Australian aid | Papua New Guinea & the Pacific | Global development policy

Canberra
Based in Australia
Deep-sea mining advocates echo the same "benevolent" rhetoric Australia once used to justify the Panguna Mine in Bougainville — a project that helped spark the Pacific's worst conflict since World War II. devpolicy.org/deep-sea-minin…
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New research spanning 122 countries finds trade sanctions raise conflict deaths — but only where corruption is already high. Below that threshold, the effect turns negative or insignificant. devpolicy.org/when-sanctions… #Sanctions #Corruption #Iran #ConflictRisk
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Prosecution counts miss the point: Tonga's Anti-Corruption Commission argues success should be measured by investigation quality, prevention and education too. devpolicy.org/small-states-b…
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🚨Seminar Reminder Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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Varroa destructor could reach Fiji "one boat ride away" — and the country has thin surveillance, no hive-loss reporting, and scattered beekeepers. A Fiji beekeeper says a narrow, low-cost window remains to prepare before it's too late. devpolicy.org/varroa-and-fij… #Fiji
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Pacific leaders used their 2026 UN speeches to reject geopolitical rivalry in their own region while deepening regionalism. Nine countries opposed power struggles in 2026, up from four in 2025 — even as Naoero broke ranks by announcing it will… devpolicy.org/what-the-pacif…
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Indonesia deactivated around five million under-age social media accounts in four months under its new under-16 rules. But that measures platform compliance, not whether children are actually safer. devpolicy.org/indonesias-chi…
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Catch up with the conversation! 📺 We were privileged to have Jean Martin, Evonne Kennedy and Serena Sasingian share insights at the ANU Pasifika Students Assoc seminar hosted by Hansley Gumbaketi. View the event recording on Devpolicy Youtube: events.devpolicy.org/2026102…
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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Most PALM workers don't trust country liaison officers for advice or complaints, and employers aren't impressed either. The reason: CLOs face three conflicting sets of expectations from sending governments, employers and Australia's DFAT. devpolicy.org/palm-country-l…
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Better poverty prediction doesn't mean fairer social protection. Machine learning can sharpen targeting accuracy, but households hardest to track in data remain most likely to be missed, and eligibility rules can quietly shape work decisions. devpolicy.org/can-better-pov…
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This week: why Tonga's Chinese debt won't be forgiven and who pays instead, plus what Solomon Islands' LDC graduation will actually change. tractatus.idrys.org/read/dev…
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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The OECD says Pacific health aid is set to fall 16% between 2024 and 2026, with PNG, Tokelau and Kiribati hit hardest. Australia's own Pacific health aid drops almost 11%, and the Coalition plans to halve the humanitarian intake to 10,000. devpolicy.org/october-2026-a… #AidNews #ODA
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Full program out now!🚶‍♀️#AAC2026 in Canberra from 2-4 Dec 5 keynotes | 48 sessions | Dinner at @nma Tix🎟️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… Details➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @Asia_Foundation @AbtGlobalImpact @ACIARAustralia @AdamSmithInt @Cowater_Intl @devintellab @TetraTech @urcintl
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📢 Buy AAC2026 Dinner tickets now: Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh, @BRACworld at @nma on 3 December Tickets ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 2-4 Dec at ANU ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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Fiji’s constitutional referendum Bill passed by just three votes, on a counting rule that conflicts with Parliament’s own Standing Orders. Campaign regulations and the final referendum Bill text still haven’t been published. devpolicy.org/fijis-first-re… #Fiji
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70% of Papua New Guineans are still offline, and internet costs are among the highest in the region. A new ANU-UPNG submission argues competition, not state control, is the way to close the gap. devpolicy.org/how-to-ensure-… #PNG #InternetAccess #DigitalDivide #RESET50
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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Tenkyu tru Jean Martin, Evonne Kennedy and Serena Sasingian for sharing insights on the important role of business in the development journey of PNG last night at the ANU Pasifika Students Assoc seminar supported by Devpol. An event recording will be posted in the coming week.
