MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce today the establishment of two awards in memory of and to mark the distinguished careers of Allison Sudradjat and Elizabeth O'Neill. Allison and Liz died in service tragically on 7 March 2007 as a result of a plane crash in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Both Allison and Liz worked tirelessly to ensure that the ties of friendship between Indonesia and Australia were strengthened including through their efforts in the Embassy. These awards build on their most recent work in Indonesia, primarily but not only in the fields of development and public affairs, and ensure that their contribution to our important bilateral relationship is not forgotten.
Allison Sudradjat was the Minister-Counsellor in Indonesia for the Australian Agency for International Development, AusAID. Among Allison's many accomplishments was the launch of the Australian Leadership Awards program in Indonesia in 2006. These prestigious scholarships allow Indonesian students to study at Australian universities for a Masters degree or a PhD.
In Allison's memory, four post-graduate Australian Leadership Awards will be awarded in her name to outstanding scholars and current or emerging leaders in Indonesia. Two scholarships will also be offered to students from Papua New Guinea, where Allison was posted with AusAID in 1997-98.
Liz O'Neill was serving as the Public Affairs Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta at the time of her death. Recognising the influential role of the media in modern society, Liz worked tirelessly with Australian and Indonesian members of the media to foster a better understanding of both countries through accurate and informed media coverage.
To continue her work, an award, to be known as the 'Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award', will be conferred annually on two journalists, one Australian and one Indonesian. Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australia-Indonesia Institute, it will be open to print, radio, television and internet journalists. Award recipients will participate in a program of around three weeks in-country which will enable them to build a stronger understanding and appreciation of the broad range of issues facing contemporary Indonesia and Australia. Each year, the program will be tailored to the journalists' areas of expertise and reporting responsibilities in such areas as foreign and trade policy, development assistance, culture, people-to-people links, and education.
Media contacts:
Malcolm Cole (Minister's Office) 02 6277 7500
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590 - DFAT (Public Affairs) 6261 1555