Action Aid Australia is unhappy at the governments broken election promise to increase aid to 0.5% of gross national income by 2015. The current Labour government has now cut almost $2.7 billion from their aid program and delayed the 0.5% target by a full year. This could have been a lot worse if you guys hadn’t have supported the calls for the Coalition to keep their commitment.

Thanks to the bombardment of many charities online media campaigns, it is believed that Bob Carr decided to intervene due to the intense pressure to keep their promises. Rumours are abound that the government was planning to defer by up to five years, or even abandon the scheme altogether!

We now have the opportunity to back up our early campaign and send messages to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to keep the coalition’s commitment. She is a well know advocate of the aid program, and as a long standing supporter we need to offer her our support to ensure this important topic is kept high on the priority list.

Why not send an email to Julie.Bishop.MP@aph.gov.au and ask her to keep the coalition’s commitment. She’s on our side and needs as much support as possible to succeed where the government has failed not just us, but those people who are living in desperate poverty and badly in need of our help. Together we can make a difference.

Sponsor a Child with Action Aid Australia

To sponsor a child is a simple and easy way to help turn around a life that is in desperate need of your help. For less than $1.50 a day, you can help provide a child in need with food, clean water and the education they require to rise above poverty. You will receive -

• A one-to-one relationship between you and child
• A photograph and information about your child’s life
• Regular updates direct from their community
• Two personal messages a year

> > Click here to Sponsor a Child with Action Aid Australia

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Widely respected Carrie Bickmore has recently been announced as a new UNICEF Australia Ambassador. Carrie, who is known nationally as the television presenter of Channel 10’s The Project, will become the ambassador for the Eliminate Project, a brand new partnership with Kiwanis International to help try and eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus.

UNICEF Australia Spokesperson, Tim O’Connor, said -

We hope Carrie will help UNICEF build more empathy and understanding in the community for the world beyond our shores.

We may not have heard of this disease in Australia, but this dreadful affliction kills one baby across the globe every nine minutes. Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus causes new born babies to suffer from painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. The tetanus will also kill the mother too.

It’s a dreadful disease, but one that can be easily prevented from just three doses of a 60% immunisation. This not only protects the mother, but also the tetanus  immunity to any future babies. Simple.

This disease is killing up so many innocent babies and mothers each year, and needs to be prevented. Hopefully the new Eliminate Project, led by Carrie Bickmore, will see more than 100 million mothers immunised, and stop tetanus in it’s tracks once and for all.

Help Support UNICEF Australia with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with UNICEF Inspired Gifts. Presents start at just $10, and for a little as $32 you could buy a virtual charity gift like a football and pump for children in refugee camps to free their minds and experience the ‘beautiful game’.

There are so many to choose from, and these thoughtful gifts would make an ideal present for a loved one…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to purchase a UNICEF Australia Inspired Gift

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

UNICEF Australia representative Joel Madden is asking for everyone to get involved in giving their Mum measles this Mother’s Day! This is not as crazy as it sounds though, as you can purchase the little lady a charity gift that provides vaccines to help protect up to 100 children from the deadly disease.

Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, and though easily treated with a simple vaccine, many countries do not possess the facilities to immunise their communities. After a child contracts measles, their immune system becomes so low that something as simple as a common cold can become life threatening. Medicine to treat this has been available for over 40 years, yet in developing countries, many children have no access to this simple yet life saving treatment.

Joel Madden said -

I’m so excited to be able to lend my voice to this campaign. Mother’s Day is a time to spread the love, so Harlow and Sparrow will be getting their mum a UNICEF gift of measles this Mother’s Day. I’ve seen first-hand the great work UNICEF does, changing the lives of children around the world and I’m excited to be able to lend my voice to this campaign. Thanks to inexpensive, lifesaving vaccines measles deaths have decreased by 74 per cent globally over just the last few years. But in working with UNICEF, I was shocked to learn that this terrible disease still kills 450 people – mostly children – every day.

So why not give your mum a gift of measles this Mother’s Day and help protect up to 100 kids from this deadly disease. It only costs $31, the same as a bunch of flowers, and your gift could help save someone’s life. It’s that simple.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Help Support UNICEF Australia with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with UNICEF Inspired Gifts. Presents start at just $10, and for a little as $32 you could buy a virtual charity gift like a football and pump for children in refugee camps to free their minds and experience the ‘beautiful game’.

There are so many to choose from, and these thoughtful gifts would make an ideal present for a loved one…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to purchase a UNICEF Australia Inspired Gift

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

WWF Australia has welcomed the news that South Korea has passed a new legislation to begin an Emissions Trading Scheme starting in 2015. South Korea is our countriess third largest export market, and last year alone received over $22 billion worth of Australian goods. WWF charity officials are now calling on the Australian government to take South Korea’s lead and help transform the countries clean economy.