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Solomon Islands graduates from LDC status in December 2027, but aid, trade preferences and EU market access are expected to largely continue. The real loss is climate finance — and the economy's narrow base remains the bigger challenge. devpolicy.org/solomon-island…
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📢 AAC2026 Keynote speaker: Nick Enrich, Former USAID head of global health Tickets on sale till Nov 25 ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 2-4 Dec ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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‼️Join us today to explore how businesses can drive social change in PNG! 💡Hear from 3 practitioners as they share insights, challenges and lessons from development initiatives. ⏰26 Oct, 5.00-6.30pm AEDT 📍In person @ANUCrawford or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026102…
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Why Tonga's Chinese debt won't be forgiven, and who pays instead By Jack Salmon Why China won't forgive Tonga's Eximbank debt, and how Australian budget support is quietly covering the shortfall. devpolicy.org/why-tongas-chi…
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🌏Discover how businesses can drive social change in PNG! 💡Hear from 3 experienced practitioners as they share insights, challenges and lessons from development initiatives. ⏰26 Oct, 5.00-6.30pm AEDT 📍In person @ANUCrawford or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026102…
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This week: PNG's three women MPs eye 2027, plus PNG's economy, Lesotho aid lessons, Solomon Islands journalist safety and PNG civic education. tractatus.idrys.org/read/dev…
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Come to ANU on Monday!🌏Discover how businesses can drive social change in PNG 🇵🇬 💡Hear from 3 experienced practitioners as they share insights, challenges & lessons from development initiatives. 26 Oct ⏰5.00-6.30pm AEDT @ANUCrawford or Zoom Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026102…
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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New survey of PNG student teachers finds strong confidence teaching civic values and national symbols, but much shakier confidence on the Constitution and civic institutions like government agencies. devpolicy.org/how-prepared-d… #PNG #CivicEducation #Education
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Solomon Islands should set up a national framework to protect journalists before a crisis forces the issue, argues a new Devpolicy Blog piece. Legal threats, online harassment and source-identifying police searches are already testing Pacific… devpolicy.org/journalist-saf…
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PNG's economy has rebounded sharply since 2022, with non-resource GDP growth near boom-era levels. But formal employment is growing only as fast as the population, so jobs concerns mean it's too early to call it a boom. devpolicy.org/struggle-refor… #PNG #PapuaNewGuinea
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🌏Discover how businesses can drive social change in PNG! 💡Hear from 3 experienced practitioners as they share insights, challenges and lessons from development initiatives. ⏰26 Oct, 5.00-6.30pm AEDT 📍In person @ANUCrawford or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026102…
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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A development specialist returns to Lesotho decades later to find his old water systems still running - and asks why "in-line" placements worked better than today's contractor-run aid facilities. devpolicy.org/ode-to-in-line… #AidEffectiveness #InternationalDevelopment #PNG
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PNG has elected just ten women to Parliament since 1975. The three now serving — Rufina Peter, Kessy Sawang and Francesca Semoso — face a historic test in 2027: can any of them become only the fourth woman ever to win re-election? devpolicy.org/papua-new-guin… #PNG
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This week: Pacific governments respond to the fuel price shock, and two posts on the Pacific Engagement Visa's first two years, plus PNG students on 50 years of independence and Tonga on practised independence. tractatus.idrys.org/read/dev…
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🚶‍♀️Join us at the Australasian AID Conference on 2-4 December! Tickets on sale until 25 Nov 🎟️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… #AAC2026 program at @ourANU ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @asia_foundation @AbtGlobalImpact @ACIAR @AdamSmithInt @Cowater_Intl @devintellab @TetraTech @urcintl
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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After two years, Samoa has the best Pacific Engagement Visa success rate at 100%, followed by Tuvalu at 96% — but PNG and Fiji take the biggest shares of visas overall. Analysis by @devpolicy. devpolicy.org/two-years-of-t… #PacificEngagementVisa #PacificIslands #MigrationPolicy
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Pacific Engagement Visa grants surged in year two, but Australia's 3,000-visa annual cap and ballot over-selection mean some ballot winners may never actually get a visa. devpolicy.org/two-years-of-t… #PacificEngagementVisa #MigrationPolicy #PacificIslands #AustraliaPacific
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Tonga's Mele Fakatouato Mangisi argues that in small Pacific societies, where everyone knows everyone, independence can't rest on legal distance alone—it must be actively practised: connections disclosed, risks managed, reasons recorded. devpolicy.org/when-everyone-… #Tonga
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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Pacific governments are cushioning the fuel price shock through social protection systems, not subsidies. Fiji lifted benefits 50% across 6 programs, RMI leans on its universal Enra payment & Tuvalu built a new temporary support scheme. Jesse Doyle #P4SP. devpolicy.org/social-protect…
