Features Archive October 2020

At the time of listing in 1998 there was much optimism around tourism in particular. However – stymied by extreme remoteness and the ethnic tension period – tourist arrivals have remained a trickle.

Conservation Complexities in East Rennell, Solomon Islands

By Luke Kiddle
The small island of Rennell in Solomon Islands made international headlines early last year after a bulk bauxite carrier stranded and leaked up to 100 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, causing extensive environmental damage – likely the Solomon Islands’ worst environmental disaster in recent decades.
Some members of the team welcomed with flowers on arrival.

Remote Sikaiana Completes Integrated Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment

By Government Communications Unit (GCU)
A joint Ministerial team from the National and Malaita Provincial Governments has successfully completed a weeklong Integrated Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment (IVA) on the remote Sikaiana Island in Malaita Province last week from October 19 to 23.
In the interviews, many workers made explicit requests not to report any critical comments back to their RSE employer for fear that they might not be invited to return the following year.

Giving RSE Workers More Voice in New Zealand

By Charlotte Bedford, Heather Nunns, Richard Bedford
New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme has an international reputation as a good practice temporary labour migration program.
WFP, which last week won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to fight hunger, has unparalleled experience in buying and distributing food. Every year, WFP increases the amount of food it procures locally from smallholder farmers, providing training in post-harvest storage and in how to access markets.

Urgent Need to Strengthen Food Systems As COVID-19 Drives Up Numbers of Hungry People Worldwide

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today joins its sister agencies in calling for global action to improve the systems that produce and distribute the food we eat, so that they can better withstand shocks including the COVID-19 pandemic that can spark alarming surges in the level of hunger in the world.
While COVID-19 has become a handy excuse for island governments to blame for their economic problems, it has also exposed the weaknesses in the governance of economic policies and economic performance in Pacific Island states in general.

Responding to COVID-19: Time to Refocus on Pacific Governance

By Biman Chand Prasad
There have been many proposals made to deal with the fallout of COVID-19 on the Pacific Islands, and for how 'big brothers' Australia and New Zealand could assist in the recovery.
"My integrity is not for sale at any price. [In the face of corruption], I value the moral high ground and zero dollars in the bank - we always have a choice!” said Chair of the Youth Entrepreneurs Council Solomon Islands (YECSI), Ms. Millicent Barty, as she reflects on her own experiences.

Integrity Should Not be For Sale: Solomon Islands Youth Entrepreneur

Solomon Islands youth entrepreneurs have a key role to play in tackling corruption and building business integrity as the country strengthens its economy and tackles COVID-19, according to local participants of the three-day Business Integrity for Youth Entrepreneurs Workshop.
Protesters in Australia during the Free West Papua Campaign.

Do Papuan Lives Matter?

By Arichika Okazaki and Grant Walton
The tragic death of George Floyd has revitalized the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement not only in the USA, but also in other parts of the world.

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