IMAGINE having your world turned upside down. You and your family face immediate danger; you're forced to flee from your home and in the ensuing chaos, you become separated from your loved ones.
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You find yourself in unfamiliar circumstances; life as you know it has changed forever. How will you find those you hold so dear?
For over 100 years the Australian Red Cross has run the International Tracing Service. The service, known globally as Restoring Family Links, is the only one of its kind in the world is provided confidentially and is free of charge.
The Australian tracing service began in 1915, when Vera Deakin, a young woman from Melbourne travelled to Cairo, Egypt in the midst of WWI to work for the Australian Red Cross.
It was there that she helped establish the Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau, a service that helped relatives locate missing serviceman, the foundation stone of the Australian Red Cross International Tracing Service.
From the battlefields of Gallipoli and the Western Front of WWI, to WWII, post-war migration, innumerable natural and man-made disasters, right through to the modern day, the International Tracing Service is the last hope for many people of ever restoring contact with missing family members.
Operating in 189 countries, almost every country worldwide, the Red Cross is in a unique position to locate people who are missing due to war, conflict, disaster or migration.
Its principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality means the Red Cross can undertake searches and gain access to places that others cannot. These include conflict and disaster zones, refugee camps and places of detention.
While technology may have revolutionised the tracing service over the decades, the majority of Red Cross messages delivered around the world are still written on paper that is hand-delivered, carried into villages and neighbourhoods, in person by Red Cross staff and volunteers.
If you have been separated from family members as a result of war, conflict, disaster or migration and have been unable to get in contact with them, Red Cross may be able to help.
You can learn more about the services provided by the Red Cross by attending one of two Roadshow sessions at the Wagga Wagga City Library on May 23 in the Community Learning Space.
The morning session will be held between 10am and 11.30am and is designed for individuals and people with an interest in the International Tracing Service, specifically, Restoring Family Links, Support for Trafficked People, and Community Education and Regional Transition.
The afternoon session, 1pm to 3pm, is for professional practitioners or community members who are currently working with, or supporting people who need the assistance of Red Cross programs.
If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please contact the library 6926 9700 or wcl@wagga.nsw.gov.au.
