scholarly journals The Characteristics of Locally Led Development in the Pacific

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 136-146
Author(s):  
Chris Roche ◽  
John Cox ◽  
Mereani Rokotuibau ◽  
Peni Tawake ◽  
Yeshe Smith
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Green Growth ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Regional Process ◽  
Collective Deliberation ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
Growth Coalition ◽  
Modes Of Thought ◽  
The Voice

There is a growing recognition of the effectiveness of locally led processes of social change and development. However, most of the case studies that have been discussed in the literature are focused on <em>programs</em> run by international development agencies. This article examines three locally led <em>processes</em> of change in the Pacific. These include the Simbo for Change Initiative in the Solomon Islands, the Voice in Papua New Guinea and a regional process led by the Green Growth Coalition. We explore how local understandings of leadership, preferences for informal ways of working, holistic ways of thinking, the importance placed upon maintaining good relationships and collective deliberation fundamentally shaped each of the cases. We note how these preferences and ways of working are often seen, or felt, to be at odds with western modes of thought and the practice of development agencies. Finally, we conclude by exploring how these initiatives were supported by external agencies, and suggest further research of this type might provide benchmarks by which Pacific citizens can hold their governments and development agencies to account.

Mangrove ecosystem services and the potential for carbon revenue programmes in Solomon Islands

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIMBERLEY WARREN-RHODES ◽  
ANNE-MAREE SCHWARZ ◽  
LINDA NG BOYLE ◽  
JOELLE ALBERT ◽  
STEPHEN SUTI AGALO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Mangrove Ecosystem ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Religious Denomination ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Potential Carbon

SUMMARYMangroves are an imperilled biome whose protection and restoration through payments for ecosystem services (PES) can contribute to improved livelihoods, climate mitigation and adaptation. Interviews with resource users in three Solomon Islands villages suggest a strong reliance upon mangrove goods for subsistence and cash, particularly for firewood, food and building materials. Village-derived economic data indicates a minimum annual subsistence value from mangroves of US$ 345–1501 per household. Fish and nursery habitat and storm protection were widely recognized and highly valued mangrove ecosystem services. All villagers agreed that mangroves were under threat, with firewood overharvesting considered the primary cause. Multivariate analyses revealed village affiliation and religious denomination as the most important factors determining the use and importance of mangrove goods. These factors, together with gender, affected users’ awareness of ecosystem services. The importance placed on mangrove services did not differ significantly by village, religious denomination, gender, age, income, education or occupation. Mangrove ecosystem surveys are useful as tools for raising community awareness and input prior to design of PES systems. Land tenure and marine property rights, and how this complexity may both complicate and facilitate potential carbon credit programmes in the Pacific, are discussed.

Transcending the colonial gaze: Empathy, agency and community in the South Pacific photography of John Watt Beattie1

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry M. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Solomon Islands ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
British Colonialism ◽  
The South ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Norfolk Island ◽  
The Church

For three months in 1906, John Watt Beattie, the noted Australian photographer – at the invitation of the Anglican Bishop of Melanesia, Cecil Wilson – travelling on the church vessel the Southern Cross, photographed people and sites associated with the Melanesian Mission on Norfolk Island and present-day Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Beattie reproduced many of the 1500-plus photographs from that trip, which he sold in various formats from his photographic studio in Hobart, Tasmania. The photographs constitute a priceless collection of Pacific images that began to be used very quickly in a variety of publications, with or without attribution. I shall examine some of these photographs in the context of the ethos of the Melanesian Mission, British colonialism in the Solomon Islands, and Beattie’s previous photographic experience. I shall argue that Beattie first exhibited a colonial gaze of objectifying his dehumanized exotic subjects (e.g. as ‘savages’ and ‘cannibals’) but with increased familiarity with them, became empathetic and admiring. In this change of attitude, I argue that he effectively transcended his colonial gaze to produce photographs of great empathy, beauty and longevity. At the same time, he became more critical of the colonial enterprise in the Pacific, whether government, commercial or church.

scholarly journals EDITORIAL: Millennium mayhem

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9
Author(s):  
David Robie
Keyword(s):  
Prime Minister ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
News Story ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Irian Jaya ◽  
The Third ◽  
Fiji Islands ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
West Papua ◽  
Historic Change

The Pacific has entered the third millennium after a tempestuous time in the final year of the 20th Century. All the recent events have had an impact on the region's media.The fragile peace in Bougainville has continued to experience hiccups; the state of emergency in the Solomon Islands over ethnic unrest and even the historic change of government in the Fiji Islands with the country's first Indo-Fijian prime minister. have unleashed tensions. But the major upheaval, of course, has been East Timor's devastating transition to independence from Indonesia and in the resurgence of West Papua ( recently "renamed" Papua from Irian Jaya by Jakarta's colonial authorities) as a news story.

