ARHA was formed in 1995 after the International
Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo
in 1994. A major function for ARHA is monitoring the Australian
Government's response to the ICPD Plan of Action. ARHA is grateful
to its funders: the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the
David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation
and the UNFPA.
Promoting the ICPD
Seminars, conferences and submissions
Education
Research
Project development
All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and
Development
Advocacy
Information services
ICPD+5
ARHA attended the Hague Forum as a member of the official Australian
delegation, and the Youth Forum. These forums were held in the
lead-up to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session
on Population and Development, known as ICPD+5 in 1999. The Alliance
was one of two Australian NGOs to participate in the Special Session
as a part of the official Australian delegation.
ICPD program of action
ICPD+5 website
Hague Forum website
EuroNGO (European Non-Governmental
Organisations for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Population
and Development)
After the Cairo conference in 1994, a number of European non-government
organisations working in the area of reproductive health formed
a coalition with the aim of networking and sharing reproductive
health initiatives. ARHA has been involved in the organisation
as an associate member.
EuroNGOs website
Asia-Pacific Alliance
The Asia-Pacific Alliance: Advancing the ICPD Agenda (APA/ICPD)
is a network of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government
agencies, and related groups in the donor countries of the Pacific
Rim. The goal of APA/ICPD is to strengthen cooperation in support
of the population, reproductive health, sustainable development,
and other objectives as stated in the Program of Action from the
ICPD. ARHA was involved in the initial meetings in 1999 which
led to the formation of this organisation, and the Alliance's
CEO has been a member of the Steering Committee since 1999.
APA/ICPD
website
Common
Ground - workshops advancing the ICPD
The three Australian members of APA/ICPD - ARHA, Sexual Health
and Family Planning Australia, and Cairns and Far North Environment
Centre - began a series of workshops in 2001 which brought together
staff from family planning organisations, representatives from
conservation councils and other environmental organisations, and
ARHA members. The workshops, which are being run again in 2002
around the country, aim to promote understanding of the links
among environment, population and development issues and to further
develop resources on these issues for use by family planning and
other NGOs to communicate these issues to their constituents..
A resource kit on these issues was developed as a result of these
workshops for use by family planning, environment and development
NGOs to communicate these issues to their constituents. Common
Ground is funded through APA/ICPD by the David and Lucille Packard
Foundation.
Family Planning Australia website
Cairns and Far North Environment
Centre website
ARHA keeps the issues
of reproductive health, population and development on the agenda
through regular participation at conferences and seminars and
through submission writing. In 2001, ARHA presented papers at
the following conferences:
- Australian Society for Reproductive
Biology
- Public Health Association of Australia
- Abortion Providers' Conference
A complete list of papers presented at
conferences appears on the papers and
submissions page. In addition, ARHA staff or members attended
the following conferences and workshops:
- Fourth Australian Women's Health Conference,
Adelaide, February 2001
- Population Action International workshop
on advocacy, USA, March 2001
- Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive
Health, Philippines
- Global Educators' Network of Australia
conference, August 2001
- 6th International Congress on AIDS
in the Asia-Pacific Region, Melbourne, October 2001
ARHA-run conferences and seminars
ARHA has run the following conferences and seminars, which have
included eminent Australian and international speakers:
- "Population and Environment",
NSW Parliament, 7 November 2001 (held to mark the launch of
the UNFPA State of World Population Report 2001)
- "Expanding Men's Interest in Reproductive
Health", Commonwealth People's Festival, Brisbane, 8 October
2001
- "Health for All into the 21st
Century - Reproductive Rights and Responsibilities", Parliament
House (Canberra), February 1998. Proceedings from this conference
are available.
Planet Without a Plan
youth conferences
An important part of ARHA's work in supporting the ICPD is working
with young people. In July 1998 the Alliance ran the first of
a series of youth conferences, titled "Planet Without a Plan".
Each conference is attended by several school groups - usually
years 9-12, and runs for a whole day. Speakers cover a range of
issues including sustainable development, global population issues,
reproductive rights, the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and the environment.
The objective of the conference is to inform young people about
these issues and their interconnectedness, while providing experience
working with their peers and professionals from a range of agencies
in a conference environment. At the end of the presentations,
the students break into groups and develop "Plans for the
Planet", drawing together the issues covered in the presentations.
Since 1998 conferences
have been held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. In
2002 five conferences are being planned:
- Adelaide (8 March)
- Perth (5 June)
- Hobart (11 July)
- Brisbane (17 October)
- Canberra (1 December)
If you would like further information
about a conference in your city, please contact the Publications
and Information Officer.
Resources
In 2000 ARHA developed a curriculum kit to be used in high schools.
It has since been updated and distributed to a wide range of schools.
The kit comes with handouts ready for use in the classroom, and
can be downloaded below. To read the documents below, you will
need the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your browser. This
is available free from Adobe's
web site.
If you would like to
be sent a hard copy of the kit, please contact the Publications
and Information Officer. We would be happy to receive feedback
on the kit.
ARHA publishes a Briefing Pack on Population
and Development which is a very useful resource for teachers,
students, members of the press, or anyone needing a neatly presented
overview of the key issues in population, development and the
environment. It is fully referenced to assist with further research
or reading.
The briefing pack can
be viewed online. If you would
like to be sent a hard copy, please contact the Publications
and Information Officer.
ARHA promotes research
relating to the development of family planning and other reproductive
health services. ARHA is supporting research by Leslie Cannold
into abortion law and pro-choice campaigning in Australia, which
will be published in 2003 as The Australian Pro-Choice Movement
And The Struggle For Legal Clarity, Liberal Laws And Liberal Access:
The Extended Australian Report of the "The Johannesburg Initiative".
ARHA also publishes a
series of occasional papers. The papers can be viewed on the submissions
and papers page
In 1999, ARHA began exploring options for developing projects
in the Pacific. More information about our projects is available
on the Pacific Project Development page.
ARHA is the secretariat
for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development.
More information on the group is available on the APPGPD
page.
While a large part of
ARHA's advocacy work is focussed on global issues or in international
fora, the Alliance has contributed to campaigns and activities
in Australia in line with its mission. These include advocating
for:
- women's right to safe, legal abortion;
- greater access in Australia to emergency
contraception; and
- legal restrictions on the import of
RU486 (mifepristone) to be removed.
Australian Council for
Overseas Aid (ACFOA)
ARHA is a member of ACFOA, and of the Advocacy, Policy and Planning
Committee and the Pacific Islands Working Group.
ACFOA website
Face to Face campaign
In 2002, Australia will join the
Face to Face campaign. Face to Face is an international campaign
to give voice to the millions of women denied basic human rights
and freedoms. The goal of Face to Face is to increase global awareness
that women's rights are human rights. ARHA will coordinate the
campaign in Australia, which will be joined by Sexual Health and
Family Planning Australia and Marie Stopes Australia.
Face to Face website
Sexual Health & Family Planning
Australia website
Marie Stopes International
Australia website
ARHA produces a newsletter
six times a year which contains press clippings on population,
development, reproductive health, the status of women and the
environment, as well as information about ARHA's activities and
information from other organisations. The newsletter is distributed
to all members, the Parliamentary Group, and interested organisations.
ARHA also provides information on these issues to media representatives,
students, teachers, researchers and special interest groups. If
you would like further information on these issues or our work,
pleast contact the Publications
and Information Officer.
