Panel discussion on the Donate Responsibly messages about donating after disasters - with a focus on the response to the Tonga volcano eruption and tsunami.
The public response to the Tonga eruption emergency has illustrated both the effectiveness and challenges for coordinating the generosity of the public. This webinar is an opportunity to hear from some of those involved, to understand the importance of donating responsibly for effective disaster response measures.
Panelists
David Harris is a very well-known figure across Sydney and NSW’s Pacific communities. David has firsthand experience of international relief and development operations having overseen NazCare/Nazarene Compassionate Ministries’ (NCM) Asia Pacific international relief and development operations from February 2006 – 2014. In his current role as Cumberland City Community Centres Coordinator and Berala Community Centre Coordinator, he works closely with Pasifika communities and organisations across Sydney’s western suburbs. David has served as an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene since 1996.
Sevu Waqa has been a very active Pacific community leader since 2010 and has led Fiji and Pacific focused community activities in Sydney and NSW. In addition to his extensive community outreach experience, Sevu was Digicel’s Diaspora Channel Manager for Australia from 2015 – 2019. This role saw Sevu professionally engaging with Pacific diaspora groups across Australia. After leaving Digicel Pacific Sevu launched his company Kokonutvibe Pty Ltd a business consulting company specialising in ITC for Pacific SME businesses in the region and is launching the Pasifika.World brand, a digital platform for businesses in March 2022.
Finau Heuifanga Leveni (Programmes Manager, Caritas Aotearoa). For the past 20 years Finau has worked across the Pacific, Asia and Europe both for the International Federation of Red Cross and as a Diplomat for the Tongan Foreign Ministry. She is passionate about elevating indigenous voices in aid and development, is an international Disaster Law Consultant and a founding member of the Pacific Koloa Collective, a NZ based think-tank for indigenous Maori and Pacific aid and development practitioners.
Aaron Davy, Humanitarian Manager, Council for International Development has been involved in the development and emergency response/humanitarian sector since the late 90s. With a background in policy and operations, personnel and organisational compliance, training and human resources, Aaron has previously worked for MFAT’s NZ Aid Programme, and managed the International Aid Worker Programme for NZ Red Cross. Aaron has supported humanitarian operations in the Pacific, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, and Australia.
Moderator
Jonathan Capal has a background in developing and managing remittances, financial literacy, migration and development projects and has led the Asia Pacific office for DMAG since 2008. Within the Pacific, Jonathan led the development and management of SendMoneyPacific for 13 years, and now manages the SaverPacific platform that includes real time remittances price and service information for Pacific diaspora and labour mobility workers in Australia and New Zealand. Jonathan has recently developed with IOM, pre-departure emittances training for Pacific labour mobility workers in Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.