https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/71235 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:03:37 GMT 2026-04-05T22:03:37Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63497 Title: Bougainville : a new Pacific nation? Authors: Connell, John Abstract: Bougainville, the easternmost province (or sole autonomous region) of Papua New Guinea, has a long history of support for secession and independence, centred on geography, culture and ethnicity. Nationalism intensified with alienation of land by a multinational copper mine during the 1970s, resulting in the island’s unilateral declaration as the Republic of the North Solomons, a few weeks before the independence of Papua New Guinea in 1975. That was ignored by PNG and other governments. Nationalism resurfaced in violent form after bitter disputes over the impact of the mine, which was forced to close in 1989, prompting what became a civil war led by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army who sought independence. After foreign intervention, peace was eventually restored in 2001: the Bougainville Peace Agreement gave the province greater autonomy and promised a referendum on independence. Within Bougainville, the contested role of mining is central to economic development, which is currently heavily dependent on aid. In a late-2019 referendum, 98 percent of voters supported independence. The Papua New Guinea government need not acquiesce to that outcome and has delayed negotiations that would shape a new political future. Such negotiations exist within a geopolitical context where a Chinese presence is increasingly significant, and where most regional nations, including Papua New Guinea and Australia, prefer the status quo. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63497 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63495 Title: Guest editorial introduction : gender, politics and development in the small states of the Pacific Authors: Baker, Kerryn; Ng Shiu, Roannie; Corbett, Jack Abstract: Gender has been a key focus of donor activism, domestic politics and academic commentary in the Pacific region over recent decades. The prevailing narrative highlights deficits, including the persistent absence of women from formal political representation, and the adverse consequences for economic and social development. This special section draws together papers that explore the nexus between gender, politics and development in the small states of the Pacific. Taken together, all the papers highlight the enduring need for a gendered lens in the study of politics and development in the region and beyond, while also complicating the deficit narrative by illustrating how gender relations are changing rapidly. In doing so the contributions reveal gaps and disjuncture in existing theoretical debates. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63495 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63493 Title: Vunilagi Book Club : lessons learnt from a grassroots initiative in an informal settlement in Fiji Authors: Halter, Nicholas; Matadradra, Anawaite Abstract: Vunilagi Book Club is a recent example of innovative female leadership to promote literacy and education in an informal settlement in Fiji. Informal or “squatter” settlements in the capital of Fiji have existed for over 50 years and received significant (albeit intermittent) attention from foreign donors and the national government; yet, the underlying causes of poverty and disadvantage remain. This paper examines the case of a small-scale literacy community initiative with a qualitative approach based on close observation and participation in the group’s activities since its inception. These lessons learnt suggest that women are key agents of change in the community and that informal grassroots reading classes have the potential for improving the education of children in informal settlements. Closer study of the social relations and constraints within informal settlements suggests that solutions to the challenges of inequality and access to education must originate from within informal settlement communities. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63493 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63491 Title: Demystifying climate finance impacts in small island developing states : Pacific women’s perspectives from Funafuti and Weno Authors: Samuwai, Jale; Fihaki, Eliala; Te Ruki Rangi o Tangaroa Underhill-Sem, Yvonne Abstract: The flow of climate finance to the Pacific region is increasing. Existing discourses of climate finance in the region tends to emphasise how Pacific island countries access finance from multiple sources. Assessing whether climate finance addresses gender inequality has received very little attention in the region despite the increased profile of vulnerability of Pacific women to the impacts of inequality and climate change impacts. This article seeks to address this gap. Using the talanoa research approach to draw out the ‘lived realities’ of women in Funafuti (Tuvalu) and Weno (the Federated States of Micronesia), this research attempts to demystify how Pacific women in communities perceive the impact of climate finance on their lives and livelihoods. The study finds that a high degree of disparity exists between climate finance discourse at a community level and at regional and national levels. Addressing this disparity is essential to ensure that concrete and transformative impacts of climate finance are experienced by the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in Pacific communities. The mantra of ‘leaving no one behind’ rings hollow should vulnerable women in rural and remote Pacific communities continue to feel excluded from the benefits of climate change efforts. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/63491 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z