Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

DFAT website helps Aussies help Japan

The Federal Government has devised a tool to help Australians support Japanese people affected by the recent natural disasters

The Federal Government has devised a one-stop Web tool to help Australians support Japanese people affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March.

Foreign minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday told a group of more than 70 foreign envoys in Brisbane he had been overwhelmed by the number of Australians wanting to help after the disaster struck Japan's main island of Honshu.

The 'Australia Helps Japan' Web portal, run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), will provide an immediate access point for any aid donors, big and small, he said.

Individuals, companies and groups will be able to identify the relief agencies working in the affected areas, he said.

The portal also explains how someone can link up with local schools, authorities and the network of sister cities and other relationships between Japan and Australia.

"We wanted to provide a one-stop shop for the Australian community to go to to identify how they can help Japan," Rudd said.

"It might be a very small gesture, it might be a very large gesture... So, this is one small way which we, in Australia, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, have decided to assist."

Rudd also said a DFAT Twitter account would be set up so the department could send information as effectively and as quickly as possible to Australians travelling overseas.

The foreign minister on Thursday announced that Bruce Miller would be Australia's next ambassador to Japan, replacing the long-serving Murray McLean.

"He will take up his position at a time when Japan will be working hard on the enormous rebuilding task following the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami," Rudd said.

Miller is currently the Deputy Director-General of intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments (ONA).

Previously, he was a DFAT senior career officer, has twice served in Australia's Tokyo embassy and speaks Japanese.

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, etwork, Federal Government

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: Australia Helps Japan, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, government, Japan earthquake, Japan tsunami, kevin rudd
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • The Pathways ICT Leadership Development Program Brochure and Curriculum 2012
    Developed by the CIO executive Council, Pathways is a unique, flexible, self-managed, self-paced 12-month CIO designed and delivered professional development program that brings together best practices, thought leadership and business insights for today’s most promising ICT professionals.
    Learn more »
  • Prepare Your Enterprise for the Mobile Revolution: Boost the Bottom Line with Mobile UC
    This white paper will highlight the changes in the mobile workplace; outline the benefits of unified communications (UC) and Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) for mobile workers; identify the key market trends and business challenges IT managers must pay attention to now and into the future; and offer best practices for choosing a solution that will deliver clear ROI.
    Learn more »
  • Improving Productivity in the Connected Enterprise Through Collaboration
    In the market for collaborative applications, a large convergence is beginning to take hold, and the consumerization of IT is central to this movement. The technologies that people use as consumers are impacting the way employees, customers, and partners want to interact and collaborate at work. People want to take the same technology experiences that are available at home and plug them into their daily work lives. This movement is setting worker expectations as both employees and corporate consumers. Workers need to have the choice and flexibility to consume the applications they want, where they want, and on their preferred device. Read on.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.
Recent comments