Comments

I am deeply and truly inspired my dear. Life surely is tough as always. All it takes is for us to be the strongest at the worst peak.

We are currently running awareness on GBV and how the village court system can help with this issue at the village level amongst our youth in the church and community. Seems like there is a lack of knowledge on this particular topic amongst teens. And not just the teens but adults as well.

Thanks Stephen. I will apply on June 3.

Good clear presentation on the disruptive impact on monetary management, and the severe undermining of the Central Bank and its role...while providing a very uneven playing field for financial sector participants and potentially making the availability of forex even more unreliable...Thanks, Alyssa..

More details about the PEV have now been released. Among other details: ballot will only be open from June 3 to August 1 and applicants will then have four months to meet the visa conditions. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/pacific-engagement/pacific-engagement-visa-subclass-192#Eligibility and https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/pacific-engagement/ballot-registration/overview

Being an Aussie farmer in the Cairns area your story is so pertinent to us. I can still remember after WW2 how rudimentary life was!!! God help you if you catch the contagion of middle class mediocrity. My favorite saying is: IF YOU DESTROY THE FAMILY YOU INVARIABLY DESTROY THE SOCIETY. However, it's a slow process. Very good piece.

Very informative article which helps me in my health promotion assignment.

The intentions of the bill are good. Foreign-owned mining operators have, since day one, shipped ore offshore and then extracted much more than the stated/declared mineral. The bill will now ensure every gold, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, sand and what-have-you is processed and valued onshore. With the country getting its fair share. All the issues with Bank of PNG etc are just technical and definitely should be amended. It is obvious why Australia and the PNG CORE are feeling 'small'.

Hi Diane thank you for your comment. I read your message to mum and she was wrapped. She sends her love too.

Tribal fighting is a diabolical problem that for the sake of the country must be addressed. It won’t abate until people in the highlands are presented with meaningful and viable alternatives. Principally a vibrant local economy where traditional land rights are respected. Men need income to meet cultural obligations. Women would wish for peace with good health and education services. All parties would respect a firm but fair and impartial police force. I worked in the Southern Highlands and what is now Hela province in the mid 1980s at a time when tribal clashes were largely limited to axes, bows and arrows. Mark you people still died followed by inevitable payback. Violence, always a last resort was nonetheless the mark of a man and when called for by the clan leader(s), delivered without hesitation. But as a government agriculture worker “didiman,” from a foreign country, I was free to travel around the province unhindered while local men “hausman” were weary of walking a kilometre down the road alone for fear of becoming the victim of payback or reigniting a tribal fight with a neighbour. I once drove through warring parties who upon seeing my vehicle approach, parted like the Red Sea and smiled and waved as I drove by. Within this milieu was a fairly active public service presence of well-resourced agriculture and health workers, teachers, policeman and road service crews with the whole process managed by impartial actors. I think this was a time of hope that held out the promise of a future of economic prosperity, education and health services for all, with impartial policing and relatively peaceful co-existence. Unfortunately, it was not to last. By the 90’s the major development partners had withdrawn from funding activities across the service sectors. What followed was an inexorable decline in roads and bridge maintenance, government presence and essential services as public servants seeking a better future for their families left. I believe it is important to note that this process was exacerbated by the politicisation of appointments and economic opportunities. A lack of impartiality, both real and perceived in decision making was a factor in the erosion of local goodwill and the vision of shared futures. From the mid 1990’s people increasingly returned to resolving problems in the traditional ways, with the addition of a firearms arms race to ensure parity with enemies. Today, this part of the world is characterised by few services for a population two or three times that of the 1980s. Increasing population pressure over four decades on limited arable resources and a lack of opportunity and human development have all fed into this situation. Not surprisingly clans have resorted to aligning with one or more armed camps to secure access to resources and young men from a traditional warrior culture in need of money for bride price and status have turned to fighting. Just how should government re-engage? The issue of impartiality looms large. I agree with the authors that this process must be led by local leadership, who can envision an alternative future and the process brokered by those who are trusted by all parties. And a national government that is seen to commit long term to the very substantial funding needed to create the future that people desire.

Hi Randall Thank you for the comment.

I would also just add to this point that if we subjected domestic or defence program spends to remotely similar efficiency and effectiveness standards as those applied to aid spends (let alone actually evaluating the impacts, as advocated by the Assistant Treasurer), the share would likely be far higher and there are few people out there saying we should cut a great deal Australian Government spending until we know for sure it actually works. I think its also possible to separate the issues in this thread from global norms and aspirations in ODA levels, as it is technically very feasible to increase effectiveness and efficiency with more or less funding very fast. For example, a big increase (or an instead increase in effectiveness with the current quantum) could be plugged to certain multilaterals (e.g., WB) with the absorptive capacity, or large-scale oriented outfits like the Global Fund, GiveDirectly, or any top development charity listed on GiveWell. Best,