Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad
Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad (APHEDA), also called Union Aid Abroad, is the overseas aid agency of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, established in 1985.
The organization declares its commitment to justice, solidarity and self-reliance, not charity. It supports educational and training programs, human rights awareness, environment defence in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, Southern Africa and the Caribbean.
APHEDA's projects are designed in relation to the Decent Work agenda, including creating green jobs, vocational, agricultural and technical training, workers' rights, occupational health, gender equality, migrant labour issues, integration of people with disabilities into the workforce, etc. APHEDA is developing new projects to respond to climate change and to advance food sovereignty.
The organization is sponsored by individuals, the ACTU, unions, workplaces, AusAID. Its overseas projects involve Cambodia, Cuba, Vietnam, the Philippines, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, South Africa, Thai-Burma Border, the Middle East, the Pacific. APHEDA is managed by a board in part appointed by the ACTU executive, and in part elected by the membership. APHEDA is a member of the Australian Council for International Development and a signatory to its Code of Conduct. It is an affiliate of the International Solidar alliance of humanitarian agencies based on the labor movement, and is active in the International Trade Union Confederation Development Cooperation Network.
Latest campaigns (2010)
- Support for democracy in Burma and for refugees on Thai-Burma border
- Support for food security and health care in Gaza Strip
- Support for democracy and for trade unions in Zimbabwe
- Against cluster munitions
- For a ban on asbestos use