributes to Oxfam's tsunami relief work

September 12, 2005

IngridIan.thumb.jpgThe Vice-Chancellor of The University of New England, Professor Ingrid Moses, has presented a cheque for more than $5,500, on behalf of the UNE community, to Oxfam Australia for its tsunami relief program.

Professor Moses established UNE’s Tsunami Relief Fund immediately after the Boxing Day disaster, and the appeal raised more than $10,000. Earlier this year, about half of the funds raised were given to a Sri Lankan and a Thai student at UNE who had both been severely affected by the tsunami.

Presenting the cheque in Melbourne last week to the Treasurer of Oxfam Australia, Dr Ian Anderson, Professor Moses said: “Members of the UNE community responded generously to my appeal, even though many of them had already given money to individual charities. As a community we grieved for all those affected by the disaster, including those of our students and staff members who had friends and family in devastated areas. We are aware of the extraordinary relief and reconstruction efforts of Oxfam and other agencies in the field, and are happy to be contributing to those efforts.” (The presentation of the cheque is pictured here.)

Dr Anderson, who was Chair of the Board of Oxfam International from 1999 to 2003, said: “On behalf of Oxfam Australia and its Oxfam International colleagues, I am very pleased to receive this gift from the UNE community to Oxfam’s Boxing Day tsunami rehabilitation work. Among other things, the gift represents and continues the broad, long-standing support given by UNE to Oxfam Australia and its predecessor, Community Aid Abroad.”

“I am aware of numerous other gifts to Oxfam’s tsunami program that have come from the UNE community, “ he continued, “and would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have given so generously to UNE’s fund, and directly to Oxfam and the other agencies which are working so hard to assist with rebuilding the lives of people who were devastated by this great disaster.”

Dr Anderson holds a Master of Letters degree in Peace Studies and a PhD from UNE, and was the recipient of UNE’s Distinguished Alumni Award for 2004. “We at UNE are proud of our connection with Oxfam Australia through one of our most distinguished alumni,” Professor Moses said.

As well as donations from individuals, the UNE Tsunami Relief Fund included money raised from special events and activities organised by students and staff.

In reporting on its continuing efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami, Oxfam Australia says: “The Tsunami is the greatest challenge ever faced by our agency. It poses great challenges in the field, especially in Sri Lanka and India, as we seek to deliver high quality and appropriate assistance at a scale greater than anyone has had to respond to previously.”


Media contact: Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at September 12, 2005 04:39 PM