News

The Blue Pacific Pro Bono Collaborative was able to mobilise ten Australian lawyers from four leading law firms to Fiji for secondments varying from two months to two weeks. Through the Collaborative, Australian lawyers work alongside Fijian lawyers appointed by the Fiji Law Society to provide pro bono legal support to the Pacific Community (SPC), the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) and the Fiji Law Society. During that time, the lawyers work on projects that address issues such as gender-based violence, access to justice and community resilience, therefore contributing to stability and security in the region.  

For NAIDOC Week our Australian and international teams were invited to attend a presentation by the First People’s Assembly of Victoria on the Victorian Treaty process.

Following a highly successful 2024 program pilot, University of Tasmania students are now being invited to apply for the 2025 UniGO program.

As we draw towards the end of National Reconciliation Week, AVI is proud to announce the endorsement of our second Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan by Reconciliation Australia. Echoing the sentiments of Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Ringo Terrick who joined us for the launch event, this Reconciliation Action Plan is not just a document that sits on a shelf, it is a formal and public document that holds us accountable to our commitment to work towards reconciliation and truth-telling.

In the wake of the October 2023 Referendum, AVI continues to stand in solidarity and unity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and, alongside more than 50 organisations in Australia as a signatory to the new ‘Statement of Commitment’. This statement sends a clear messaging, affirming that “We will not be fair-weather allies, we will not turn back, and we will not hesitate in continuing to fight for justice and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

AVI’s President Sam Mostyn is appointed to the role of incoming Governor-General of Australia.

The Australian Government’s agreement with AVI to support the Solomon Islands Medical Partnership for Learning Education and Research (SIMPLER) concluded on 31 March 2024. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and the National Referral Hospital (NRH) will assume ownership of the SIMPLER projects from here on.  

The Blue Pacific Pro Bono Collaborative will be able to scale up its pro bono work, providing free legal support to Pacific-led sustainable development projects that address climate change as well as stability and resilience in the Pacific. This is made possible with new grant funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through the Integrated Security Fund (ISF). The ISF uses a whole-of-government approach to find creative solutions to promote international peace, security and stability.

AVI’s President Sam Mostyn is appointed to the role of incoming Governor-General of Australia.

The Blue Pacific Pro Bono Collaborative is a partnership between four major law firms and aims to provide pro bono legal support to satisfy the urgent, unmet legal needs of local partners working at the forefront of the climate crisis in select Pacific Island Countries.

Solomon Islands Medical Internship Bridging Program celebrates 10 new graduates who are now ready to commence their Internship Program this year at Honiara’s National Referral Hospital (NRH)