Hi, my name is Warwick Murphy. I am the director of a counselling & support agency for individuals and families struggling with the issues around addictions in Melbourne, Australia. The name of our agency is Someone who Cares Inc. Prior to working in this organisation I was the director of a residential rehabilitation centre in London called Beth Shalom.

I became aware of the work of ISAAC through my good friend and director of ISAAC, David Partington. My wife and I attended the first international conference in Canterbury, UK and have been to every conference since. We are strong believers in the work that ISAAC does.

At the 10 year anniversary conference in Holland in 2007 I was appointed as an international representative for ISAAC and I have a particular heart to see the work of ISAAC develop in the Asia Pacific region. I believe that ISAAC can have a major role in the region through networking, training in addictions, HIV education and prevention training, and offering a mentoring role to the various groups that operate in the region.

I am also pleased to be part of the ISAAC mentoring program. As part of that process I have visited, and will continue to keep in touch via email and Skype, with a small NGO that has recently started operating in Jakarta, Indonesia. Having been in the drug & alcohol field for over 30 years it is a pleasure to be able to share some knowledge and experience with people who are just starting out on the road.

As well as my work as a counsellor in Australia I am now travelling through various parts of Asia providing some of these services to a number of groups. I continue to be amazed at the number of small groups that are on the ground reaching out to such a diverse range of needs. In the Asia region I find that addictions, prostitution, HIV and people trafficking issues are all closely related, and I believe that ISAAC can, and will, provide a much needed service to those working in the region.

To this end we are already in the early stages of preparation to hold a regional conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2010.

I have a particular heart to see the work of ISAAC develop in the Asia Pacific region. I believe that ISAAC can have a major role in the region through networking, training in addictions, HIV education and prevention training, and offering a mentoring role to the various groups that operate in the region.

Warwick Murphy