Membership Directory - Individual

Peter Michelson

NA at NA

Member Since: 1970

About

Peter Michelson’s association with Vietnam began in 1968 as an Infantry Platoon Commander in the First Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment. In 1969, as part of that tour, he was awarded a “Mention in Dispatches” for Distinguished Service. Peter had also been in action in 1965, in Sarawak during confrontation. He resigned from the Australian Army in 1990 and he has subsequently worked for NGOs, including the National Trust and the Australian Cancer Society. In 1997 Peter returned to Vietnam as the spouse of the Australian Consul General, Ms Lisa Filipetto. He began working for CARE International and he organized their response to Typhoon Linda which killed about 3000 people and devastated Ca Mau Province. He was recruited by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Peter became integrated into the Vietnam Red Cross. His contribution has included building 80 schools, over 2000 low cost houses, several clinics, an eye hospital, clean water systems, providing overseeing the construction and delivery of 6000 fishing boats for farmers and a self–sustaining village in Pleiku for people living with leprosy. Peter also had an interest in “Primary Health Care”, assisting Agent Orange Victims, re equipping several Provincial hospitals and arranging more than 2000 cataract operations. Peter has been involved in several disaster relief operations since Typhoon Linda. He began the international aid effort after Hue had been inundated and cut off from the outside world. In 2000 Peter was deployed to the Mekong Delta for five months bringing help to impoverished and dislocated people. During these periods Peter initiated the return of the USAF and the RAAF to Vietnam. He also instigated the return of the Australian Army, for “Exercise Water Dragon” which was a joint operation to teach the VNRC how to operate fast, inflatable rescue boats. Between 2001 and 2006 Peter has worked for the Swiss Red Cross. As a veteran Peter became the “In Country President of the AVVRG” Peter wrote the submissions which subsequently persuaded the Government of Vietnam to recognize the Long Tan Cross as a significant war relic and memorial site. As a result of his work Peter was awarded the Vietnam Red Cross Medal in 2000 and the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2004. During 2012 Peter was based as a volunteer in Vienna where he assisted in helping to establish the King Abdullah International Center for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue (KAIICID). KAICIID is a tripartite arrangement between the governments of Austria, Spain and Saudi Arabia which has a Board comprised of nine leaders from the world’s major religions.

Industry: NGO

streetAddress: NA

Email: Available to Members

Phone: Available to Members

Honorary Member: Available to Members

AGM Voting Right (Voting/ Non-voting): Available to Members