PEACE- promoting world peace is a pilar of Rotary International.
One can only imagine here in Australia the devastation that is being wrought in areas such as Ukraine and Gaza, with many thousands of deaths by violent acts of war.
The following information was sourced from the Australia Palestinian Advocacy Network, ( APAN.)
Dr Helen McCue AM was recently awarded the 2023-2024 Jerusalem Peace Prize for her unceasing work promoting justice and peace in the Middle East.
In 1983 Dr McCue was a young Nurse Consultant Educator with the World Health Organisation ,( WHO), in the Middle East. She was seconded then to the United Nations Relief and Works Association UNRWA, to work in Lebanon. After witnessing the horror of the massacre of Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, she left her role to volunteer in refugee camps alongside Palestinian Nurse Olfat Mahmoud. On returning to Australia she approached the ACTU and co- founded Union Aid Abroad, APHEDA. Their first program was a community Nurse training program for nurses from the camps across the Middle East and Gaza.
In later years she co- founded Rural Australians for Refugees. She has worked at University Melbourne’s Islamic Centre of Excellence in Islamic Studies and University Sydney Law Faculty – her major focus being Muslim Women in Australia.
In 2003 Dr McCue was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for her dedication to refugee issues.
Rotary International as a respected humanitarian organization continues to seek ways of invoking Peace. Congratulations Dr Helen McCue, Peace- Maker, and great Australian.
