- Born
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Alison was born and raised a preacher's daughter in the Australian bush. She is a former Mathematics school teacher and medic. In 1990 Alison moved to New York City and became an Investment Banker on Wall Street, later enrolling at NYU film school studying film making. On Sept 11th, 2001 Alison roller bladed to Ground Zero and became a volunteer rescue worker and stayed on to volunteer for 9 months. She is the Founder and Director of CTEC which she created after the 2004 Asian disaster. CTEC is the first and only Tsunami Early-warning Center in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka she also ran a busy field hospital and helped rebuild a village for 3000 people. Since 2001 Alison has been a full time volunteer humanitarian and is fondly known in Sri Lanka as the 'Angel of Galle.' In 2008 Alison's documentary film called 'The Third Wave'premiered in the Cannes film festival hosted by Sean Penn and Bono. In January 2010, Alison flew to Haiti with actor Sean Penn and ten doctors to help with the earthquake aftermath. There the volunteers managed an 'Internally Displaced Peoples' camp and field hospital with over 65,000 people. Alison then founded 'We Advance' with Actress Maria Bello which deals with gender based violence in Haiti. Her new book is called 'The Third Wave- a volunteer story' published by Random House-available world wide. In 2010, Alison was awarded the Order of Australia, the highest civilian medal awarded by Queen Elizabeth the 2nd of England for her volunteer work and her contribution to mankind. She was also awarded the 'Medal of Excellence' by General Trombitas and the USA Army 82nd Airborne elite. In July of 2012 Alison was appointed the first Ambassador to the Haiti Ministry of the Environment where she is involved with a campaign to help combat reforestation and hunger through the planting of one billion trees for Haiti. She also continues to work at her We Advance clinic in the Cite Soliel slums. Her hobbies include Argentine tango, fencing, surfing, soccer, cricket, camping, volunteering, piano, chess, poetry, baseball, elephant polo and laughing. Her favorite TV show is "Survivorman."- IMDb Mini Biography By: albert gomez
- Dr. Alison Thompson was born and raised a preacher's daughter on edge of the Australian bush. In 1990 Alison moved to New York City and worked on Wall Street, later studying at NYU film school. On Sept 11th, 2001 Alison roller-bladed to Ground Zero as a first responder and stayed on to volunteer for 9 months. She is the Founder of Third Wave Volunteers and CTEC, the first and only Tsunami Early-warning Center in Sri Lanka, and the Exec Director of FAARM (501c3) an architectural and artisan charity which creates dwelling, education and environment solutions for developing countries. For the past 16 years Alison has been a full time humanitarian volunteer and is fondly known in Sri Lanka as the 'Angel of Galle.' for her work there after the 2004 tsunami. Alison's volunteer career includes running refugee and internally displaced persons camps and field hospitals in Sri Lanka, Haiti, Philippines, Greece ( Syrian and Iraq refugees), Turkey, Nepal, New Orleans, Sandy Superstorm in NY and numerous disasters around the world. In 2015 she was honored at Loyola Chicago University with an Honorary 'Doctorate of Letters', in the 'Humanities', where she also gave the commencement speech. In 2012 Alison was appointed as the first official Ambassador to the Haitian Ministry of Environment where she still works in reforestation and sustainable energy. Alison's award-winning documentary 'The Third Wave', chronicles her volunteer experience in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami and was screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival in a Presidential Jury Screening presented by Sean Penn and Bono. She followed up with a book published by Random house, The Third Wave: A Volunteer Story. In January 2010, Alison worked with Sean Penn again and flew to Haiti with ten doctors to help with the earthquake aftermath. There they ran an IDP camp and field hospital with over 65,000 people. Alison also founded 'We Advance' with Actress Maria Bello which deals with gender based violence in Haiti. In 2010 Alison was awarded the Order of Australia for her volunteerism, bravery and contributions to mankind and the 'Medal of Excellence' by General Trombitas and the USA Army 82nd Airborne. 2015-16 Alison has been volunteering on the island of Lesvos, Greece in the epicenter of the Syrian refugee Crisis, where millions have fled the war zones of Syria and Iraq. In Greece, Alison works as a paramedic caring for refugees with hypothermia and war wounds and has developed a large network of volunteers who support and coordinate direct aid for the refugees. Her latest program is bringing innovative origami designed Solar lights to the Syrian women and children refugees in the dark camps. Alison has personally delivered Solar lights to over 75,000 refugees. Her award-winning documentary The Third Wave, chronicles her volunteer experience in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami and was screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival in a Presidential Jury Screening presented by Sean Penn and Bono. She followed up with a book published by Random house, The Third Wave: A Volunteer Story. With simplicity and humility, Alison calls everyone to service and to take action just as she has: as an everyday, average individual. She tailors her message on how 'anyone can volunteer', from a global scope to our own backyards and that "everyone is needed" Alison's motto is " Its easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but its Leadership to be in the wrong place at the right time!"
Hobbies include volunteering, Argentine tango, fencing, surfing, soccer, cricket, camping, piano, poetry, sleeping and laughing. Her favorite TV shows are Survivorman and Bear Grylls.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Albert Gomez
- She has traveled to all the continents of the world, including the South Pole.
- She has been charged by 12 hippos, 9 elephants, 2 Rhinos. Has come face to face with a hyena at 4 a.m. and had 8 lionesses sleeping outside her tent.
- Is an Argentine Tango dancer.
- Alison is the first official Ambassador to the Haiti Ministry of Environment.
- Plays catcher on a men's baseball team.
- It's easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but harder to be in the wrong place at the right time.
- The silly things we do when everyone is watching are some of the most real moments we will ever have in our life.
- Its easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but its Leadership to be in the wrong place at the right time
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content