The core role played by volunteers in Australia's development programmes in the Pacific has been emphasised by the establishment of a new body to enhance their work.
Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), was launched yesterday to unite the government's four separate overseas volunteer programmes.
More than 900 volunteers will be deployed overseas, including to new countries such as Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Dr Susan Harris-Rimmer of the Australian Council for International Development says that AVID is a welcome creation.
"People are really well screened, they are placed somewhere, funding is secured, it is government supported and they get good access to information. So when someone is a volunteer, they are not on their own, they're heavily supported now and that means they can do a much higher level job and they can do it for much longer. You've got more support for people with families, a whole range of things. So it can be a more qualitative experience."
Susan Harris-Rimmer
