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From Raphael Merx on Local leadership in donor-funded programs
“Local, but good.” what an awful phrase. And what a well-written blog!
Really convincing argument about presumably more neutral internationals vs better networked locals too. Another incentive for local staff to deliver better results is that they can't just "game the system" and leave the country, which is an option for internationals.
From Scott Bayley on A shot at the title: why DFAT should change its name
It is certainly possible to unscramble the egg although it would be expensive and it would end the practice of using the aid program to cross subsidise the foreign affairs function.
The cultures of diplomacy and development aid are not very compatible. A short term vs long term focus, please elites vs systems and community development, etc.
The Australian aid program should be recreated as a statutory authority with a clear purpose and mandate. This would help to insulate the aid program from the political opportunism that has been the cause of so many project failures.
From Athman Ali on Local leadership in donor-funded programs
Local IS good... love it.
This issue has a nasty side effect... it sets qualified local staff up for a path to lower earnings for the rest of their lives... regardless of how competent they are.
Every organization I know asks for salary history before giving an offer... regardless of what the job is. Results in huge inequity.
A minor change in hiring for what the job requires and offering remuneration based on what the job requires can go a long way in solving this inequity.
From Jotam on Changes in Papua New Guinea’s fresh food marketplaces
Thank you Bill for your support to Kelta Potatoe Ltd.
I agree that transportation is a challenge for farmers especially from the Highlands region, who market to Port Moresby. If interested, please refer to my earlier article on a value-chain analysis.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shipping-cost-obstacle-fresh-produce-subsector-png-jotam-sinopane/
I hope to publish a brief on our report - am not at liberty to share the complete report. Warm regards
From Mike Bourke on Bikpela wok na liklik mani: smallholders’ decisions on cash crops in PNG
This sounds a great initiative, Kule-en.
Please email me (mike.bourke[at]anu.edu.au).
I'll send you some material which may be useful to you.
Best wishes
Mike
From Nic Maclellan on France, Australia and the First Nations foreign policy
I'd encourage you to click on the links in the story, which provide much more detail.
One link discusses the three referendums you raise, with detail of the Pacific Islands Forum ministerial mission that criticised the legitimacy and credibility of the 2021 vote. Their report notes: “The result of the referendum is an inaccurate representation of the will of registered voters and instead can be interpreted as a representation of a deep-seated ethnic division in New Caledonia, which the Committee fears has been exacerbated by the State’s refusal to postpone the referendum.”
The issue of France’s “supposed” colonial status may be uncomfortable for some, but is simply a statement of international law: the United Nations General Assembly voted in 1986 to reaffirm France’s status as an administering power under the mandate of the UN Special Committee of Decolonisation – today, the French state and representatives of local political parties participate openly in the work of the Decolonisation committee each year (There’s also a certain irony of arguing for the importance of three decolonisation referendums, while objecting to the description of France as a colonial power!).
This “very anti-French” article simply raises issues that are freely discussed in neighbouring Melanesian nations, but largely invisible in the Australian debate. As President of New Caledonia Louis Mapou has said: “The issues of emancipation and self-determination are principles that underly the Forum’s 2050 Strategy [for a Blue Pacific Continent]. I note that Australian Prime Minister Albanese and NZ Prime Minister Ardern have both decided to give their indigenous peoples, Aboriginal and Māori, a very important place in the policies they’re committed to. I think that they’re not unaware about what this First Nations policy means for New Caledonia – and especially the situation of the indigenous Kanak people.”
https://islandsbusiness.com/latest-magazine-articles/new-caledonia-3/
From Juliet Hunt on Feminism up in lights: the chance of a decade
Thanks so much for this post. Love it!
From Mary Venner on The legacy of technical assistance in Afghanistan
Thanks Peter. Let's hope those women get the chance to use their skills one day soon. Mary
From Cameron Hill on A shot at the title: why DFAT should change its name