Rotary Melbourne Weekly Club Meeting - 20 September 2023

Guest Speaker Dr Helen Durham AO, CEO RedR Australia

Topic 'Humanitarian action in a challenging world: from Ukraine to Samoa, supporting people, building systems'

Details 12.30 for 12.50 - 2.00pm at No35 Sofitel Melbourne & by ZOOM

In acknowledgement of International Day of Peace our guest speaker is Dr Helen Durham AO, a world-renowned expert in international humanitarian law helping organisations address the challenges of modern warfare. Helen has recently been appointed as CEO to RedR Australia, a corporate member of Rotary Melbourne. RedR Australia is a leading international humanitarian response agency that selects, trains and deploys technical specialists.

Today the global environment is facing layered challenges, from climate disasters to conflict, and needs a robust professional humanitarian sector to respond. Building on her long and deep experience in this area (in the field and in the corridors of power) Helen will talk about some of the current complex challenges, what needs to be addressed going forward and how we can all support such work.

Dr Helen Durham joins the Red R Australia team with 30 years’ experience in the humanitarian sector and high-level expertise in international humanitarian law, policy and diplomacy. Helen was the first women and first Australian to be the Director of International Law and Policy for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, a role that saw her actively involved in field missions in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia as well as diplomatic negotiations in New York, Brussels and London.

Helen has regularly addressed the Security Council on topics such as cyber warfare, counterterrorism and women and armed conflict, and has been the Director of International Law and Strategy at Australian Red Cross, Head of Office Australia ICRC, Legal Adviser to ICRC Pacific delegation and Director of Research at the Asia Pacific Centre of Military Law at Melbourne Law School. With a Law/Arts degree, a PhD in international law (Melbourne and New York University), as well as being admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor, she is well regarded and highly sought for her advice and opinion. In addition, Helen is a Senior Fellow at Lieber Institute at Westpoint, an honorary Professorial Fellow at Melbourne Law School and a Board member of Geneva Call. She is widely published in areas of international humanitarian and criminal law and has significant experience with the media as well as an Officer of the Order AO.

Join us for lunch and connection.