By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The Solomon Islands government is looking into establishing a defence force which would make it the fourth Pacific nation to have a military. Some parliamentarians support the idea, while others are pointing to the country’s history of violent unrest. National Security Minister Jimson Tanagada said the government was in| Asia Pacific Report
Productivity is the single most important driver of long-term wage growth, improvements in living standards and national competitiveness. Yet, until now, Papua New Guinea has lacked robust, sector-specific measures of productivity to guide wage setting and economic policy. A new study, the first of its kind, fills that gap. Commissioned by the Employers Federation of ... Read moreAbout the author/s Martin Davies Martin Davies is Professor of Economics at Washington and Lee University, Visitin...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
On 4 June 2025, with the support of the Shifting the Power Coalition and ActionAid Australia, I had the honour of presenting a heartfelt testimonial about our work at the Hauskuk Initiative — through the power of poetry — during a high-level, multi-stakeholder plenary session titled “Leave No One Behind” at the 8th Session of ... Read moreAbout the author/s Naomi Woyengu Naomi Woyengu is the Founder and Executive Director of the Hauskuk Initiative Association based in Madang, PNG, whi...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
A person I respect deeply uses the phrase “soft bigotry of low expectations” to describe problems besetting Papua New Guineans working in the development sector. In other words, there is a pernicious assumption that Papua New Guineans are capable of less because of their background and they can get patronised to high heaven when they ... Read moreAbout the author/s Gordon Peake Gordon Peake is a writer, podcaster and consultant, and a campus visitor at the Development Policy Centre. His f...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Visiting Papua New Guinea for the Mount Hagen Festival? Here are a few tips and what to do and what to expect.| Young Pioneer Tours
With the golden jubilee celebrations having just passed, Papua New Guinea is equal parts festive and reflective. The national broadcasters have played their part in fostering the latter: screening history-themed documentaries and news segments in between the comprehensive live coverage of official events across the nation’s capital. Universities and training centres such as the Somare ... Read moreDisclosure Funding for the Revitalising the PNG Dictionary of Biography project is provided by...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
As Papua New Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence, we reflect on progress made in improving health and strengthening relationships. Our experience through a major program on maternal and child health, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies (HMHB), is that having strong, resilient health systems is a key foundation for independence — and the partnerships that sustain ... Read moreAbout the author/s James Beeson Professor James Beeson is a Deputy Director (Research Strategy) and Head of the Mal...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Polopa means “go ahead, I will come after you”. It is the name given to the Polopa-speaking people of the Southern Highlands Province — a population of about 10,000 people living in the Erave local level government area. They live in nine council wards: Kerabi, Balowei, Tiri, Waraga, Waposale, Kele, Puputau (Mt Tawa), Sirigi and Sopuse. ... Read moreAbout the author/s Busa Jeremiah Wenogo Busa Jeremiah Wenogo is a Papua New Guinean development economist who specialises in issues relati...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
On behalf of the West Papuan people, I wish our brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea a happy Independence Day. Fifty... The post President Wenda: Happy Independence Day to Papua New Guinea appeared first on United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).| United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)
The story of the relationship between the two national universities is also the story of the relationship between two nations, says Sinclair Dinnen.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
RNZ Pacific| Asia Pacific Report
Guest blog by Team Akepile: Surgant Gand Mond, Rose Dama, Mathew G. Jonathan, Elizabeth Kai, Lilly Graham, Jack Maima, and Belinda Kora Key Learnings from the PDIA Course Our PDIA journey taught us valuable lessons about addressing complex social issues: Problem we worked on over the past 12 weeks We selected our Cause two (C2)...Continue Reading PDIA to Address SARV Cases in Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea| Building State Capability
Guest blog by Anna Ga’a, Denphil Hunt-Mitir, Nabieu Lansana, Solomon Mape, Julia Tubang Doing the PDIA program was unexpected for our group; initially, we doubted we could tackle the process effectively. But, by welcoming PDIA’s open and collaborative approach, we embraced the challenge. Here’s an overview of our journey, including the lessons learned, the challenges...Continue Reading PDIA to Engage Youth in Papua New Guinea’s Tuna Bay Area| Building State Capability
Guest blog by Sharlene Gawi, Nesther Horiva, Audrey Kari, Naijolin Tumul Gender-based violence has become a prevalent and growing issue in Papua New Guinea. Research from the 2016-2018 Demographic Health Survey showed that at least 68% of women in PNG have experienced this violence at some point in their lives. This is double the global...Continue Reading Supporting Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Papua New Guinea| Building State Capability
Guest blog by Elsie Mongoru, Alexander Tanabi, Dorcas Mileng, Emmanuel Kokiva, Evenezer Tanda, David William, Nancy Ilambi In the heart of Papua New Guinea lies Kutubu rural local government area in Nipa Kutubu District of Southern Highlands Province. The population is estimated to be 24,155 with a youth population of around 7,229 of which 43%...Continue Reading Low Economic Engagement of Youth in Agribusiness Opportunities in Kutubu, Papua New Guinea| Building State Capability
Guest blog by Barbara Thomas, Maliwai Sasingian, & Kirk Gibson In January 2024, the Black Wednesday riots shook Papua New Guinea (PNG). Local thinkers highlight these as acts of desperation, driven by underlying causes including unemployment and the increasing cost of living. But governments alone cannot solve the complex problems that drive these events. Citizens, civil...Continue Reading Supporting Collective Action and Reform Coalitions in PNG: Trust is Critical| Building State Capability