Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign

Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign (AFFHC) was a charity in Australia aimed at raising awareness about poverty and hunger in Australia. Founded in 1961, it merged with Community Aid Abroad in 1992 (now known as Oxfam Australia).[1]

History

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The first AFFHC meeting was held following the launch in 1960 of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's five-year campaign, Freedom from Hunger.[note 1]

AFFHC membership was initially open to organisations rather than individuals, and these included unions and community interest groups. AFFHC grew to become a national organisation in 1964, and adopted its first constitution in 1965.

In 1981, AFFHC adopted a new constitution, and in the mid-1980s, its national office moved from Canberra (where it had been since 1979) to Sydney. In 1992, AFFHC merged with Community Aid Abroad.[note 2]

Activities

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Projects undertaken by AFFHC have included appeals for India (1966), East Timor (1975), Kampuchea (1981), and famine relief appeals for Ethiopia, Tigray, and Eritrea (1985).

In June 1971, it began a campaign to drill 6,000 new wells in India's parched regions.[2]

In 1972, AFFHC began funding Aboriginal organisations including the Aboriginal Advancement Association and the Aboriginal Medical Service. The early 1980s saw AFFHC increase its support for indigenous issues and programs, with a grant to the Yipirinya School in the Northern Territory, a campaign calling on the Queensland Government to repeal the Aborigines and Torres Straits Islanders Act of 1971 and support for Aboriginal land councils.[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ Freedom from Hunger was intended as a community campaign aimed at raising global awareness of the issues of poverty around the world as well as providing opportunities for communities in developed countries to directly support anti-poverty programs in the developing world.
  2. ^ Community Aid Abroad is now called Oxfam Australia.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Oxfam Australia". Freedom From Hunger Project. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  2. ^ "The Australian Freedom From Hunger Campaign is drilling 6,000 wells in India's parched regions". The Lamp. 28 (6). June 1971. ISSN 0047-3936. PMID 5208634.
  3. ^ "Our history | Oxfam Australia". www.oxfam.org.au. 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2023-08-09.

National Library of Australia [Website] http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms4529 (7 Dec 2005)

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