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Dr Aqorau breaks new ground by raising serious, long festering issues of donor dependency and “owning our future". With respect to the latter the public trust doctrine is particularly relevant and has enormous relevance for Pacific island microstates. Intergenerational equity has received scant attention. Information and intelligence asymmetry in our relations particularly with Australia and New Zealand (just for a start) is another item in the ‘long festering’ cluster. The prospect of seabed mineral mining in expanded maritime jurisdictions being increasingly dangled before us as an opportunity for ‘development’ is really plunder disguised as so called “development”. Theres more, much more.

Nice piece, folks, and hope you are all well. You have me now questioning to what extent we are actually also a civil society organisation or some form of unique enabler in that space, both in Australia and regionally, given our various activities.

Thank you, very well put. I believe that in Western Pacific countries, civil society actors are the under utilised sleeping giant that holds the key to turning youth unemployment and essential service delivery around. It is time to mobilise that resource.

Thanks for sharing Blaise. Glad to hear about your cocoa plantings. I completely agree with you! To learn more about the Family Farm Teams, see: https://www.canberra.edu.au/uc-research/faculty-research-centres/csc/livelihoods-and-learning-for-sustainable-communities/family-farms-teams-program#:~:text=The%20Family%20Farm%20Teams%20(FFT,to%20develop%20their%20family%20farm. Tom

Thanks Colin, and you're right it is more than 4 times: I use the NSO estimate of 11.8 million in 2021, and the 2011 census population growth rate of 3.1%. However, Devpol's population estimates are more conservative and therefore lower. The PM announced earlier this year that the 2024 census would be released today, though I haven't heard any announcement as yet. I have heard from friends within the NSO that the population figure is in the high 10 millions which government isn't happy with. Remains to be seen.

I am in paid employment, but have gone ahead into planting 1 hectare of the new hybrids clone seedlings from Tavilo. The plantings are now 8 months old. I'd like to do another hectare of clones. I am a firm believer that cocoa farming should be a family thing, as stated in this article.

PNG's population was less than 3 million at Independence, so it is now more than four times that size. It has been roughly doubling every 20 years. At this rate it will exceed Australia's population some time in the next 50 years. That could be a bit of a tipping point.

You are completely missing the point of the article. Nobody here is arguing about whether George Veikoso is from Fiji — of course he is, his artist name literally says “Fiji.” What we are talking about is the music, the naming of the genre, and how it should be remembered. Fiji’s style of music didn’t originate solely in Fiji — and it shouldn’t be labeled “Polynesian reggae” either — because island reggae is a shared Pacific sound. Its roots are Jamaican, and every island in Oceania has embraced and shaped it in its own way. That is exactly why we celebrate it as Pacific Island reggae. Your comment sounds unnecessarily divisive and outside the point of the discussion. Please slow down before making remarks that lean toward individualistic, separatist thinking — the kind of ideology that aligns with the Trump-style “us vs. them” agenda. That mindset is not healthy for our region. Yes, we all have our unique identities, and that is why we are working to dismantle colonial labels like Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. We can respect differences and celebrate shared culture. Music and policy should bring us together as one Pacific family. Don’t get snobbish or arrogant about separating Fiji from the rest of Pasifika just because of relative economic development. Remember that Fiji’s development is rooted in multiculturalism — the mix of communities, including Indo-Fijians, has driven ambition, competition, and growth. This article is about the legacy of Fiji’s music, its positive power, and its rightful naming. If you want to argue about roots, we can talk about George’s upbringing in Hawai‘i, which likely had an even greater influence on his music. But that’s not the point of this conversation.

Each Sovereign States in Oceania to its own, thanks very much. Too often only few loud voices in the Region wants to dictate the rules of how each Sovereign States in Oceania ought to be clumped together as this article iterates. George Veikoso is from Fiji. Period. Give credit to Fiji. Thank you. Nothing wrong with that. Our Team Viti do broadcasting in Aotearoa NZ 🇳🇿 under Radio Viti e Aotearoa. Guess who strangles them from using Sere vaka-Viti | Fijian Language lyric songs ON AIR via streaming? Some wannabees tagged Pasifika..... claiming to hold rights to Indigenous Fijian Language Music just because they have links to George Veikoso. Do us a favour and stop morphing us as one group of peoples in Oceania. Each Sovereign States in Oceania is different from another. Let's respect each other's space and stop conflating each Sovereign States Identity in Oceania. Each to its own IDENTITY❗️✍️

Hi, I heard the interview you had with Hilda Wayne on ABC Pacific. The Challenges highlighted are tough for a regular PNGean to afford all the neccessary costs especially if he/she is selected from the PEV ballot and who has never been to Australia. Getting a job offer there while in PNG is going to be a challenge. Thanks for the heads up. Regards, CB

I used this article in my MRP as a final year Law student. My MRP is on The Fear of Criminology and Penology and the analysis of fear's influences and impact on society and legislation and the penal restorative approach. The article provided ample insight and thank you for your timely research.

Excellent read, Hilman. From P4SP's perspective, the central point of your blog strongly resonates: there is no single “best” social protection program for the Pacific, only approaches that fit a country’s priorities, risks, and institutional realities. We’re genuinely humbled to hear that P4SP’s work has helped you gain deeper insights, and we share your view that country choices will continue to diverge. In terms of the USP 2030 agenda, the Pacific sits in a distinctive position as a region where universal approaches have long been celebrated even before this global initiative emerged. Pacific governments have steadily expanded lifecycle schemes - often with fewer resources than counterparts in other regions. The Pacific’s record is one of inclusiveness, with elderly and disability benefits clearly emerging as regional hallmarks.  While the region may be unpredictable, its commitment to social protection is looking remarkably certain. P4SP is incredibly proud to support some of the incredible work that governments are doing in this sector across the region.