scholarly journals Annonaceae in the Western Pacific: geographic patterns and four new species

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Turner ◽  
Timothy M.A. Utteridge
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
New Combinations ◽  
Geographic Patterns ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
The Western Pacific ◽  
A New Species

The taxonomy and distribution of Pacific Annonaceae are reviewed in light of recent changes in generic delimitations. A new species of the genus Monoon from the Solomon Archipelago is described, Monoon salomonicum I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov., together with an apparently related new species from New Guinea, Monoon pachypetalum I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov. The confirmed presence of the genus in the Solomon Islands extends the generic range eastward beyond New Guinea. Two new species of Huberantha are described, Huberantha asymmetrica I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov. and Huberantha whistleri I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov., from the Solomon Islands and Samoa respectively. New combinations are proposed: Drepananthus novoguineensis (Baker f.) I.M.Turner & Utteridge comb. nov., Meiogyne punctulata (Baill.) I.M.Turner & Utteridge comb. nov. and Monoon merrillii (Kaneh.) I.M.Turner & Utteridge comb. nov. One neotype and four lectotypes are designated. The geographic patterns exhibited by nine native Annonaceae genera, that range in the Pacific beyond New Guinea, are discussed.

scholarly journals Church Networks and Localisation Practice in the Pacific

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Lauria ◽  
Aloysius Canete ◽  
Rebekah Cochrane
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Local Staff ◽  
The Road ◽  
Humanitarian Action ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
Humanitarian Response ◽  
Faith Leaders ◽  
The Pacific

The localisation agenda is the largest humanitarian reform in decades. Global research, advocacy and adaptations of localised approaches continue to mature following the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. The Summit produced The Charter for Faith-based Humanitarian Action, recognising the unique position and comparative advantage of local faith actors (LFAs) in humanitarian settings, owing to their presence in communities before, during, and after crises. More than 80% of the world’s population professes a religious faith, and international development and humanitarian work takes place within communities deeply influenced by faith, with local staff often themselves people of faith (cited in Fletcher 2018, p. 4). LFAs have consistently been among the top implementing partners of UN Agencies in undertaking humanitarian response (UNHCR Partnership Note on faith-based organizations, local faith communities and faith leaders 2014, p.8). Despite this recognition, little has promulgated on the role of LFAs in the localisation agenda and the primacy of LFAs' voices in contextualising the agenda for their communities. Accordingly, CAN DO (Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations) a network of Australian churchbased agencies with established relationships in the Pacific, is building an evidence base to inform international actors and affirm the significance of LFAs in localised humanitarian response within the Pacific region, thereby contributing towards the Charter for Faith-Based Humanitarian Action commitments. This paper is a critical reflection of the 2017-2018 localised response to the Monaro Volcano eruption in Vanuatu. Key learnings frame future collaborations with Pacific churches and pave the road ahead in shifting power differentials, including the advancement of LFAs' role within policy and decision-making at all levels of humanitarian response (Charter for Faith-Based Humanitarian Action 2016, p.2).

scholarly journals New Zealand’s Assistance with Invasive Species Management in the Pacific

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Simon Lovatt
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
International Development ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Invasive Species Management ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Species Management ◽  
Critical Leadership

<p>Invasive species are one of the biggest threats to development and well-being in the Pacific. They have wide-ranging impacts on economies, the environment, and societies; in addition to causing USD $1.4 trillion of losses each year. Invasive species are also the primary cause of biodiversity loss on islands which could significantly affect the ecosystem services which Pacific Islanders depend on. Every year New Zealand spends NZD $500 million on biosecurity, and Australia has spent AUD $175 million on a single eradication project. In comparison, in the Pacific there are only six people working fulltime on invasive species issues at a regional level and there is limited funding available. This thesis assesses the role of four New Zealand agencies that assist with invasive species management in the Pacific: the International Development Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Biosecurity New Zealand division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Department of Conservation, and Landcare Research. Together these agencies provide funding, build capacity, offer technical advice, and occasionally implement projects. While there are important gains to New Zealand in assisting the Pacific with invasive species management, such as a reduced biosecurity threat and learning opportunities for staff, the desire to help the region for its own sake is a major driver. Suggestions for future improvement include having more information on the economic impacts of invasive species in the Pacific, increased coordination between donors, and including invasive species measures in regional trade agreements. It is hoped that New Zealand will continue to play its critical leadership role in invasive species management in the region.</p>

scholarly journals Genetic structure of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) population and the incidence of its biocontrol agent (Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus) in the South Pacific Islands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayvan Etebari ◽  
James Hereward ◽  
Apenisa Sailo ◽  
Emeline M Ahoafi ◽  
Robert Tautua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biocontrol Agent ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Mitochondrial Lineage ◽  
The South ◽  
Oryctes Rhinoceros ◽  
Rhinoceros Beetle ◽  
The Pacific

