Comments

Thank you Ben Sesinu. We really hope this article will help in some ways to improve the current situation in Port Moresby.

Hi Stephen, I think this issue of forex is being over-complicated. The most simple way to relieve our our current forex backlog is to review all the agreements we have signed with foreign resource companies operating in our country to re-negotiate and have them bring in forex into the country from their offshore accounts and not keep everything overseas as is currently the practice. This is the simplest and fastest way to relieve our forex issue(s) as these foreign mutinationals are dealing with hundreds of millions and even billions! Wouldn't you agree?

Largely true and a mostly useful comparison!

Well predicted, eagerly awaiting a new piece on the Salwai Government especially after the structural promises of the National Referendum ..

Than you Natasha for this insightful information, thankfully there is a second draw on the 6th of January 2025, PNG has been granted an additional 165 PEV. For those who have been selected in the initial first draw and have not met the requirements exceeding the 28 days grace period, are their spaces will also be available for the second draw?

very interesting

How do I apply in Mt. Hagen, PNG?

Nothing about the performance (or otherwise) of the Grameen Bank, as a service deliverer. Especially since its founder Mohammad Yunus, was forced out in 2011: "Bangladesh's central bank has removed the Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus from the post of managing director of the microfinance pioneer Grameen Bank, after allegations of "irregularities" in its operations........................................ The Bangladeshi government has a 25% stake in the Grameen, which lends to more than 8 million families in Bangladesh and is hugely popular." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/02/muhammad-yunus-grameen-bank According to Grameen itself: "three directors, including the Chairman of the Board are appointed by the Government," https://grameenbank.org.bd/governance/board-of-directors It would be very useful to analyse Grameen's performance since 2011 - relating to its key role in microfinance for the rural poor. 2005 was the International Year of Microcredit. As was asserted: "The year of Microcredit 2005 calls for building inclusive financial sectors and strengthening the powerful, but often untapped, entrepreneurial spirit existing in communities around the world." How did that work for Bangladesh ?

It would be worth revisiting the nuclear estate/ smallholder model as seen in Popondetta, Hargy OP and NBPOL in WNB. I was a vet seeing the smallholder extension work at Hargy OP for 6 years. Our smallholders were privileged in that they were the only rural workers in PNG, to my knowledge having an income that matched the amount of work they put in. I recall an old Simbu block holder who had acquired 3x 6 hectare blocks. His income was probably in the range of 100 grand per year tax free.

Hi, I am Hina from Afghanistan. I have done my bachelor degree from Peshawar University in 2009 then I shifted to Kabul and I start my work as a school manager director of girls education. I worked 12 years for girls education but when Taliban take Afghanistan they destroy my school after a lot of effort. They don't allow us and I faced alot of problems after that. I shifted to Pakistan with my family. Now I really need help as I don't have any job and I live there as a refugee. What should I do??

Hi Richard, a colleague of mine forward this to me. This is an excellent piece and thanks for sharing about the ACIAR PASS-CR program. I 100% agree with you and your points here. I am not one of the alumni of the program but I am one of those Pacific Island researchers supporting the ACIAR-PASS Scholars for some years. I think it has been a successful program and the support component from the University of the Sunshine Coast is excellent in providing that enabling environment for students and supervisors. The ACIAR-PASS-CR to my own experience has been really critical in building "research capacity" of the ACIAR PASS scholars. I was the Principal Supervisor for few ACIAR PASS scholars when I was with the University of the South Pacific and now a co-supervisor from Unimelb. I have seen the evolution and improvement of research skills of ACIAR scholars before and after the 2019-2020 initiative. I also agree, the Climate Resilient component has been a fantastic opportunity to build/add in that "climate change light-bulb moment skills" into agricultural research thinking, framing and in practice. This is fundamental for two reasons - 1) traditional agriculture education and research in the Pacific Islands "rarely or with some level" cover climate change (adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage), meteorological and disaster risk management skills in the curriculum and in research framing. CR provides that opportunity to build in the CR research capacity and research framing into the "traditional agriculture research approach" of the scholars. 2) It is a very important priority in our Pacific Island governments (sectors including agriculture), communities and at household levels to integrate climate change, disaster risk management and resilience thinking and skills into planning, implementation, evaluation and learning. This requires not just CR skillset and capacity to do, but also a knowledge system that is starting to generate from the CR program, as you rightfully pointed out Christian's excellent work. For example, his work is now adding that important climate resilience lens on taro food loss and milk loss research and knowledge creation. Then add the specific vulnerabilities and also the great roles of women, and youth in the mix - we are starting to see the CR knowledge systems built. But sad to hear it is changing now. The CR program provided the opportunity for Christian to study the climate resilience of dairy farmers in Central Victoria in collaboration with Murray Dairy (wonderful support from MD), School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (SAFES) and Oceania Institute (in Unimelb) and also dairy farmers in Fiji. There is a huge networking happening as a result of the CR component when Christian visited and spent a month with us at Dookie Campus of the University of Melbourne. We are having discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways in Fiji to build an initiative to do more research with dairy farmers in Fiji; a farmers exchange program with Dookie campus and probably a larger research with development partnership on Dairy and Livestock and Climate Resilience for Fiji and the Pacific Islands. The CR enables a lot of capacity and networking building that will leave a strong legacy - wow only for 2 years and this is just one testimony from one scholar, imagine the rest. Thank you again for sharing and I hope you will do a thorough evaluation of the programs as you mentioned and get some good learning on scaling up and out with ACIAR or with other partners. ACIAR has been doing outstanding research work in the Pacific Islands. Amazing research network, partnership and impacts on the ground benefiting our farmers, fishers and local partners and I'm sure the evaluation will generate important lessons to build on. Oh before I forget, just another suggestion on these research capacity building programs to find ways to increase the involvement of Pacific Island researchers who are based in Australia and NZ and other regions in research programs and supporting the research scholars who are based in the Pacific Islands. No need to be territorial, the living words of our own Professor Hau'ofa come to mine, we are Oceania, we are in our journey and the Pacific Ocean connects us, so please do not separate us. It does not mean that I, like many of us are based outside of the Pacific Islands then we are outside of the capacity building, research, development engagements of our communities - we are still children of Oceania. For example, I am still a Samoan matai, a Tuvaluan citizen and a proud son of Oceania living and working in our beautiful rural Victoria Dookie campus of the University of Melbourne. Thanks again and Merry Christmas.

Hi Joel, Congratulations on your selection for the PEV! Thank you also for sharing your experience with paying for the associated costs that work out to be cheaper for you and for many others who are in Tuvalu compared to those who are PNG based. It's great that you and your wife were also able to secure jobs which remains a significant challenge for many who are still job hunting. As for visa turnaround time, there is no updated information of the Home Affairs website under "Visa Processing Times" for subclass 192 so unfortunately everyone will just have to wait for whenever a visa decision is made. See https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times Keep monitoring your immi account for updated information is the best advice I can offer at this time. Regards, Natasha