Lifelong humanitarian honoured for dedication to reuniting families in PNG

by Nic Batch, Head of Migration Development at Australian Red Cross

Ms. Aidah Kenneth from the Papua New Guinea Red Cross has been announced as a recipient of the inaugural Movement Family Links (RFL) Medal during the 2024 Council of Delegates.

The Council of Delegates also takes place every two years and is a meeting of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to discuss and make decisions on internal matters of the Movement, such as policy issues, strategy and coordination among the Movement's components.

Aidah was one of the five Red Cross people awarded the prestigious, first-of-its-kind award in Geneva, recognised for twenty years of her work; twelve years as a volunteer, then as Chair and now as Co-ordinator of Red Cross on Bougainville.

I was on the RFL Medal selection committee as part of our membership of the RFL Leadership Platform involvement. All five winners of the Family Links medal were incredibly inspiring. I was delighted to see PNG Red Cross recognised on a global stage in this way because it demonstrates the reach and importance of RFL work as a core service across the Movement, and it shines a light on the valuable work done by our colleagues in PNG in difficult circumstances that people would not otherwise be aware of.

Aidah’s medal was presented by Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General and CEO of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: “Aidah’s incredible dedication to reconnecting families torn apart by conflict, particularly through her tireless work in Bougainville, reminds us of the profound impact compassion and resilience can have.”

“Today we honour Aidah Kenneth whose journey with the Papua New Guinea Red Cross began in 2008 following her distinguished teaching career. Aidah’s dedication to helping the people living in the most vulnerable settings has seen her rise from volunteer to chairperson and now coordinator for the Autonomous Bougainville.

“Since 2017, despite limited resources, she has led the recruitment of a dedicated team of 25 volunteers from across Bougainville reaching even the remotest area to locate and interview families of missing persons.

“Her relentless work has allowed these families who often remain invisible to register their missing loved ones officially, marking the fastest steps in creating Bougainville’s registry of missing persons and ensuring that the needs of these families are not forgotten, even 25 years after the conflict ended.

“Aidah’s compassion, integrity and courage have transformed lives. She’s a beacon of hope and trust reminding us that even years after conflict, healing and answers are possible. Thank you Aidah.”

Supporting our neighbours through capacity building across the Pacific

Australian Red Cross’ involvement with the Restoring Family Links program supports and connects through our international network across the world, and this carries through to our ongoing ways of working with our National Society partners across the Pacific region.

It is crucial to build resilience in communities, countries and regions that may be impacted by displacement following disasters and conflict. By focusing on training and education, we continue our approach of walking alongside communities and capacity building where it’s needed.

In late 2023 and early this year, our Restoring Family Links team in Australia have been supporting the training of our Papua New Guinea Red Cross volunteers in Bougainville, PNG. This both raises awareness of the initiative and educates on the impacts of the program and the powers of ongoing connections to reunite individuals and families who may have lost contact with loved ones.

The team undertook virtual training in Restoring Family Links (RFL) basics alongside our International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Movement partners, as part of a broader volunteer training schedule for our Pacific partners.

This support is equipping volunteers not only to be able to support the work of the National Society in Papua New Guinea in the event future RFL enquiries are received but also to assist the work of ICRC in Bougainville with their support to authorities in establishing an Office of Missing Persons Bougainville – officially inaugurated in June 2023.