New Voices PNG 2014

On Thursday 29th May, the Lowy Institute’s Melanesia Program will host a one-day conference: New Voices PNG 2014 at the National Research Institute in Port Moresby.

New Voices PNG 2014 is the first event to be hosted by the Australia PNG Network, which is hosted by the Lowy Institute and develops people-to-people links between Papua New Guinea and Australia. The Network will be officially launched after Thursday’s conference.

New Voices is a model that the Lowy Institute has used since 2004 to bring together new and emerging leaders to share thinking and ideas with a particular focus on international relations. In 2012 the Lowy Institute’s Melanesia Program hosted New Voices PNG for the first time. Following on from the success of that event, there is a lot of enthusiasm for the 2014 conference.

‘It has been great working with people in PNG to develop the programme for Thursday’s conference,‘ said Jenny Hayward-Jones, Director of the Melanesia Program. ‘Everyone contributed ideas for themes and presentations and we are looking forward to hearing some fantastic contributions on a number of subjects, including PNG’s relationships with Australia, Indonesia and the rest of Melanesia, responsible sustainable development and the future of political engagement’.

Thursday’s event will include a recording of ‘Tanim Graun’, which will focus specifically on the future of the informal economy of PNG.

The Australian High Commission has assisted the Lowy Institute to convene this event as part of ‘Australia Week in PNG’.

Media are warmly invited to attend New Voices PNG 2014.  Registration from 8.30 am, National Research Institute, Port Moresby.

Media inquiries:

Jenny Hayward Jones – Port Moresby - +675 7326 8877

Mark Tamsitt – Port Moresby -  +675 7233 7181