Story: Development assistance and humanitarian aid

A cheque for CORSO

A cheque for CORSO

Norman Kirk, leader of the opposition Labour Party, hands a cheque for 1% of his gross salary to the director of CORSO, Haddon Dixon, for a 1972 humanitarian appeal for Bangladesh. The cheque of $117.60 amounted to $1,428 in 2011 terms. CORSO (the Council of Organisations for Relief Services Overseas) was founded in New Zealand in 1944 and its early focus was on humanitarian relief. The Labour government of 1972–75 led by Kirk boosted aid and committed itself to the goal of devoting 1% of gross national income to aid. However, by 2012 the highest New Zealand had achieved was 0.52%, in 1975.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Evening Post Collection (PAColl-0614)
Reference: 1/2-027332-C

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

John Overton, 'Development assistance and humanitarian aid - Increasing aid, 19th century to 1970s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/32834/a-cheque-for-corso (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by John Overton, published 20 Jun 2012