Features Archive June 2020

At 20 years of age, Lucy has two sons. Her eldest child is now three years old while her youngest is a bit over 12 months.

China’s efforts to marginalise Taiwan and promote its “One China” policy has been a challenge for many countries.

Developing countries of Asia and the Pacific are experiencing unbalanced tolls of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grim milestones in infections and deaths have left countless devastated.

The recent University of the South Pacific (USP) Council meeting to address governance issues resulting in the reinstatement of its suspended Vice Chancellor may have opened a pathway for political will amongst leaders and politicians of Pacific Islands Forum member countries to push for better governance in regional institutions.

COVID-19 is a health crisis with far-reaching social and economic consequences, both immediate and stretching into an unpredictable future.

Jeminah Oto’a used to work at Solomon Airlines. 2020 began with new hopes and dreams for her, when she started work as an intern receptionist at the local Airline Company.

Recently, the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) have got a bad rap in the press.

The challenge for growers in Australian horticulture is to find sufficient labour for the months of September 2020 to January 2021 to harvest the fruit and vegetables they have produced.

Primary and secondary schools in Papua New Guinea (PNG) resumed operations more than a month ago after the State of Emergency (SOE) Controller lifted the temporary closure. Resuming classes in the midst of a countrywide SOE is no easy feat.

COVID-19 has had a far greater economic impact than health impact on Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Pacific.

In over 40 years of independence and conducting of diplomatic relations, no diplomatic ally has publicly spoken directly to Solomon Islanders, including national and provincial leaders, in an admonishing fashion to ‘stop making irresponsible remarks or actions’ against their/global policies, whatever those may be.

Unlike its health, economic, or gendered impacts, COVID-19 has yet to cause an overt crisis for Asia’s environment.

If there ever were an ideal time to talk solidarity, to practice solidarity and to strengthen solidarity, the time would be now.

In the recent Vanuatu national elections, Dr Andrina Thomas stood for the rural electorate of Espiritu Santo. Here she offers some reflections to Elise Howard.

Pacific islands face unique challenges in combating COVID-19 and will need unique solutions to come out of the crisis unscathed.