Comments

Good.

Interesting information and yes supporting your notion that it shouldn't be restricted to specific sector, but demand-driven from Australian employers would assist the Microstates of Kiribati,Nauru and Tuvalu.

Mr Kama, I totally agree that the government will want to go to the elections with minor problems on its shoulder, only time will tell. On a different note, it was interesting to sit in a tutorial you gave at upng (L19) on the concept of 'separation of power'. As a political science graduate some years back at upng I was never given this insightful information. I am in first year law and I am eyeing constitutional law on 'constituent power' as the area of interest.

In my view, the creation of IDA is a total waste and misuse of tax payers money. There is no new role or special task that is performed by IDA. They are only duplicating functions of Works Department, NRA and Department of transport. Since the current government didn't support the idea of the role of IDA through the SWF bill, IDA should be Abolished. This office is financed thru the loan from Chinese Exim Bank and PNG taxpayers are repaying that loan .

Hi Ian, Thank you for your comment. The team working in the DFC are definitely a primary reason for the successful outcomes that are being achieved. The amount of time and energy that they are contributing to the clinic cannot be overlooked. Talking with clients at the six month review of the clinic really highlighted what a strong influence the staff were having on the clients. One client noted that the DFC personnel “try to make the client happy and make them laugh…they always talk to the patient and make them happy…they give them some strength to keep going.” This was just one of many comments praising the staff.

Thanks again for your view into understanding GBV. I agree that an in-depth analysis needs to be done to understand the interrelated correlation between modern influences, traditional norms and economic issues and cultural shifts in society like PNG and Solomon Island. On the other end, we also have to point out that GBV prevention and remedial mechanisms and systems established in society sometimes failed to provide adequate and reliable services to the GBV victims, therefore victims often do not seek support. These mechanisms and systems needs to be well resourced and better equipped to provide sustainable support to the individuals and families affected by GBV. Unlike Australia or other developed societies where GBV prevention and remedial agencies and systems are well functioning, places like PNG and Solomon Island still struggling to provide the right balances. For example, the police are the first point of call for the GBV victims, but policemen are not trained to address that, they can only arrest the culprit. While another agency is responsible for proving counselling and comfort support with the support of another related agency, therefore the referral pathways are sometimes not helpful. Even in a country with strong legislation on GBV, enforcement is still a long way to go. We had these challenges in PNG. We really need an in-depth study.

'A Lost Decade' turning into 'A Light Decade'.

This is how the big picture in Waigani does not translate into better services for people in the rural sites; it’s across the country, much worse in places like Western and Gulf, Sepiks and the small Islands. We cannot blame the systems or institutions or policies that they are not working favourably for the rural people, it’s how the commitment from groups and individuals who are tasked and duty-bound to serve are weak or failed to deliver. Adding to this failure is the insufficient allocation of resources like funding to the district or education system in the Province. The promised K10m-K15m DSIP funds only exist on papers, not that much of money landed in the district account at one point in a year, the reason is known to the local MP or the DA. However, groups and individuals at the district and others at the Provincial office failed to make good and efficient use of the limited funding that comes in, they tend to suck on the limited government funding as well with false claims, paper services and one day company style. So the real need like schools, aid posts and roads has gone from bad to worse. This further crippled student access to basic education, sick people die from communicable diseases and poor road system. It is the people who are tasked and duty-bound to do something like the DA and district staff, the MP and people at the Provincial office that is simply not doing their job. Even if they do their job, it was without or with limited funding. Apart from the government provided services like schools and aid posts, the only services that will continue to function and provide needs like basic education and medication will be the churches run or NGOs set up facilities in the rural location. Still the rural people hope for the best every time and lived with what they can make.

Good to see old UPNG comes to light again after the lost of staff and low moral that hit the institution for several years. Credit must go to AusAid for providing the funding and ANU for facilitating the exchanges and the building of capacity once more. UPNG in its hay days was a PNG premium university and I am hopeful the partnership between ANU and UPNG will continue. However, AusAid could extend this honour to include other universities through interactive learning which may include seminars, post graduate research presentations and online tutorials from the UPNG Waigani campus. This will have a wider impact on PNGs higher learning institutions, and form networks that will last a life-time such as done in New Zealand with all major universities and connecting with with USP-Fiji and the National University of Samoa. Just a food for thought.

Thanks John Kalu, what you say makes a lot of sense and it is good to get some feedback from PNG. I agree there needs to be a critical examination of root factors and work to address these pressures for the sake of reducing GBV but also many other harmful effects such as impact on children, food security, poverty and the impact of these root factors on communities the ability of communities to respond to pressures and crises. Such a view can also help us understand better how modern influences, traditional norms and economic issues all influence culture and cultural shifts and how these may contribute to violence. Rather than blaming culture, we need to dig a little deeper.

I agree with you Paul re totally people deserving better and I agree with the system failures. I should have acknowledged that too. I'm not sure we are at odds on anything though. My main point was that Rebecca has told the other narrative that rarely gets told and that we need to remember that people trying to do reforms are themselves dealing with massive challenges, just as our foremothers and forefathers did in our respective countries and that PNG will work this out and that it will take time. One of the lessons we seem unwilling to share is how long it has taken us to reform (as you also note) and for many people in some remote communities in Australia their stories are as sad and challenging as some here. We often behave as though Australia changed quickly. It didn't. And if you are a woman it is still taking a very very long time despite the positive changes!

Rebecca's story was filled with great insights and it is terrific that an Australian NGO is working at the local level in PNG. When reading through the story, it made me reflect on whether I had done enough to integrate such on-the-ground realities when providing high level budget and economic advice in the PNG Treasury (or in the Australian Treasury advising on PNG). The picture painted is one of great individual resilience and perserverance in the face of regular system failure. And this is where I would possibly differ from Elizabeth in that I consider the difficulties in appointing teachers, or the disbursement of budgeted DSIP funds down to the district level, or the appalling response to the drought, as indicative of system failures. Frankly, the people at district level deserve better. We have gone through centuries of change to build governance systems, with more balanced incentives and accountabilities, and we've learned some lessons along the way (although probably not on refugee policy where I strongly agree with Elizabeth's comments). These lessons can, respectfully, be adapted and shared. Rebecca's story is a real reminder of the challenges faced, including the extraordinary complexity of pressures that flow from the wantok system, at the local level. These must be built into good policy design to support positive change for the people of Obura Wonenara.