MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
Australia will take another step towards reducing poverty in the Asia-Pacific region with 150 new Youth Ambassadors to be sent into the region to support development projects.
The new recruits from the fourteenth round of AusAID's Australian Youth Ambassador for Development program will be farewelled from Canberra today.
The Australian Youth Ambassador for Development program has been a great success since its inception in 1998, placing over 1,400 young Australians in partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hailing from every state and territory in Australia, the 150 new Youth Ambassadors will be deployed to 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, where two-thirds of the world's poor, or 700 million people are living in poverty.
They will fill a variety of challenging and rewarding development roles including Human
Rights Officer in Bangladesh, Maternal and Child Health Adviser in Cambodia, Customary Lands Researcher in Laos and Infection Control Nurse in Vietnam.
Australian volunteers, such as our Youth Ambassadors, play a vital role in the fight against poverty by transferring their unique skills and knowledge to help people in developing countries build sustainable communities.
Volunteering in developing countries is not easy, living conditions and climates can be harsh; however the personal rewards can be immense.
All of these young Australians are to be commended for their commitment to helping our friends and neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Youth Ambassadors are scheduled to commence assignments from between three to 12 months by mid October 2005.
In the 2005-06 budget the Australian Government expanded the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development program, taking total funding to $52.5 million over four years and increasing the number of placements from 230 to 400 per year by 2006.
For further information on the Youth Ambassadors program please visit the AusAID website
Media inquiries:
Chris Kenny (Mr Downer's office) 0419 206 890
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590