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"Big Picture Visionaries" are only useful if their theoretical constructs and lofty targets are the appropriate ones. There are strong reasons to question whether the solutions propounded by Sachs are the correct ones. In the real world, the apparently neat constructs of the Sustainable Development Goals are really not much use.

Thanks for the comment, I'm not an engineer and so cannot speak with any knowledge about OTEC, nor about its use in the countries you mention. I note that OTEC was not included in the World Bank's Technical and Economic Assessment of Off-grid, Mini-Grid, and Grid Electrification technologies (which is available at http://www.esmap.org/esmap/node/437). A general point I would make about any new or emerging technologies is that they have a very poor history in developing country contexts. The Pacific is no different. The Butoni windfarm in Fiji has been very problematic, despite wind-power being a commercialised technology in other parts of the world. Similarly, there was massive investment in solar home systems in the Pacific decades ago, and those systems typically stopped working after only a few years due to lack of maintenance and other factors. I would argue that given such experiences, Pacific island countries should only adopt technologies that have been proven and used for some years in developed countries. I also think that ideally, new and emerging technologies should be operated by companies specialising in the technologies and with the requisite experience in other parts of the world, which could sell power to the grid as IPPs.

Thank you Tavurvur and Vanessa. I agree with both your comments. In my mind there are three important areas that those in the policy arena could consider. The first is supporting government machinery in PNG to embrace social media in their engagement with civil society. This also includes supporting the traditional watchdog agencies to transform their modus operandi to use social media as a tool. One example I can think of is translating the photographic evidence on foul play in the elections from the social media arena into the legal and law enforcement arena. The second is to make funding available to the Department of Education and civil society/non government organisations to conduct training on what social media is, as well as the safe and responsible use of social media. The third involves those in the international development community considering how to use social media as a tool in their work in PNG. This is not just about civil society engagement but also about transparency and donor coordination. These are all basic principles of international development contained in many of the instruments signed by development agencies. It will also go a long way to prevent duplication of programmes. These are all major changes in the way things are done in PNG and will require some bold decisions and actions on the part of those in the policy arena. Given the poor performance on the development front in PNG I am sure there can be no harm done by thinking outside the usual boxes.

The goal of many of these island nations is not overly ambitious, you're just not giving the right technologies the credit they deserve. For some of these islands, the answer is now solar and wind, but the oceans surrounding them. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) meets their needs so many different levels. First off, it's base-load, 24/7 power production created from the temperature difference in shallow and deep water. Also the price of an OTEC system is already competitive with fossil fuels for these islands, and the price is steady, not relying on worldwide markets. Plus, every OTEC plant can also power a desalination facility, making every OTEC system a massive clean water source for these nations. It's why places like the Marshall Islands, the Bahamas, Zanzibar, and Malaysia have already started the process of pursuing OTEC for their people. With the power of the oceans, and OTEC power in particular, a 100% goal isn't far fetched, it's entirely possible, and needed for these nations to prosper in the future. See more on how OTEC works at The ON Project. http://www.theonproject.org/otec/?utm_source=devpolicy&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=mscomment

Really informative. Like reading blogs written by people who don't have pseudonyms and provide reliable non-bias (well mostly non-bias) commentaries with facts and figures which keep me informed. I look forward to reading more on the same subject and others, Michelle.

A good piece, which raises some quality questions regarding the future roles of social media in PNG. I have blogged comprehensively on the political element of social media in PNG, referring to it as the "opening up of PNG's consciousness" - and this element has been consequently picked up by observers of PNG and international media too. Although to date this has largely driven/defined the usage of social media thus far in PNG, thanks largely to the political developments over the past 12 months, and then of course Election 2012 (with people wanting to learn and share their own thoughts), we have yet to really see the type of influence social media will have - or its focus - when PNG settles down. There is no doubt that traditional media, civil society groups, and government agencies in PNG have been slow to react to the rise of social media in PNG, particularly in terms of engagement. Better engagement between social media users and such groups could be the next step in PNG's relationship with social media, and this more efficient relationship could be a catalyst to effecting significant change. Although this sounds like a good idea, it is important that we don't lose perspective of the numbers. PNG's 100,000 Facebook uses make up less than 2% of our entire population, but about 80% of our internet population - or those that have access to the internet. This would be a good indication of the usages of social media in PNG too. There is a long way to go. What will be interesting to see in the coming months and years is how exactly the dynamics within these permutations or possibilities develop. I do hope social media can help to truly effect positive and progressive change in our country. Tavurvur

Without optimistic "big picture" visionaries such as Sach's setting theoretical constructs and lofty targets, we would not have a roadmap outlining direction to achieving these targets. For that reason I welcome the SDG's as a logical next step in moving towards a sustainable and equitable future. Complementing this will require clarity and focus on basic issues and detailed practical implementation strategies. I like his categorisation of basic needs (SDG1), environmental sustainability (SDG2) and social inclusion (SDG3) with good governance as an overarching dependent condition (SDG4). I would make specific mention however of the vital role of human population and family planning initiatives in the sustainability of all of these goals.

Thanks Denis for your insightful comment. I agree, that community-based initiatives are a significant part of any sustainable aid initiatives ( excuse the understatement) and are often overlooked or under-represented in planning and M&E of these initiatives. Communities that take ownership of aid through knowledgable, organised and influential leaders, are far more likely to sustain these initiatives and benefits in the longer term. Peter McGlynn

I strongly agreed to what Sir Mekere Morauta have said because if our learders did not do any thing, then the people are going to be the victim of that. So I would suggest the earlier the better.

Hi Stephen- I'm so glad you blogged your arguments! I was at APW last week and found the debate really fascinating- mainly because I realised I'm in a bit of a development bubble where deep criticisms like Hugh's are (if heard) rarely digested, so I really appreciated your articulation of why development aid is important. I did feel that Hugh's critiques and solutions were very trusting of market driven economics to help people living in long-term poverty- which feels difficult for me, especially as I'm researching areas of citizen voice (on gut feeling I think I think this would be an area of major concern for the 'market'). Looking forward to your next couple of posts on the topic.

Technically we, from the third or developing world should be glad with emergence of new welfare agencies. However, project funds in countries ridden by poverty and malnutrition are often underutilized by overseers. Corruption is a practice now blended with culture. Entire system is to blame where everyone from highest dignitary to the lowest stakeholder do not even mind to wash their hands with stolen money. And they are honest in disseminating the resource, everyone gets their share. In a scenario like this, with time, will not corruption only grow in these countries, because with time things will be more mainstreamed. Donors will be happy their money deployed in good work. But, the people, for whom the resource was sent, those unprivileged, poor, uneducated will never know how they have been deprived. Yes, monitoring agencies plays a role, but they have to be more agile and fearless

Denis, I haven't included in my discussion paper much about community capacity to want and obtain better governance, but you'll find plenty in several of the texts I cite, especially (from memory) World Development Report 2011 and Fixing Failed States. Given your interest in community strengthening projects, I suggest you look also at: a recent ODE evaluation of AusAID’s engagement with civil society in developing countries – based on theory of change / literature review / mapping of AusAID’s engagement in PNG, Philippines and Vanuatu / cross-case analysis / case studies - http://www.ode.ausaid.gov.au/publications/evaluation-engagement-with-civil-society.html BRAC – NGO based in Bangladesh providing microcredit, education and other services to poor isolated communities - http://www.brac.net/ PNPM – national program for community empowerment in rural areas of Indonesia, supported by World Bank - http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P122810/pnpm-rural-iv?lang=en With regards, John