Comments

Dear Fiji Think Tank, Thank you for your thoughtful engagement with our piece. Our apologies if we were not clear in our explanation of the proposed media business funding mechanism. Our vision is that the media business funding would be handled within each country. For example, perhaps one of the two Samoan organisations mentioned could administer funding within that country. In Fiji, it might be the Fiji Media Council that could handle the process. Thanks again for your thoughts, Amanda and Shailendra

Agree 100% Stephen

Thanks Josephine, useful background

CIMC and DFAT before BCEP have had numerous CSO State regional consultations on accountability and transparency. The question on whether anything has sprouted is better left to CIMC [individual's name deleted] to delve into and answer. On Minister Palas's recommendation for a Government CSO committee it would well sit under the CSO State Partnership policy now housed within DFCDR. Looking forward to more series and welcome to PNG Mr Green. Josephine

Hello Duncan, very important topic. I like your short description under context. May I offer another sentence. In such a hugely diverse environment driven by hyperlocal issues where traditional grievances and tension may extend generations, elected representatives and public servants are generally unknown, even irrelevant to the many and rarely trusted to make decisions that are fair or equitable to those they seek to serve. I take the view that seeking to tinker with anything that replaces or is perceived to replace local agency in Papua New Guinea is doomed. As you have stated it has been five decades since this process was bequeathed by Australia and it would be fair to say that since then service delivery and faith in the system has eroded to the point of vanishing in some quarters. Apparently, there is a new idea in town called locally led development. I had to pick myself up from the floor after typing that. It would appear it has taken one group five decades to realise that locally led development has been going on for millennia in the absence or presence of a Westminster system and continues to do so. How that might be incorporated into international efforts to support and help facilitate human capital and social development within a context that is both meaningful and acceptable to maybe 15 going on 20 million people is the question that should be exercising the minds of the planners. But in my view asking the people who never had and still don’t have a voice under the present system what they envisage, how they want it to work where they live is paramount.

In fact the early days missionary's inclusive anthropological studies were not really deep. I am from Telefomin Min Cultural Centre, Telefomin, West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, and have 27 generations in the family tree as a Father of a Min Tribe.

Very insightful to get more support from Giant's early anthropological write ups, I have already drawn up my tribe decent tree up to 27 generations.

Good analysis

I am trying my very best to get a NID and birth certificate done in order to process passport to obtain passport, is there an online application that I can fill in? If so, can I have the link please?

This is an indicator of digital transformation, in PNG's agriculture sector, great initiatives.

Hi Bryant, Indeed you're correct, not specifically for youth: for all generations. I do not know about the European Union EU-SREIT Project in East Sepik. Tom

Hello Sadhana, The advice provided in the app is not only relevant to PNG, but very much generalisable for any cocoa farmers throughout the world (it is mostly in English, with farmer testimonies in Tok Pisin). FYI: In the first week of the app launch (17 June - 24 June), we saw over 100 downloads - ~80% from PNG, but also some downloads from outside of PNG (countries in Africa and also Israel). There is incredible promise that ACIAR could and should certainly promote the app for use in other cocoa growing countries. Tom