Costello reverses gaming donor rule

Michelle Pountney 04jan05 THE sheer horror and devastation of the tsunami crisis has prompted World Vision to accept donations from gambling groups. Renowned anti-gambling crusader the Rev Tim Costello, now chief executive officer of World Vision, was so shocked at the carnage he saw during four days in Sri Lanka he reversed the organisation's usual policy. "Having just come back and given what I have seen of this humanitarian crisis, I have reversed that decision," he said. The backflip came as public donations to Australian charities soared towards $80 million. Last week World Vision knocked back $500,000 from ClubsNSW, an organisation of registered NSW clubs. "If there are any gambling outlets that want to give to World Vision, we will accept the money now," Mr Costello said yesterday. "Even though the policy still in a moral sense stands, this crisis is a humanitarian crisis beyond any differences, and even my well-known public stance on gambling. "It's that important." The $500,000 from ClubsNSW was donated to Care Australia. Australians have continued to dig deeply to support the charities that are helping the tsunami-ravaged nations. Last night they had pledged almost $80 million to various funds. Among the larger charities, Red Cross had raised $38 million, World Vision more than $16 million, Care Australia about $12 million, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad had $8 million, UNICEF $4 million and Save the Children more than $1 million. Most charities said their administration and fund-raising costs accounted for no more than 10 per cent of money raised, while UNICEF said no administration fees were taken out of emergency appeals. Mr Costello said the response from the Australian public had surprised him. "I left believing that this might occupy Australian minds for a couple of days and compassion fatigue would set in and Australians would go back to their summer holiday and Test cricket. "I think it's probably a significant moral moment, spiritual moment, and historical moment in Australia's life because of the level of compassion and generosity." Red Cross spokesman Vedran Drakulic said the level of donations and support had reduced many volunteers to tears. Apart from a lull on January 1, he said phones had been ringing constantly with more promises of aid. World Vision Asia Pacific regional vice-president Lynn Arnold headed to Bangkok yesterday to co-ordinate the relief effort. He warned it would take at least 10 years to help affected communities recover. He outlined a four-step plan for relief and rehabilitation, beginning with the immediate emergency relief phase, which would last for about two months. "The immediate emergency relief phase is to make sure food and water, kitchen utensils, blankets and shelters get to people over the next six to eight weeks," Mr Arnold said. The following stages would involve helping communities rebuild physically and socially, helping regions stage their own economic recoveries, and replacing physical infrastructure. Despite his extensive history of travelling to areas of humanitarian crisis, Mr Costello said nothing could have prepared him for what he saw in Sri Lanka. "The intensity of it is not just watching bodies being loaded on to a cart, but suddenly realising that a sweet sickly smell that you hadn't registered what it was is the smell of human bodies," he said.