Comments

From Richard Curtain on Vale Dr James Scambary
Gordon many thanks - A great tribute to a most impressive scholar and highly approachable person. I first became aware of James' forensic and analytical skills when I read his analysis of the role of gangs in the 2006 conflict, which stood apart for its depth and understanding of the issues. In late 2017, his paper 'The road to nowhere: the rise of a neo-patrimonialist state in East Timor', which he gave me as a gallery proof, was a great help to me in trying to understand why a multi-faceted aid program I was reviewing was having limited impact, despite elements operating for many years. I hope we can organise a free online version of his recent political economy publications through ANU Press as a tribute and to give his work wider circulation in Timor-Leste and elsewhere.
From Steve Pollard on Pacific aid ineffectiveness: lessons unlearned
Dave. For your audit. Have a look at the Independent Evaluation Department's validation of ADB's project completion reports, such as this one: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/evaluation-document/177174/files/pvr-404a.pdf Steve
From Adrian Winnie on Climate change: a sign of the ‘End Times’
Perhaps the Judeo-Christian Churches need to preach the ’stewardship’ aspects of the Genesis Story rather than the doomsday message of the ’Last Days’. Helping to deconstruct those biblical concepts by speaking in terms of themes that reflect and mirror people's lived realities and experiences of climate change. And bearing in mind that unless they have reached a Secondary High School education, these are ordinary people far removed from the complexities of climate science and data.
From James Cox on Eating the meat but keeping the bones – aid from Timor-Leste
One of the most interesting examples of Timor Leste's south-south solidarity over the last decade has been its leading role in the g7plus group of fragile and conflict affected states. Active south-south collaboration and mutual assistance has been central to that group, and it marked the first time that fragile and conflict affected states were recognised as a distinctive interest group in global policy-making. Perhaps its crowning achievement was its central role in including what became Goal 16 in the Sustainable Development Goals. As with the other examples in this article Timor's investment in the g7plus has received some of the criticism for diverting resources from domestic concerns. It remains an underappreciated part of the global development landscape, and Timor Leste was essential to its story.
From Sarah Niner on Vale Dr James Scambary
That was lovely Gordon. Another thing I remember him saying was about International NGO Reports about Timor and being able to smell the air-conditioning coming off the pages because they were all written in offices and cafes in Dili rather than from visiting the districts.
From Ingvar Anda on Vale Dr James Scambary
Nice piece Gordon. James was the only person I knew that could discuss the political economy of Timor-Leste as well as the technical intricacies of welding a 45' 10" pipe join in an oil refinery. I will miss him dearly.
From Marie Quinn on Vale Dr James Scambary
Erudite as always, Gordon, you matched him parry for parry. Thanks for reminding us of James’ humanity in action. Shocked and unbelievably sad this week.
From Bernard Yegiora on Climate change: a sign of the ‘End Times’
Seems like the participants in the market have no knowledge of the 30 by 30 Actions (https://www.ccda.gov.pg/?q=news/papua-new-guineas-sustainable-development-goal-13-roadmap-30-actions-2030). Secular or scientific knowledge about climate change is clouded by religious views, not only in PNG but in the region as well.
From Michael Maley on Eating the meat but keeping the bones – aid from Timor-Leste
Also worth mentioning is the technical assistance for the conduct of voter registration and elections which Timor-Leste has given to Guinea-Bissau - which involved deploying for a few months some of the best experts from STAE (and, I think, CNE), who really know what they are doing. An extremely rare example of South-South assistance in the electoral field.
From Mike on Eating the meat but keeping the bones – aid from Timor-Leste
Thanks Elisa. Should Timor-Leste ever feel like donating to the Development Policy Centre you have my email address.
From Eddie Micky on Service delivery realities in Gulf Province, PNG
This is very true and heart breaking for my very own home province. It is due to the mismanagement of funds from the provincial level to the village level as a results the hinterlands of the province has not developed. The fact is that the very own capital town of the province is still in the old and days infrastructural version where none of the new building had being erected by the current MPs since 45 years of Independence. So it is about time to rebuild the Province by the new young elites leaders of the province.
From David M. Strauss on Pacific aid ineffectiveness: lessons unlearned
Hi Steve, Good article, but I am going to slightly disagree (what's new?). I find it extremely difficult to believe that only half of the ADB projects are failures -- they must be using a very favorable definition of success. If you have a link, I would like to see an audit giving descriptions of the various projects and how they were determined to be failures or successes. Also, in my opinion, the biggest problem is not capacity of these Pacific countries, but corruption -- which the ADB, World Bank, IMF, and a myriad of donors seem to purposely ignore. Finally, it would be interesting to learn the reason that the ADB gives some $2B annually to China which then spends an estimated $200M annually on building up its military and territory expansion which negatively affects smaller countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Again, thanks for the article.
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