The Emissions Trading Scheme is a system used to control climate change by providing economic incentives for pollution reduction. South Korea’s ETS is  similar to Australia’s carbon price mechanism, offering the future opportunity to link the two country’s schemes. The South Korean government has already allocated a whopping $83 billion to drive investment in cleaner technologies, an initiative that has been strongly welcomed by WWF.

WWF Australia Climate Change Manager, Kellie Caught, said -

South Korea’s decision to make large companies start paying for the carbon pollution they release into the atmosphere is yet another important sign of global progress to tackle climate change. With carbon pricing laws currently in place in 31 European countries, plus New Zealand and South Korea, and schemes being implemented regionally in the US, Canada and China, it is no longer tenable to claim Australia is acting alone. What is particularly impressive about this move by South Korea is that it was done with bipartisan support, in the face of stiff opposition from big polluting industries. Despite being a highly industrialised country, South Korea clearly sees future competitive advantage in clean energy and low pollution technologies.

WWF Australia is now calling on calling on not just the government, but also the countries industry leaders to transform Australia into one of the world leaders in clean energy. Let’s not get left behind as the ‘Green Growth’ agenda makes steady progress across the globe and not at home.

Help WWF Australia with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as $70 you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF Australia

View other top charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

UNICEF Australia is asking for your help in asking the government to provide 50 cents from every $100 of our national income to those living in poverty. In 2007 the Australian Government issued a promise to offer 0.5% of GNI to help aid development programs across the globe by 2015.

This crucial support from our nation will help thousands of people out of poverty and lead them towards a brighter future. The Government is currently providing just 35 cents from every $100 of national income towards their promise, and still only half way towards their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This puts Australia 13th on the league table of the amount of aid we give from 23 rich countries, with countries such as the UK planning on donating double the amount that we will. It’s time for us to remind the Australian Government about their promised commitment in helping the world’s poor.

Simply click on the link below to send an email to Treasurer Wayne Swan to ask for Australia to give their fair share to those living in poverty across the globe.
We are currently falling behind the rest of the international community regarding the amount of aid we give, so why not add your voice to help remind the Government to keep the promise. I just did and it literally takes 30 seconds, all you need to do is add your name and email address.

Together, we can make a real difference to the lives of millions.

> > Click here to sign online

Help Support UNICEF Australia with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with UNICEF Inspired Gifts. Presents start at just $10, and for a little as $32 you could buy a virtual charity gift like a football and pump for children in refugee camps to free their minds and experience the ‘beautiful game’.

There are so many to choose from, and these thoughtful gifts would make an ideal present for a loved one…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to purchase a UNICEF Australia Inspired Gift

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Oxfam Australia is asking for your help to design a T shirt for their GROW campaign. This is a great way to get your designs seen across the world, and all for a good cause too!

The GROW campaign is all about food equality. With up to 1 billion people going to bed hungry every day across the globe, now is our time to try and fix the world’s broken food system. The Oxfam GROW initiative is striving for better sustainability across the board. From seeds to soil, via farmers to corporate distributors, we can all make a change to fix the world’s food system.

Oxfam has teamed up with RedBubble to find the best design for the new GROW campaign image. Their web community will decide which are the top 20 designs, with the winner being chosen by an Oxfam panel of judges. This is a great chance for budding designers to get their work out to a wider audience, and with the competition in full swing, now is the last chance to enter.

All entries need to be in by the end of April 2012, with the winning entry being used throughout the Oxfam GROW campaign. So if you’d like to submit a design, simply click on the link below to visit the RedBubble to apply online.

> > Click here to enter up today

Help Support Oxfam Australia at the Fair Trade Store

You can help raise funds for Oxfam Australia with a Fair Trade Gift. Items start at just $1, and there’s loads to choose from. They are the perfect present for a loved one, and ensure that the producers are given a fair price for their goods and not exploited.

> > Click here to order with Oxfam fair Trade Shop

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

CARE Australia is asking for your help to assist them in trying to stop hunger across the globe, with children and their families suffering from West Africa to Papua New Guinea. The current food crisis in West Africa due to lack of rainfall is leaving many families in extreme poverty with nothing to fall back on.

