Useful contacts
The following information is provided to support, strengthen and resource diaspora organisations that work to promote human rights in their countries of origin. These resources will assist community groups in connecting with relevant national and international campaigns, potential partners and influential actors in the aid and development sector.
Humanitarian and development agencies
Australian funding bodies
Australian Government agencies
Humanitarian and development agencies
Act for Peace supports partners to respond to emergencies and implement long-term humanitarian and development program and advocacy initiatives responding to the needs of communities in protracted conflicts or disaster-affected regions.
ActionAid funds projects around the world which support women and girls to challenge blatant discrimination in law, policy and decision making, as well as hidden forms of discrimination embedded in culture and tradition.
Through detailed research, advocacy and lobbying and determined campaigning, Amnesty International help fight abuses of human rights worldwide, bring torturers to justice, change oppressive laws and free people jailed just for voicing their opinion.
The Australian Red Cross is a leading humanitarian aid and community services charity that provides a range of services and programmes including international aid, international humanitarian law advocacy, migration support, emergency management, blood donation and community services for vulnerable people such as youth, families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
CARE is a leader within the global movement dedicated to ending poverty. CARE does so by delivering a range of developmental projects including emergency response, food security, water and sanitation, economic development, climate change, agriculture, education, and health.
Caritas Australia supports people in need around the world by assisting them to break free from the cycle of poverty, regardless of their ethnicity, political beliefs, gender or religion. Their work includes responding to emergencies, implementing Disaster Risk Reduction strategies, helping farmers with sustainable agricultural practices, building water catchments, training rural midwives and advocating for fair policies.
Crisis Action works with individuals and organisations from global civil society to protect civilians from armed conflict. The organisation acts as a catalyst and convenor of joint action whose work behind the scenes enables coalitions to work quickly and effectively.
Human Rights Watch conduct research on human rights crises in 90 countries around the world to raise awareness and advance successful strategies for ending human rights abuse, often partnering with local groups and human rights defenders to achieve our goals.
Inclusive Development International
Inclusive Development International works to support and build the capacity of grassroots organisations and communities to defend their land, natural resources and human rights against threats from harmful investment, trade and development projects. They do this through research, casework and policy advocacy.
The International Crisis Group is an independent organisation working to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world by engaging directly with a range of conflict actors to seek and share information, and to encourage intelligent action for peace.
The International Tibet Network is a global coalition of Tibet-related non-governmental organisations. Its purpose is to increase the capacity of individual member organisations, develops coordinated strategic campaigns, and encourages increased cooperation among organisations, thereby strengthening the Tibet movement as a whole.
International Women’s Development Agency
IWDA is a leading Australian agency entirely focussed on women’s rights and gender equality and work to advance and protect the rights of diverse women and girls.
Médecins Sans Frontières Australia
Médecins Sans Frontières is the world’s leading independent organisation for medical humanitarian aid. Every day 30,000 Médecins Sans Frontières field staff are providing assistance to people caught in crises around the world.
Oaktree is young people leading a movement to end poverty in three ways, which are, raising awareness about poverty and inequality in the Asia-Pacific region, partnering with grassroots organisations in the region to empower young people through funding education initiatives and leadership development and promote social change through policy development.
Oxfam are part of a global movement for change, one that empowers people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty.
PBI Australia, one of many PBI country groups, provides support to international field projects in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Kenya by encouraging civil society to bear witness as human rights observers, informing and supporting volunteers and building a support network.
Plan International is a global organisation, working in more than 51 developing countries to provide children with access to basic rights like education, food, clean water, health, protection, play, and a good standard of living.
Refugee Action Collective (Victoria)
RAC is a democratic grassroots collective representing a broad cross-section of the community with the objective of protecting refugee rights through its campaign activism.
Save the Children Australia is one of 30 member organisations that form part of the Save the Children Association which aims to share a global vision and strategy for creating better lives for children worldwide by protecting children from harm and helping them access quality education and health services.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Australia for UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency’s national partner in Australia, raising awareness and funds to support UNHCR’s global emergency response to humanitarian crises.
Transformation, Empowerment, Advocacy, Relief (TEAR) Australia
TEAR Australia is a movement of Christians in Australia responding to the needs of poor communities around the world. Priority is given to those programs that strive to involve the most marginalised and exploited members of each community, regardless of their religious or political beliefs.
UN Women is the United Nations entity responsible for promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality and was established to accelerate progress to meet the needs of women and girls worldwide.
United Nations Development Programme
UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. This is achieved through countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.
WITNESS trains and supports activists and citizens around the world to use video safely, ethically, and effectively to expose human rights abuse and fight for change.
Women in Black is a worldwide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence.
WHO staff work side by side with governments and other partners to ensure the highest attainable level of health for all people and build a better, healthier future for people all over the world.
World Vision is a worldwide community development organisation that provides short-term and long-term assistance to 100 million people worldwide.
For more agencies, visit the Australian Council for International Development website.
Australian funding bodies
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Government Grants link directory
Department of Immigration & Citizenship
Multicultural Commission of Victoria
Australian Government agencies
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid Program
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Government Ministries
Australian Human Rights Commission
Australian Members of Parliament
