This website presents an overview of Phil's community work, photogrpahy and journalism. The site also outlines the origins and history of Phil's role in setting up two children's Foundations - The Alannah and Madeline Foundation and Renew the Spirit Foundation.
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Phil West has worked in academia, as a secondary school teacher and is a professional-standard photographer with exhibition and publishing credits.
Two Foundations - A Brief history.
Academia, the 'real world' and humanitarian activism:
Phil's doctoral dissertation examined human rights and International Humanitarian Law in relation to the Central American civil conflicts of the 1980s. Close to 500,000 people died in these conflicts over a 20 year period in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
When carying out his field research in El Salvador in late 1995, Phil witnessed the deep psychological impact of armed violence on civilians - and was especially moved by the profound and long-term imapct upon children.
Due to what he had witnessed, Dr West determined to take action to support child survivors of war by setting up an international foundation. However, a few months after his return from overseas, a shocking and bloody war-like act of violence occurred in his own country. In the months thereafter, Phil West lead a remarkable community endevaour that helped to heal and build.
In April 1996 in the Tasmanian historic tourist destination of Port Arthur, thirty-five people were murdered by a lone gunman.
Among the victims were Alannah and Madeline Mikac aged just 6 and 3 - killed with their mother Nanette.
Phil's children - Gaby and Caity - were almost the same ages as the murdered girls and Phil was the same age as the girl's father Walter. Walter was not at Port Arthur that day and thus survived. Phil's empathy and sense of similarity to Walter and his family forged a vision and a determination to build something positive from the awful events. His idea for an international Foundation to support child victims of war had changed into wanting to take action in relation to the war-like violence that had occurred in his own country.
Phil dreamed of setting up a Foundation named in honour of the murdered girls that would help child victims of violence. In its most simplist form, Phil's idea was for a Foundation that would be there to show child victims of crime and violence that the community 'out there' is a caring one. This care and kindness through counselling, holidays or other support would help the children heal and recover.
Phil met with Walter in January 1997 and put forward his idea. Walter agreed to support Phil's vision and thus The Alannah and Madeline Foundation was born. In the name of the two murdered childen (but in memory of all of the victims), the Foundation would support child victims of violence throughout the country. It was launched by the Prime Minister of Australia three months later - the first Anniversary of the massacre. The Prime Minster also agreed to be Patron.
Phil West's leadership and passion combined with Walter's Mikac's extrodinary strength of character and determination saw a small dream become a reality.
The establishment of the Foundaiton helped many of the Port Arthur victims survive the first anniversary and be able to slowly move forward in their lives. This was because the Foundation offered them something positive which helped in turn to lesson the trauma. This is one of the greatest legacies of Phil's initiative and one for which he is immensely proud.
Together, Walter Mikac and Phil West helped a nation heal.
(click here for further details of the establishment of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation Foundation).
In 2005, after seeing the Alannah and Madeline Foundation develop strongly over almost ten years, Phil returned to his original idea and passion and set up 'Renew the Spirit Foundation'. RTSF supports child surivors of war and terrorism through creative arts programs and art and play therapy. Click here for further details.
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Dr West is also is an occassional OP-Ed contributor to The Age, the Herald-Sun and The Bendigo Advertiser.
Thesis supervision: Jakarta, 2007
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Phil's daughter's Gaby & Caity:
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Phil's Grand Daughter Amelia :
Quick links:
Phil's Articles (coming soon)
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