Parents are having to sell many of their possessions, including livestock, and with food prices going through the roof, a humanitarian disaster could be just around the corner. Pest infestations have destroyed crops across the Sahel region of Africa, and now up to 10 million people are at risk. Working on long-term solutions with vulnerable communities can break the hunger cycle and help prevent

Early action will help save many lives, so why not help the people of Africa with a CAREgift? There’s loads to choose from, and each recipient receives -

• Choice of Gift card or e card
• The ability to help a community out of poverty
• The knowledge that their gift is making a huge difference

CARE Australia is an international humanitarian organisation that helps fight poverty across the globe. They specialise in helping to empower women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities.

> > Click here to give a CAREgift

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Médecins Sans Frontières’ have ended their mental health program after 18 months in the Kilinochchi district of north Sri Lanka. Their front line officials were on hand to providing counselling for those people who were suffering from the psychological trauma created by conflict and resettlement. Offering one-to-one counselling as well as group sessions, the team helped over 7000 children, parents, teachers and community members.

Their timely departure coincides with the local Ministry of Health committing to developing better community based psychosocial services. The Ministry, alongside the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists, have been trying to raise awareness of mental health issues since early 2011. Médecins Sans Frontières has now trained ten psychological support officers and ten field assistants to continue their work in the Kilinochchi general hospital. They have also helped develop community-based psychosocial services in eight schools,  and provided guidelines to further develop mental health projects in the north of Sri Lanka.

Médecins Sans Frontières’ country manager in Kilinochchi, Michel Plouffe, said -

We hope that these promises will be realised and that tangible projects will follow, as mental trauma due to conflict, and ongoing stress related to resettlement, will need long-term structural support.

Médecins Sans Frontières will continue to work in Mullaitivu district hospital in Sri Lanka. Here they will be providing support to the emergency unit and providing mental health care for the local people. Let’s hope that all their good work continues to bear fruit and that the local authorities continue to offer relief for those people suffering from mental health problems in Sri Lanka

> > Click here to make a donation to Médecins Sans Frontières

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Not long now until Mother’s Day in Australia, and what better way to celebrate than giving your mum measles! Well, not exactly, but you could purchase her a virtual gift from UNICEF Inspired Gifts like a measles vaccine kit for $31 that will protect 100 children from contracting the disease.

Up to 450 people die across the globe every day from measles, with those that survive from this killer disease left with blindness and brain damage. Australian of the Year, Geoffrey Rush, has one simple request for you this Mother’s Day – he’s calling on all Australians to give their mum measles!!

Geoffrey said -

Australia has not seen a major epidemic of measles in Australia for almost 20 years, but around the world, 450 people die every day from this deadly yet entirely preventable disease. I want you to give your mum measles this mother’s day. A gift of fab jabs from UNICEF will protect 100 kids from measles for just $31. Come on Australia, spread the love this Mother’s Day.

By purchasing a measles immunisation kit from UNICEF Australia, you will be helping stop many deaths. Mother’s Day 2012 will be held on Sunday 13th May, so if you are looking for something a little different to give the little lady this year, why not try an Inspired Gift from UNICEF Australia.

Help Support UNICEF Australia with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with UNICEF Inspired Gifts. Presents start at just $10, and for a little as $32 you could buy a virtual charity gift like a football and pump for children in refugee camps to free their minds and experience the ‘beautiful game’.

There are so many to choose from, and these thoughtful gifts would make an ideal present for a loved one…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to purchase a UNICEF Australia Inspired Gift

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Action Aid Australia is asking for your help in telling the government to continue to commit money to foreign aid. 5 years ago Australia agreed to give 0.5% of our gross national income to foreign aid, but now this commitment is under threat as the Federal Government is meeting to decide whether to continue with their promise.

Please click on the link at the bottom of this post to ask new foreign minister Bob Carr for more money to help protect the rights of the world’s most vulnerable people. This financial commitment by the Australian government will see the continued life saving programs across the globe save many lives.

Australia has long provided support to the world’s poorest communities. The Prime Minister and Treasurer need to keep the Government’s promise of giving  0.5% of the countries GNI for foreign aid until 2015 as originally promised. The aid we provide helps transform the lives of the world’s poorest communities and can help provide a real life solutions to global poverty.

Simply click on the link below to ask new foreign minister Bob Carr to defend Australia’s aid program. It literally takes 30 seconds and can help save many lives across the globe.

> > Click here to sign petition

Sponsor a Child with Action Aid Australia

To sponsor a child is a simple and easy way to help turn around a life that is in desperate need of your help. For less than $1.50 a day, you can help provide a child in need with food, clean water and the education they require to rise above poverty. You will receive -

• A one-to-one relationship between you and child
• A photograph and information about your child’s life
• Regular updates direct from their community
• Two personal messages a year

> > Click here to Sponsor a Child with Action Aid Australia

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."