Daniel Kelly AM has won the 2021 Gatton Gold Medal for outstanding leadership and service to international humanitarian emergency response work.
Mr Kelly began his career in farming in Ayr, Queensland before moving to Southern Sudan in 1983 amidst the threat of civil war to help establish an agricultural program. Following this, he began work in humanitarian aid organisations, and settled at World Vision in 1995 where he remained until 2017 when he stepped down from his senior role as Partnership Leader/Vice President – Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, World Vision International (WVI). Mr Kelly managed the WVI responses to 40 major emergencies in 16 years, including devastating droughts across African nations, to Hurricane Katrina in the US, to Ebola and Zika viruses worldwide.
What are you most proud of?
Assisting refugee communities in their hour of greatest need, specifically refugees in South Sudan, and Chadian refugees in Darfur in the eastern Sahara. My team and I were able to help save many lives, including from malnutrition, disease and insecurity. While these communities were often viewed as ‘victims’, l have always been amazed with their resourcefulness and dedication to rebuilding their lives despite seemingly impossible circumstances.
I led a process that built an effective emergency response mechanism with global reach for humanitarian disasters - expertise, funding and relief supplies, logistic systems, and importantly, incorporated mechanisms that addressed accountability and protection.
I worked to develop a cadre of humanitarian leaders, ensuring they had the requisite skills and experience to successfully lead humanitarian activities in increasingly complex and chaotic environments. Even in retirement, I have continued to see humanitarian leadership as a priority through coaching of selected up and coming leaders.
Connecting the dots in every context
I do have to confess that there were times during my pursuit of my Rural Technology degree when I questioned the relevance of some course materials to where I thought I was headed in the field of rural enterprise. Biometrics, agricultural chemistry, entomology, hydrology, etc. But how wrong I was!
In a nutshell, I came away from my studies with a preliminary understanding of the value of managing from a ‘whole of context’ perspective. Being able to draw on a broad range of skills and experiences proved essential to managing successfully in a diverse range of very complex and challenging humanitarian contexts. Being able to ‘connect the dots’ and maximise a range of resources has been critical.
Share a fun fact about you?
My wife and I were married during my first year at UQ Gatton Campus, and recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We have four children and 10 grandchildren.
If you could change one thing about the world for the next generation, what would it be?
Promote greater respect for our fellow human beings to the extent that we each prioritise the needs and wellbeing of others, even above our own personal interests.
