Academia Nomad

Unbroken chain of democracy: 50 years on

I’m working on a paper, looking at possible explanations of how PNG survived as a democracy despite lacking strong democratic principles / prerequisites. Came across Ron May’s book (recommended reading during my first year as a political science student but like most students didn’t read) on the first 25 years of PNG’s independence. The introductionContinue reading “Unbroken chain of democracy: 50 years on”

USAID: Toktok lo skel blo toktok.

Whilst there’s so much talk about USAID being cut and its potential impact in the Pacific, at least for PNG, I cannot point to a specific USAID project and say with confidence that it has transformed lives. This is not a criticism of USAID. Quality of live in PNG is not the responsibility of foreignContinue reading “USAID: Toktok lo skel blo toktok.”

RIP Tess

Tess Gizoria passed away recently after a long fight with cancer. This post on 4 December 2024 when she was undergoing chemotherapy says a lot about PNG’s priorities: “I know my portion is life and life in abundance. But even in saying that, I’m grateful for 34 days in hospital. 34 days where it wasContinue reading “RIP Tess”

Government of the Non-Taxpaying Papua New Guineans!

After 20 years of operation, Heli Solutions has shut down. The local company couldn’t survive fuel shortages and a lack of foreign currency. But the deeper problem? Poor decisions by politicians—especially the prime minister. When gold prices were at their peak, James Marape shut down Pogera, one of the region’s biggest mines and a majorContinue reading “Government of the Non-Taxpaying Papua New Guineans!”

Papua New Guinean PhD student wins Australasian Aid Conference 3 Minutes Competition

Papua New Guinean PhD student wins Australasian Aid Conference 3 Minutes Competition In the recent Australasian Aid Conference in Canberra, Natasha S Turia won the 3 Minutes Aid Pitch. 3 Minutes Aid Pitch is a competition where you present your brilliant idea under 3 minutes, and the conference attendees decide the winner in an onlineContinue reading “Papua New Guinean PhD student wins Australasian Aid Conference 3 Minutes Competition”