Comments

Certainly an attention-grabbing title. My understanding of the author's answer is a qualified "no" - because the borders of Hela and Enga identities do not approximate the borders of an island... which makes some sense to me. (Have I understood this correctly?) However, I'd be interested in the author's perspective on whether something like an 'island' exists or could exist in many areas of the PNG mainland.. given the very limited infrastructure, it seems that access could be cut off, and isolation achieved, relatively easily. I'd also be interested in the author's perspective on how his analysis would be applied if a different answer were assumed. In other words, if major armed conflict in an area of mainland PNG emerged, what would the author's analysis say about the likely spread, scales, and boundaries of the conflict? This is an important topic to be exploring for PNG.

Thank you Kaluwin. This is a critical perspective and indeed a strong message received from those we spoke to was that there is a need for research on the perspectives of men. Apart from husbands, many people also spoke about the need to work with sons. A collective response is needed to address these issues. From a research ethics and methods perspective, this is a very sensitive issue to discuss within families and communities and care needs to be taken to minimize any potential harm, including trauma, that participants, researchers, and others might face as a result of participating in the research. In this regard, our research method was such that we focused on women. It is important to include men and this should be designed with a research method that would enable this.

Bougainville deserves to be independent for the Bougainville War is a recent issue when our demand to be independent was not addressed in the 1960's. Further, be informed the war is a just a recent issue because of the uneven distribution of wealth. You must know that Bougainville are dark skin people, by right geographically we are different. It was colonial masters the Germans who had traded our birth right. Don't compare us with the Hela people who are different people with their issues. Bougainville independence is economic independence for PNG. Please note that Bougainville lead PNG into independence. Now we want to be at peace, yes respecting our Melanesian culture.

Very interesting Tobias - and I found the background paper a useful summary of much of the literature. I have two concerns. First is that the suggested approach could be interpreted as "stability at all costs" - a very convenient refrain for tyrants. The alternative has never been just about "efficiency" and “clearer price signals and more efficient markets” - the good governance agenda was appropriately much broader and included equity and rights issues. A second concern is how to operationalise the idea given the dynamics of ‘local’ and ‘expat’ elites and even “rents” -affected by commodity price cycles, weather, health or other outside changes. The current “doing good governance politically” framework provides some guidance for engaging with these dynamics with a vision of securing peace as well as moves towards a stronger rights focus in a more equitable and wealthier community. I’m worried the new approach could just lose the vision, and without that vision, just accept a status quo. Saying that, I agree entirely that if the focus previously was just about eliminating economic rents, then that would be the wrong way to approach issues, especially in fragile states.

The former Director of Development Studies, the late Helen Hughes had a different view about increasing aid in the Pacific islands. She said that aid is bad for the Pacific. A Harvard economist Dambisa Moyo also shared similar views in terms of giving aid to Africa. Aid in PICs needs new thinking and approach. Where do we capture the voices/views of those carrying the burden and the problem? Do they also participate (and or trained to meaningfully contribute) in needs assessment and consultations.

Excellent comments and anecdotes, Sam. Cheers Rob Hickson

Thank you Matthew for the blog I hope to read more into the ethno cultural politics aspects of PNG highlands- LNG project site to understand some of your findings. The chaos and disorder in Hela is indeed related to the extractive industry and the frustration developed because of non-delivery or less than expected benefits to the landowners in various forms directly from the developer or the PNG government. With your analysis, if you dissect how ethnic group value their motherland and its resources and their generational uptake of the pros and cons, will eventually arrive at a possible conclusion of tensions as seen in Hela, Bougainville and in Guadalcanal. It is none of an individual party creation or provocation; it is all parties that perpetrate these tensions- the project developer, the host government and the landowners. As elites in PNG came to realized now, the brewing tensions in Hela and parts of neighboring Provinces is a time boom that will flare up anytime. One catalyst that likely to cause a blow up is the miseries and damages that the recent earthquake imposed on the landowners. (Some quick to allegedly blame the developer for disturbing the earth crater under Hela). Recently, a project developer blamed PNG government for not dishing out royalties while the government blamed the developer for not mapping out the landowners at the project site as per the Oil and Gas Act at the first place. However, why the government approve the license to develop the project at the first place if social mapping is a requirement by law. Let us wait and see, interesting times ahead to make a remarkable conclusion to your book…fingers crossed.

Interesting!

As Prof Howes notes: "Schram’s tenure at Unitech ended earlier this year after a falling out with the current Council. One of the disputed claims was that, according to the Council, Schram failed to provide his “verified credentials” to the University. According to Schram, he did. In any case, this allegation is quite different from the current charge of “obtaining employment by false pretence.” More generally, the Council’s statement of disassociation is consistent with the broader view that Schram’s departure from Unitech in no way provides a basis for the arrest last week."

Please consider a husband's perpective. Make research more gender equal. Men do face these situations too but more of psychological abuse. These could also explain some of the FSV women face from men. Interview men as well. As F in FSV stands for FAMILY...the husband is part of that family and if research is on FSV do consider the husband and male as well.

I have seen one of the reports about his excessive travels. Why didn't he go to Italy before to obtain the original certificate? He had all this time. We being a developing country doesn't mean that the law is weak

This blog is an attempt to expose the weaknesses in the PPP Act and it's lack of community grievances resolution mechanisms. One may say that we do have the established processes to deal with any form of organised abuses through these Act but again how effective are those organizations in delivering justice? What is the underlying factor here? Papua New guinea is a country systematically raped of her resources; firstly, her human resources then other resources. The introduction of the Outcome Based Education aided by the funders of Education Aids [AusieAid] of OBE curriculum. Which country introduced that curriculum? Why are they so ignorant of the pleas and complains by the citizens and continually funding that draconian curriculum? They government that promotes that lowlife curriculum are working with transnational crime corporations to keep our people ignorant and keep the citizens poorly educated so that the resistance is reduced to a mere complain. Give my people their quality foundational education (SBE) and they will communicate better and find better solutions! Please....