UPNG update
A prayer vigil was held at ANU last Thursday for the UPNG students injured by last week’s police shooting. You can read Stephen Howes’ statement here. The ongoing strike by students has disrupted our ANU-UPNG partnership on the teaching front, but our research collaboration continues. On the blog, you can read about the findings of some recent joint ANU-UPNG pilot field research in Central Province on government payments to schools and the growing role of districts. Read more about the joint field work in Gulf Province here.
2017 Australasian Aid Conference registrations open
The 2017 Australasian Aid Conference will be held on 15-16 February next year – for those who plan ahead, registrations are now open! Earlybird pricing is unchanged from last year and will be available until November 10. There’s a 10% increase in the regular price so get in early and save.
Our call for papers is also open: if you are working on aid or international development policy in all of its shades, read the details and consider submitting. The deadline for abstracts is October 1.
Pacific Update Conference one month away –program now available
The 2016 Pacific Update Conference will be held on 18-19 July at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus in Suva. Co-convened by Devpolicy with the ADB, ADBI, and USP, the annual event gathers policymakers, academics and researchers, business people, and development practitioners to discuss economic, political, and social developments in the region. This year the conference program (available here) includes 88 speakers scheduled to present in 24 sessions.
Going beyond ‘politics matters’ in international development
On Wednesday 6 July (12.30pm, Brindabella Theatre), Samuel Hickey, the Research Director of the Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) Research Centre and a Professor of Politics and Development at the University of Manchester, will present the findings of a five year research project on politics and development in Asia and Africa. Register here.
The difficulties of supporting reform in fragile states: the case of water sector reform in Lebanon
A seminar by Devpolicy Research Associate Rim El Kadi on Wednesday 20 July (12.30pm, Brindabella Theatre) will discuss the challenges of implementing a donor driven reform to water resources management in Lebanon. The findings may shed lessons on how future aid initiatives in Lebanon and other fragmented post-war states, such as Iraq and Syria, could be better carried out. Register here.
Aid transparency under the Coalition
Stephen Howes argues that the Coalition government is yet to deliver on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s commitment to improve the transparency of Australian aid. Go to the blog for subsequent comments (including DFAT’s response) and watch this space for more on this important issue.
Aid vs defence – what the numbers say
That interesting chart above shows Australia and the UK’s military to ODA spending ratios between 1995 and 2015. With a 7.3 ratio of military-to-aid spending in 2015, among large aid donors Australia sits only behind the US and South Korea. For more analysis on how Australia’s military and aid spending compares, read this new analysis by Camilla Burkot.
Upcoming events
Going beyond ‘politics matters’ in international development
Wednesday 6 July, 12.30pm, Brindabella Theatre. Register here.
The difficulties of supporting reform in fragile states: the case of water sector reform in Lebanon
Wednesday 20 July, 12.30pm, Brindabella Theatre. Register here.
2016 Pacific Update
18-19 July, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Details here.
Blog highlights
Australia and immigration detention: how we compare
How governance can help disability inclusion
New approaches to GBV in PNG
On the blog
The Parliamentary Inquiry into the SWP: two passes, a gesture and an important recommendation by Stephen Howes
Women’s economic empowerment: the importance of small market stall vendors in urban Papua New Guinea by Michelle Nayahamui Rooney
Creeping re-centralisation in PNG’s education sector by Peter Kanaparo, Denise Lokinap, Tara Davda, Colin Wiltshire and Grant Walton
Everybody needs good neighbours: Australia’s immigration detention policies in a global context by Michael Flynn and Robin Davies
Australian aid transparency: coalition yet to deliver by Stephen Howes
War and peace: comparing Australian defence and aid spending by Camilla Burkot
Gender-based violence in PNG: new approaches, new promise by Ashlee Betteridge
From objects of care to controllers of lives: governance, development and disability inclusion by Luke Arnold
A closer look at the budget environment for Australian aid by Garth Luke
In brief
Fortnightly links: aid distribution, RCTs, Brexit, superbugs, the UN, and more
UPNG-ANU academics begin health and education research
Two new Pacific publications launched in Port Vila
Statement at ANU PNG prayer vigil, Thursday June 9
Diasporas in action: working together for peace, development and humanitarian response
This is the fortnightly newsletter of the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, published every second Friday.
Leave a Comment