Pacific links: PNG wants aid shifted, cash stash, social media in Fiji and more
Education in Papua New Guinea (Photo: Flickr/Asian Development Bank)
- During last week's 25th Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum, Papua New Guinea asked Australia to move away from its current aid program and instead fund government health and education spending, in light of the recent economic downturn. Requests to 'realign' Australian aid with PNG government priorities are not new.
- Papua New Guinea’s Chief Justice has determined that the Manus Island detention centre is closed, even though about 860 men still live there and the Australian Department of Immigration and Boarder Protection lists it as operational.
- An upcoming study on poverty and gender in Papua New Guinea has investigated how gender impacts household cash flows, finding both men and women tend to keep a private stash of cash separate to the central household fund.
- It is the second anniversary of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu and the country's National Disaster Management office has extended the recovery time by two more years.
- A consortium of multinational Pacific organisations has published a new report in response to natural disasters including Cyclone Pam and Cyclone Winston.
- This study into the use of digital technologies and social media in Fiji suggests it is heavily influenced by feminist activism and advocacy of young women’s rights activists. A presentation of the research at the 2017 Australasian Aid Conference can be heard here.
- Tonga’s Prime Minister is moving to close or sell off the national public broadcaster after he alleged it was unsupportive of his government. Elsewhere, Samoan media have welcomed the National University’s upgrade to its journalism degree, and an online news service has launched in the Solomon Islands, 'Solomon Fresh-Beat Online'.
- Representatives from the Red Cross presented at the 2017 Australasian Aid Conference on forecast-based financing for early action disaster response in the Pacific.