Dr. Helen Durham is a seasoned humanitarian with three decades of experience, and she shared a little from her humanitarian career, including working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the head of International Humanitarian Law in Geneva. She highlighted her commitment to engaging with all members of the RedR Australia family, recognising the ATs as integral to the organisation's success.

Sharing our vision

Helen emphasised her vision for RedR Australia's training, explaining that it aims to be "the best training in the humanitarian sector across Australia and the region." This vision hinges on our clarity of purpose, staying true to our humanitarian principles, and actively incorporating feedback from trainers to enhance training content and quality. RedR Australia also plans to diversify its training and more directly address important themes like localisation, capacity sharing and continuous development.

Embracing new technology. Preserving in-person connections.

The discussion also touched on the possibility of using new technologies and digitising training programs. While open to the idea of integrating online learning, Helen emphasised the importance of preserving the valuable in-person connections and experiential learning opportunities that RedR’s traditional training courses offer, which set RedR’s courses apart from others.

Helen and the ATs also discussed balancing the need to create new training programs with refreshing existing ones. Helen suggested we start by refreshing existing courses to ensure they remain relevant and effective, while also taking initial steps to develop new courses. She also acknowledged the growing demand for climate-related courses and emphasised the importance of addressing this need.

Enhancing localisation and collaboration

Helen also discussed the evolving landscape of humanitarian aid, with continued growth in localisation, diversity and inclusion. She highlighted that RedR Australia's courses, particularly the Essentials of Humanitarian Practice (EHP), already incorporates diversity and inclusion principles, but further emphasis on localisation was needed.

Regarding collaboration with other RedR organisations, such as RedR UK and RedR Indonesia, Helen expressed her vision of playing a leadership role within the RedR Federation and leveraging opportunities for collaboration, while clarifying the core differences between RedR organisations.

Looking forward

The meeting between RedR Australia's new CEO and its pool of trainers was an important chance to connect and shape a brighter future for humanitarian training and emergency response.

Helen's commitment to maintaining humanitarian principles, enhancing training, and fostering collaboration within the RedR Federation sets an inspiring path for RedR Australia's continued growth and impact in the humanitarian sector.