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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The real test for Pacific regionalism isn't who showed up at Palau's Leaders Week — it's whether Pacific countries' room to disagree and decide for themselves is quietly narrowing, says Sione Tekiteki. devpolicy.org/dont-mistake-t… #PacificIslandsForum #PacificRegionalism
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Samoa's new labour mobility reforms cap worker numbers and spread recruitment across all 51 constituencies — but new data on 18 years of RSE participation shows the policy may undercut its own equity goals by letting returning workers crowd… devpolicy.org/samoas-2026-la…
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📢 3MAP extended call for submissions closes this Friday 9 October ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… Conference tickets on sale now ~ 2-4 Dec at ANU ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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Pacific household data show remittances reach far more poor households than national averages suggest—but the money itself is concentrated among richer households. State assistance reaches fewer poor people, yet sends them a much bigger… devpolicy.org/who-gets-pacif…
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🚨Registration Open Join us as Anna Kapil and Terence Wood presents “2026 Annual Student Opinion Survey" ⏰6 Nov, 12.30-1.30pm PGT; 1.30-2.30pm AEDT 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026110…
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New World Bank research finds PNG's food tax cut mostly helped supermarkets and richer households. Of every kina the government gave up, only about eight toea reached the poorest 20% of households. devpolicy.org/pngs-food-tax-… #PNG #FoodPrices #WorldBank #TaxPolicy
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Kiribati has proposed an Ex-Post Reimbursement Window letting atoll nations fund urgent climate defences now and get reimbursed within 90 days, bypassing the years-long approval delays of existing climate funds. devpolicy.org/fast-tracking-… #ClimateFinance #Kiribati #COP31
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🚨Seminar Reminder Join us as Nematullah Bizhan presents “Payday lending in Papua New Guinea: Borrowers' Experiences, Household Impacts and Policy Options" ⏰2 Oct, 12.30-1.30pm PGT/AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom
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PNG women know about contraception but can't access it: only 37% of married women use any method, despite 88% knowing at least one. Actual fertility outpaces wanted fertility, and unmet need runs even higher among unmarried women. devpolicy.org/family-plannin… #PublicHealth
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A whistleblower looks back: An Australian aid NGO overstated grant costs and diverted funds in the early 1990s, a former Prime Minister threatened his career, and only a fraction of the money was recovered. devpolicy.org/the-scandal-th… #AidSector #Whistleblower #AusAID
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📢 AAC2026 Dinner speaker: Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh, @BRACworld Tickets now available incl dinner only ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 2-4 Dec at ANU ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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'Aisyiyah has around 25 million members and sympathisers across Indonesia, running more than 20,000 kindergartens, 21 hospitals and 109 pro bono law firms. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas… #WomensEmpowerment #Indonesia #Aisyiyah #GenderEquality #FaithBasedDevelopment #Podcast
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Fiji has declared its HIV outbreak a "national emergency": 1 in 60 adults now living with the disease, cases up 27% in the last year. HIV rates are also rising in Solomon Islands and PNG. devpolicy.org/sept-2026-aid-… #AidNews #Fiji #HIV #Pacific #Humanitarian
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Drought may be fuelling sorcery accusation-related violence in PNG. A Simbu case shows crop failures and sick pigs sparking an attack on an older woman, echoing a pattern from a 4-province, 4-year dataset where sickness/death triggered ~90% of… devpolicy.org/is-el-nino-a-r…
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🚨Registration open! Join us as Nematullah Bizhan presents “Payday lending in Papua New Guinea: Borrowers' Experiences, Household Impacts and Policy Options" ⏰2 Oct, 12.30-1.30pm PGT/AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026100…
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What Pacific women want global climate advocates to hear before COP31 By Chelsea Huggett, Diana Gonzalez, Doris Tulifau and Nalini Singh New research reveals what Pacific women want from global climate advocates on water security and gender… devpolicy.org/what-pacific-w…
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🚨Registration open! Join us as Nematullah Bizhan presents “Payday lending in Papua New Guinea: Borrowers' Experiences, Household Impacts and Policy Options" ⏰2 Oct, 12.30-1.30pm PGT/AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026100…
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Naoero's life expectancy has collapsed from Pacific-leading in 1960 to the region's lowest today, four years below the next country. Diabetes, phosphate mining legacy and no open migration pathway to Australia all play a role. devpolicy.org/life-expectanc… #PacificIslands
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Why Papua New Guinea needs the private sector in health By Stephanie Copus Campbell and Mahesh Patel Why PNG's health system needs well-governed private sector partnerships, from PHA boards to pharmacies, argue two health-sector leaders. devpolicy.org/why-papua-new-…
