Comments

Thanks Mary - a very thoughtful commentary on the eternal question in aid, not just that in Afghanistan. What sticks and makes a permanent change ? Perhaps it's necessary to look for small changes. In 2013, I helped fund an ActionAid project: "Empowering women to overcome violence through mobilisation, organisation and access to justice" in two stated provinces of Afghanistan. Over 12 months, it trained 40 women to become paralegals and to act for Afghan women in domestic violence cases. It provided them with training in - Conflict Resolution and Peace Building - Women’s Rights - Psychosocial Support - Paralegals Skills - Civil and Criminal Court Procedures I didn't think this training would change the entire Afghan legal system, but I always hoped that those 40 women would retain this knowledge and awareness of what could be done in cases of domestic violence. That this would stick in their hearts, even if The Taliban were to return. I still hope that.

Thanks Linda!

The price and other data are for balsa in the NE lowlands of the Gazelle Peninsula in East New Britain, Howard. As far as I know, this is the only place where balsa is processed in PNG. I have seen balsa trees growing on Bougainville Island. However, there is no market there. As you know, balsa has to be processed within a few days of being harvested. So effectively it cannot be sold from locations that are not close to Kokopo and have road access to Kokopo. The trees that I saw on Bougainville were too old to be milled as they have to be harvested at 4-5 years after planting for processing.

Hi Mike, I was just wondering if the prices for balsa are based on small holders providing balsa to the PNG Balsa Company in Kokopo or is there a market outside this area. I did a little work for the PNG Balsa company years ago and all the balsa was being used to make wind turbine blades. Last year I was in Western Province and a local from a remote village had been given balsa seeds to plant. I didn't think this was a great idea given distance to markets and didn't know of any other market for the balsa in PNG other than the PNG Balsa Company which probably has high quality requirements etc, not to mention transport costs from Western Province and storage facilities to prevent degradation. The market for balsa for model plains etc is pretty small too. I've been producing coffee from my small farm on Mt Tamborine (Gold Coast hinterland). We gave up since it is slave labour and the returns are so low, even in Ausatralia so can appreciate the coffee issues in PNG. Cheers Howard

Tess, do you have any update on possible return of ABC Radio Australia shortwave service? I can't find anything from the ABC or Government online. I'm interested, as the recent book Australia Calling by Phil Kafcaloudes seems to be getting some media attention. Geraldine Doogue also did a good interview with him last Saturday. PNG Attitude did a review of the book as well. Any update appreciated. John

Good post, Jo. Practical and useful.

If Asylum is rejected, is the door open for Pacific workers to return to Australia via the PALM scheme?

We need collaborate efforts by all professionals for this issue. A waste audit should be thoroughly carried out for both cities to ascertain what's lacking. Both policy and regulatory frameworks have to be revised and relooked to properly address SWM.

Australia is still an important donor in countries like Cambodia. Here it is inclined as with other major donors to continue to fund its close partners, Australian NGOs and international agencies, as well as those ministries it deals with by bilateral or multi-lateral aid. This means as it does for in the industry as a whole that larger organisations with professional fundraisers and special staff to meet rigorous reporting requirements are favoured before local NGOs. We need to change this persistent imbalance to the "usual culprits" as I like to call them. All donors including Australia talk about localising Foreign Aid, even USAID with its new Administrator, but few come anywhere close to most or even half of the money going to them. Normally a Labor Govt is more enlightened than Coalition ones. Let's hope that this one is.

Jotham, I have provided some isolated support for a local potato company, Kelta Potatoe Ltd, and just out of hindsight, noticed the imbalance in the supply chain process, and I am excited of the report that you said will be available and the way forward. There are few hiccups (as I call it), that challenge the marketing and distribution of potatoes (and that of food) distribution in Port Moresby. Key among these are, transportation (including freight), prices, standards, quality, packaging and all the issues relating to supply and demand. Thank you. Bill Nixon, PNG

If it wasn't for Community Development Standard, my agricultural skill would not have made any difference to people because agricultural skill are not "people skills". Since I learned the community development skills, I always made success stories, since 2004. I never failed a project because I could easily connect their development need well. They saw themselves as the answer to their problems and solved it. Among a number of my heroes, I thank Fritz Robinson, Francis Kup, Priscilla Plus, Rebecca Robinson and Chris Guard who were my role models. I will be a role model to others.

I established a small NGO delivering micro credit to Indonesians who were unable to obtain funding for small business establishment. We partner and fund local NGOs to deliver and manage loans to borrowers. We have operated in several regions with mixed success and now fund exclusively an NGO in Jogyakarta run by an innovative and energetic local woman (retired engineer) who quite exceptionally delivers excellent service to her clients and us (as funder). There is no doubt that no non-local could perform the role in any way as well as she does. I totally endorse the opinions cited by Anna in her article, as I have seen it work in practice.