By Cameron Hill and Nicola Nixon CANBERRA (DEVPOLICY.ORG) — Among the arguments the Trump administration has put forward for its review of U.S foreign aid programmes — involving very large funding cuts and the dismantling of its principal international development agency, USAID — has been an apparent lack of “alignment” of these programmes with U.S […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Australia can take USAID’s place in the Pacific islands
By Nicholas Weising CANBERRA (THE STRATEGIST) — One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the sudden shutdown, Australia must increase its developmental aid to Pacific islands before China […]
Posted inOpinion
Inside the CCP-Funded Travel Groups Looking to Influence Taiwanese
A visit by a group of Taiwanese youths to some obscure historical sites is more than just a travel outing. It is part of a calculated propaganda strategy. By Ian Huang TAIPEI (THE DIPLOMAT)—-“Hey, I heard there’s a free travel group to Hainan for Taiwanese people aged 18 to 40. If you’re a first-time traveler, […]
Posted inOpinion
Breaking the cycle of donor dependency in the Pacific
By Dr Transform Aqorau HONIARA (SOLOMON STAR)–For decades, the Pacific Islands region has been heavily reliant on donor funding to support development, governance, and capacity-building initiatives. While donor support has played a role in strengthening institutions, it has also created a dependency cycle where many regional organisations struggle to be financially independent and responsive to […]
Posted inOpinion
The arrogance of entitlement in geopolitical engagements with the Pacific
By Dr Transform Aqorau HONIARA — In the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Pacific, it is increasingly evident that some scholars and policymakers from developed nations operate under a misguided assumption—that because we are from small island nations, we are somehow expected to accommodate their every request without question. I recently encountered an instance that […]
Posted inOpinion
Time for the Missing Piece in Ocean Management
Op-Ed by Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau, President of Palau KOROR, 20 MARCH 2024 — The ocean is in our blood. Nearly 99 percent of my country’s territory is made up of its vast waters. From the rich tuna fisheries that sustain our economies to the coral reefs that shield our coastlines, the ocean defines […]