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Kiribati now spends close to one in every three dollars of recurrent budget directly on households — making it the Pacific's largest spender on social assistance relative to GDP, funded largely by fishing licence fees. devpolicy.org/navigating-the… #Kiribati #PacificIslands
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🚨Registration open! Join us as Nematullah Bizhan presents “Payday lending in Papua New Guinea: Borrowers' Experiences, Household Impacts and Policy Options" ⏰2 Oct, 12.30-1.30pm PGT/AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026100…
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Labor has effectively abolished the third-year backpacker visa: an 84% cut, down to just 5,000 spots via lottery. Combined with second-year cuts, total visas fall 44%. Stephen Howes says this could mean 18,300 fewer backpackers on farms. devpolicy.org/labor-comes-cl…
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📢 AAC2026 Mitchell Oration: Sri Mulyani Indrawati (Indonesia) Early Bird tix on sale till 30 Sept! ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 2-4 Dec ANU ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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Devpolicy Blog last week - catch up now! PNG education funding | South Sudan | Family separation and PALM workers | Australia’s International Development Policy | Kalimantan fires in Indonesia devpolicy.org
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Randomised trials show what works: Congo's progressive property tax raised revenue ~56%, a Zambia savings prompt lifted savings 15%, and Kenya driver incentives cut speeding 29%. Evidence must guide funding decisions. devpolicy.org/randomising-ou…
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🚨Registration open! Join us as Nematullah Bizhan presents “Payday lending in Papua New Guinea: Borrowers' Experiences, Household Impacts and Policy Options" ⏰2 Oct, 12.30-1.30pm PGT/AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026100…
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📢 AAC2026 Draft program out now! 🐦 Early Bird tix now on sale until 30 Sept! ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 🚶‍♀️‍➡️2-4 Dec @ANU, Canberra ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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Rethinking Kalimantan’s recurring fires: a super-wicked problem By Rifky Pratama Wicaksono and Charisma Omega Nafu Why do Kalimantan's forest fires keep recurring? Exploring karhutla as a super-wicked policy problem in Indonesia's fire… devpolicy.org/rethinking-kal…
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Three years after Australia's International Development Policy launched, Cameron Hill finds core development sectors like health and education losing out, even as the aid program grows more concentrated in the Pacific. devpolicy.org/fit-for-our-ti…
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🚨Registration open! Join us as Nematullah Bizhan presents “Payday lending in Papua New Guinea: Borrowers' Experiences, Household Impacts and Policy Options" ⏰2 Oct, 12.30-1.30pm PGT/AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or #UPNG or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026100…
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Four years after Labor promised to end forced family separation for long-stay PALM workers, the government is still only running a pilot — due to report back in 2027, 2 elections after the 2022 promise was made. @stephenrhowes devpolicy.org/four-years-on-… #PALMscheme #LabourMobility
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📢 AAC2026 Opening Keynote @DaveSharma 🐦 Early Bird tix now on sale! ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 🚶‍♀️‍➡️2-4 Dec @ANU, Canberra ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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🚨Seminar Reminder🚨 Join us as Emmanuel Jimenez and Nassreena Baddiri presents “Waves of Resilience: What Makes Development Support Work in Small Island Developing States?" ⏰15 Sep, 2-3pm AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or Zoom
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Joanne Lillie, working with Médecins Sans Frontières in South Sudan, reflects on those she chose not to photograph. These stories, though unphotographed, are no less real — and must still be told. devpolicy.org/the-photos-i-d… #MSF
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A 2024 visit to Jimi Secondary School in PNG's Jimi district found classrooms with no electricity, dormitories in disrepair, teachers sharing houses, and three new buildings left unfinished while urgent maintenance goes unfunded. devpolicy.org/ground-realiti… #PNG
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Devpolicy Blog this week - catch up now! 📖 Subscribe for daily alerts or fortnightly newsletters straight to your inbox. devpolicy.org/subscribe
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Extended deadline for AAC2026 3MAP 📢 Email by Friday 9 October. Full details ➡️ crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolic… 🐦 Tix ➡️ events.humanitix.com/2026-au… 🚶‍♀️‍➡️2-4 Dec @ANU, Canberra @Asia_Foundation | @AbtGlobalImpact | @ACIARAustralia | @AdamSmithInt | @Cowater_Intl | @TetraTech | @urcintl
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Beyond Tuvalu's climate visa: six Australia-Pacific bilateral agreements now recognise mobility as a tool for adaptation, security and dignity. Read Jane McAdam's analysis for Devpolicy Blog. devpolicy.org/mobility-provi… #ClimateMobility #PacificIslands #Migration #COP31
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🚨Registration open! Join us as Emmanuel Jimenez and Nassreena Baddiri presents “Waves of Resilience: What Makes Development Support Work in Small Island Developing States?" ⏰15 Sep, 2-3pm AEST 📍In person @Crawfordschool or Zoom 📝 Register: events.devpolicy.org/2026091…
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