PNG and Pacific Update programs
Programs are now available for our flagship Pacific and PNG Updates in June.
The PNG Update will be hosted by the University of Papua New Guinea School of Business in Port Moresby on 12-13 June at the University of Papua New Guinea. You can view the program here. We have 27 PNG and international presenters, spread over two days in a range of keynote and thematic sessions, including: the role of the public sector; overcoming Dutch Disease; SMEs and competitiveness; and social development. To register or for more information contact Prof. Lekshmi N. Pillai at UPNG (lnpillai@upng.ac.pg) or Macarena Rojas at Devpolicy (macarena.rojas@anu.edu.au).
The Pacific Update will be held at The Australian National University on 16-17 June. You can view the program here and register here. The Pacific Update features some 33 speakers again over two days. In addition to keynotes and country sessions, there will be thematic sessions on: regionalism; skills; labour mobility; the business environment; managing aid; and managing fisheries. The Pacific Update is also back to back with SSGM’s State of the Pacific conference.
2014 Australian aid budget recap
The 2014-15 Federal Budget, released on Tuesday, was bad news for aid, with a 10% cut in real terms over three years and a reduction in aid transparency, or at least that was Stephen Howes’ take in his post-budget blog and address [pdf] to our 2014 Aid budget breakfast. The podcast of the event is available here.
In related analysis, Matthew Dornan identifies country and regional aid winners and losers from the aid budget. Anthony Swan gives the macro context for aid, now and into the future, and you can also read aid budget reactions from Mel Dunn, Chair of IDC Australia, and Joanna Lindner Pradela, ACFID’s Head of Policy.
The government’s new aid policy and benchmarks weren’t released with the budget, but are expected in a matter of weeks. Watch this space.
People news
Last week we bade farewell to Robin Davies, who has relocated to Geneva for the next three years. Robin will remain Associate Director of the Centre. His physical presence will be missed. We wish Robin and his family well.
We have also said farewell to Alex Cifuentes, our intern for the first semester of 2014. Alex was an excellent intern and we wish her luck with the remainder of her studies.
2013 Annual Report
Digital [pdf] and hard copies of our 2013 Annual Report are now available. For a hard copy, contact Macarena Rojas.
Upcoming events
The Age of Choice
Annalisa Prizzon from ODI will present case studies on how developing countries are managing the new aid landscape on May 22. Register here.
2014 PNG and Pacific Update
The PNG Update will be at the University of PNG in Port Moresby on June 12-13 and the Pacific Update will here at ANU on June 16-17. More details on both here.
Blog highlights
PNG: its first anthropologist; Manus and GBV; and expensive elections.
The mishandling of communications by donors post-Honiara floods.
How to give Pacific women more temporary migration opportunities.
Democratic governance delivers economic dividends.
Blog summary
You can find a list of all posts since our last newsletter on April 17 in the list below.
The big picture behind the Australian aid budget by Anthony Swan.
Beyond the numbers: three reflections on the aid budget by Joanna Lindner Pradela.
An expected aid budget, we expect… we just need some more detail by Mel Dunn.
Less aid, less transparency: the 2014-15 aid budget and the 10% aid cut by Stephen Howes.
Winners and losers in the 2014-15 aid budget by Matthew Dornan.
The New Guinea Diaries: remembering PNG’s first anthropologist by Grant Walton.
PNG’s elections: the most expensive in the world, and getting worse by Stephen Howes.
Reflections on how the Manus Island detention centre promotes gender-based violence by Michelle Nayahamui Rooney.
Floods of information, drought of listening – communications in Honiara’s floods by Anouk Ride.
Temporary migration: where are the women? By Sophia Kagan.
Democracy and growth by Terence Wood.
Death and development in the Pacific by Joanna Spratt.
In brief
Australia Network axing: what will happen to coverage of the region?
Re-advertisement: Opportunity to work as a lecturer in economics at UPNG
