Join us to hear from two leading campaigners for land rights in Melanesia about the impacts of land reforms on Melanesian peoples, their cultures, economies and livelihoods.
Join us to hear from two leading campaigners for land rights in Melanesia about the impacts of land reforms on Melanesian peoples, their cultures, economies and livelihoods.
Throughout Melanesia, customary land tenure is under pressure from aid agencies such as AusAID, which want to instigate land reforms as a means to accelerate economic growth in the region. However, local indigenous peoples have significant concerns about the transformation of land ownership practices through registration and privatisation. Customary ownership remains central to the lives of Melanesian peoples and land reforms threaten to undermine their livelihoods, cultures, environments and economies.
Joel Simo is the Director of the Land Desk at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Joel has published numerous works on Land in Vanuatu and has extensive experience leading grassroots community education and organising at a national level. He has played a key role in facilitating regional networks and collaborations on land.
Steven Sukot is the Campaigns Manager for the Bismarck Ramu Group, a local community development and conservation NGO based in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Protecting Melanesian customary land is a major focus of BRG’s campaigns at present. Steven has been instrumental in facilitating the formation of the Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance (MILDA).
For more information about the tour contact Gary Lee on (02) 9557 8944; 0416 373 621; email gary [at] aidwatch [dot] org [dot] au
5 March 2010 - Environmentalists argue that what began as an initiative to clean up dirty palm oil production practices, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has become little more than an NGO-endorsed greenwashing tool. Rebecca Zhou, of Reportage/enviro reports.
January 1, 2010 -
A senior United Nations AIDS official says the AIDS pandemic in Papua New Guinea is pushing the health system to near collapse and wants Australia to work closer with health authorities to combat the virus spread.
Carbon offset schemes like REDD have been a big part of the Copenhagen negotiations so far, but in practice they can go horribly wrong, reports Angela Dewan.
The Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance (MILDA) was formed in Madang (PNG) in June 2009 to coordinate efforts in Melanesia to help traditional families maintain control over their own land.
In this newsletter we have attempted to look at some of the structural
issues that are facing us: from food production to the ongoing
support for large-scale infrastructure projects. We are also looking at
the issues of aid and child sponsorship, as well as updating you on
AID/WATCH’s ongoing battle with the Australian Taxation Office.
Last year the Rudd Government announced a new era of social inclusion, and a new Federal partnership with charities. Against the grain, the Australian Taxation Office is resorting to the Federal Court to establish a test case against charitable advocates. The ATO’s case concerns AID/WATCH, a small charity that monitors Australia’s international aid programs.
