Comments

An excellent and timely article. When 85% of people live rurally and beyond the reach of government services, it is logically sound to focus greater effort and resources at local levels. Congratulations to the team.

I appreciated your efforts on how to address the Climate change back in the community especially in the remote parts of the country. climate change talks was only effective in urban areas by government but forget rural people. Please could you go into the remote places and speaks to our people silently suffering?

Thanks, Steve, for this article. I've been thinking a lot about this over the last two decades. While there are inherent constraints in capacity in the Pacific (related to narrow economic base, remoteness, smallness and out-migration), there is a LOT of room for development partners to do things better. The first of these is to think long-term- and I mean in decades- long enough to see generational shifts. This flows into long-term holistic planning with the country, decades-long programs, and into investing in real, long-term relationships between bank staff, advisors and people in-country. Pacific Islanders have been forced to examine their worldviews and see things differently in dealing with colonisers and development agencies. It is incumbent upon development agencies to examine their worldviews and whether imposed solutions are at all appropriate. This then becomes about a deeper level of dialogue and creativity that is not often apparent in development projects.

I just found some spare time to read these two blogs. I do agree that the Global Fund might not be the most "easy" donor when it comes to data collection and indicator reporting. However, I am opening a debate on the potential cleanup of data collected-what are the things we can potentially remove from the current data sets? What are the domestic needs in terms of data and then the ones that are donor driven? How to align? maybe a valid discussion as we might enter into malaria elimination investment soon and we will need to add elimination specific indicators:-) Thanks to everyone supporting this amazing country!

K2.573 billion for SIP fuding in 2020 National Budget as mentioned in the blog. Data for actual amount given to each province and district annually is with relevant government agencies, such as the DIRD and Department of Finance. However, the complete data for that is not easily made available to the public.

What is the actual amount given to each Province this year under the DSIP funds?

Conduct a referendum again. This time, it must be a genuine "Act of Free Choice.". Let only indigenous West Papuans vote. This could be conducted by UN (keep Indonesian Military & West Papuan fighters out of it as much as possible). Let the West Papuans vote freely.

James had his pulse on East - West sucos, asking probing questions about 1989-1994 underground resistance in Ambeno- Oekussi in between late night/ early morning euro 2004 matches. We shared a disappointment with actions, a slow motion car wreck, that Xanana and other parties took in their dealings with the (unfair) dismissal of disgruntled members of the army, Eastern - western resentments boosted by many sides of local politicos and subsequent political rivalry that arose between police units. Most of air con, cafe espresso, big $$$ consultants could only see the aftermath from their pampered perches in Dili, if they hadn’t just fled Timor. RIP

First of all, every nation in the world is multicultural, nations are prospering with people from different background and race. How can PNG isolate itself as a black nation? Such a speech from PM is unfortunately ill advised and from the get go the PM got it wrong. A better way to say it would have been "A successful Pacific Island Nation". No man is an island and I say, No country is an Island". Secondly, PNG needs to take a step back and relook at the development policy that was written for you. Is the policy in your favour and suits your traditional oral laws that guided your villages, tribes and communities? The Foreign Direct Investment Policy that you - PNG is operating on needs to be revisited. PNG should look at Malaysia and Singapore and learn from their development policy. PM Marape, you have good intention, every word you say is being watched and assessed by the globally, think globally, speak globally and act nationally.

(sorry for my broken english) i am not smart person. it's my personal opinion.. why it's not blowing up like BLM? i think it's because the people who want west papua independence are all staying in foreign country. like the funder.. the elite.. the ones that stay in west papua are just villagers who get gun supply from the foreign elite. then they had small contact/incident with indonesian military. these villagers are so simple.. they just want a better life. so now after indonesian government keep developing west papua.. these military villager keep coming back every year from the mountain / join back to indonesia and turned over their gun.. that's why i think it's impossible/not easy for them to get independence. there is no huge mass supporter in west papua just like in hongkong or taiwan. only small number but with loud voice. also there are lots of youth papuan that register themselves into indonesian military.. (??) even among west papuan itself divided.. some pro indonesian, some pro independence. if they want to get independence ALL people should unite.. if only some community or elite that want an independence.. it won't work.. wait.. east timor case.. it's the elite that want independence. until now the power is always held by these people .. in my personal opinion, their condition isn't better than when they were part of indonesian. they even become one of the poorest country now. the news i read recently.. lots of the kids there are stunting. until now they still depend on indonesia. i think it was just the greed of their elite.. while lots of the people keep suffering.. basically their nature are a savanna.. the land didn't offer much except oil. but now there is no more oil.. the oil are only enjoyed by the elite and australia. now their people demonstrated and asked for help from Indonesia. no good. but west papua are different. they have resource. they can survive. everyone know they are gem. if they are not smart, they will be tricked by the country that help to get their independence.. just like eat timor..

I who live in Indonesia do not feel there as you say. Papua and West Papua are safe until today. the problem is the separatists who make noise so that the world community sees them as being persecuted. lets share about Papua issues with me, it's my pleasure to hear you

Lest we forget, he emphatically stated in His maiden speech that He wants to make PNG become the RICHEST BLACK CHRISTIAN NATION. In this instance now he is challenging us to executing 2 significant notion simultaneously and that is to make PNG become: 1. Black Christian Nation 2. Black Richest Nation That is very challenging and it requires and calls for a UNITED fight for the citizens of this nation to take total Ownership and leadership where required to drive that Slogan into making it become real and tangible. First and foremost, if we are deliberately bringing the Almighty Creator into the equation then we have to be very mindful because He does not deal with sin and stain for a start. He has got His own standards and orders so amicably and clearly spelt out in His eternal Word. God is a God of Order and He requires us to follow His orders if we are to ever live up to His standards. Either we do that and Live under His Blessings or we sidetrack from that and live under Curse. That will eventually lead us to the second notion of becoming the Richest Black Nation and depending on How we interpret His Will/Standards/Order from His Eternal Word will make us rich and great. This is stipulated out clearly in: 1. Exodus 19:5/Deuteronomy 28/1 - If you heed My Words and obey My instructions I will keep you as a treasured possession above all the other nations 2. Deuteronomy 28:12 - You will be a Lender to many Nations and not a Borrower 3. Deuteronomy 28:13 - You will be the head and not the tail, top and not bottom Once again, the onus falls now back on the Executive Government of the day to Clearly spell out the VISION - (Habakkuk 2:2 - Write the VISION on the TABLET and make it PLAIN so that the one who SEES it will RUN.) through Major Policy shift/changes and Amendments going forward. Finally, the nation must be united and not fragmented to shoulder the responsibility as Psalms 133 says: " Where there is UNITY, God Commands His BLESSINGS."