Incursions of the Coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), Oryctes rhinoceros, have been detected in several countries of the south-west Pacific in recent years, resulting in an expansion of the pest's geographic range. It has been suggested that this resurgence is related to an O. rhinoceros mitochondrial lineage (previously referred to as the CRB-G biotype) that is reported to show reduced susceptibility to the well-established classical biocontrol agent, Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV). We investigated O. rhinoceros population genetics and the OrNV status of adult specimens collected in the Philippines and seven different South Pacific island countries (Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu). Based on the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in the mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (CoxI) gene, we found three major mitochondrial lineages (CRB-G, a PNG lineage (CRB-PNG) and the South Pacific lineage (CRB-S)) across the region. Haplotype diversity varied considerably between and within countries. The O. rhinoceros population in most countries was monotypic and all individuals tested belonged to a single mitochondrial lineage (Fiji, CRB-S; Tonga, CRB-S; Vanuatu, CRB-PNG; PNG (Kimbe), CRB-PNG; New Caledonia CRB-G; Philippines, CRB-G). However, in Samoa we detected CRB-S and CRB-PNG and in Solomon Islands we detected all three haplotype groups. Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) methods were used to genotype 10,000 snps from 230 insects across the Pacific and showed genetic differentiation in the O. rhinoceros nuclear genome among different geographical populations. The GBS data also provided evidence for gene flow and admixture between different haplotypes in Solomon Islands. Therefore, contrary to earlier reports, CRB-G is not solely responsible for damage to the coconut palms reported since the pest was first recorded in Solomon Islands in 2015. We also PCR-screened a fragment of OrNV from 260 insects and detected an extremely high prevalence of viral infection in all three haplotypes in the region. We conclude that the haplotype groups CRB-G, CRB-S, and PNG, do not represent biotypes, subspecies, or cryptic species, but simply represent different invasions of O. rhinoceros across the Pacific. This has important implications for management, especially biological control, of Coconut rhinoceros beetle in the region.

Evidence of a geographical variation in Mesochaetopterus (Polychaeta: Chaetopteridae) from the Pacific Ocean

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 1409-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel R. Bhaud
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
New South ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Morphological Variations ◽  
Geographical Variations ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
Hard Structures

Specimens of Mesochaetopterus (Chaetopteridae) from seven geographical sources in the Pacific Ocean are compared on the basis of their hard structures: specialized chaetae, uncinal plates and tubes. There geographical variations are investigated both locally (New South Wales and the Solomon Islands) and over the whole Pacific Ocean from Australia (New South Wales) through the Solomon Islands to Galapagos and Hawaii. The most interesting result is the existence of intra-regional morphological variations with the hard structures differing on specimens sampled in two areas from New South Wales or in two areas from the Solomon Islands out of a total of three areas. These newly described morphologies imply that M. minutus, isolated in a first step from M. sagittarius and confined to the Pacific, is a pseudo-sibling species complex. Each element of this complex is morphologically distinguishable. Consequently the generally accepted role of the long-lived planktonic larvae characteristic of Mesochaetopterus, as a source of geographical homogeneity must be re-examined.

ICTs and the (Re)Production of Development Knowledge in Africa

2014 ◽  
pp. 36-54
Author(s):  
Lord C. Mawuko-Yevugah
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Western Development ◽  
African Context ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
Dependency Model ◽  
Development Paradigm

Over the past few years, Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have been promoted by Western development agencies in Africa and other regions of the developing world. There are legion of intellectual (theoretical) and practical policy-oriented arguments advanced by the proponents of an ICT-driven agenda and to justify why this paradigm offers an effective pathway out of poverty and under-development in the global South. This chapter proposes a critical theoretical approach for analyzing and interpreting the implications and impacts of this ICT-driven development agenda for Africa and other regions striving for home-grown and locally-driven development agenda. Drawing on aspects of critical theoretical lenses including Foucault's knowledge-power dynamics and neo-Gramscian concept of hegemony, the chapter explores how the ICT-driven development paradigm being championed by key international development agencies may in fact,help to perpetuate unequal power relations in the production of development knowledge whereby ideas and practices of the “developed” and “advanced” West are privileged and imposed on the “less developed” and “backward” regions such as Africa. The chapter provides a historical overview on development theory in the African context from the era of modernization theory to the neo-liberal turn in order to examine if and how the ICT-driven paradigm offers any departures from the path-dependency model embedded in earlier theoretical and policy interventions.

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