Newsletter: 2017 AAC | Nauru dilemma | Volunteering with attitude

2017 Australasian Aid Conference

The Australasian Aid Conference (AAC) has become a must-attend event for Australia’s international development community. The 2017 AAC will be bigger and better than ever. It kicks off on Tuesday 14 February with the launch of two books and an opening-night cocktail party, and concludes with the inaugural DFAT Aid Supplier Conference on Friday 17 February. In between, there will be some 30 sessions and over 100 presentations, as well as the conference dinner and the inaugural Mitchell Humanitarian Award presentation. Check out the conference program, and register to attend here.

And it’s not too late to submit your pitch for the 3 Minute Aid Pitch (3MAP). To fill the last couple of slots, we are extending the deadline to 9 January. Details here.

Save the Children’s Nauru dilemma

What happens when, despite your belief that mandatory offshore detention of children on Nauru breaches the UN Convention on Rights of the Child, you are asked to provide welfare and educational services to children on Nauru? This was the dilemma facing CEO of Save the Children Australia, Paul Ronalds. The decision to proceed with the contract is explored in a new Development Policy Centre discussion paper and accompanying podcast, in which Paul reflects candidly on Save’s engagement with Nauru.

Bill Armstrong: volunteering with attitude

For generations of young Australians with a passion for social justice, volunteering in developing or indigenous communities has been a rite of passage. Bill Armstrong has been deeply involved in this movement since the 1960s, working with organisations such as the Overseas Service Bureau (now Australian Volunteers International), and Indigenous Community Volunteers. In our last Aid Profile for 2016, Bill shares his perspectives with Robin Davies.

The whole Aid Profiles series makes great summer reading – catch up here.

Prestigious award

Research Fellow Michelle Rooney, was recently awarded recognition from the prestigious Association for Political and Legal Anthropology for her thesis research on citizenship in settlement communities in PNG. You can read about the award here, the judges’ comments here, and the blog post based on her winning paper here.

Merry Christmas

And finally, since this is our last newsletter for the year, thanks for your support and interest throughout the year, season’s greetings, and see you in 2017! The blog will close for the year on 23 December, and re-open on 9 January.

Upcoming events

World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law

5 – 630pm, Tuesday 14 February, Barton Theatre, Crawford School, ANU. Details here.

Australasian Aid Conference 2017

14–16 February, Crawford School, ANU. Event details here.

Blog highlights

Women empowering women

First microstate visa arrivals

Devpolicy transparency recognized

Latest podcasts

Robin Davies interviews Bill Armstrong

Advocating for women in Porgera: an interview with Everlyne Sap

2016 PNG Update – Part 2 – ANU-UPNG Research Showcase Podcast

2016 PNG Update – Part 1 – Bruce Davis & Charles Abel Podcast

On the blog

PNG LNG landowner royalties – why so long? By Sam Koim and Stephen Howes

The Nauru dilemma by Paul Ronalds

Judicial setbacks for the PNG anti-corruption movement by Bal Kama

PNG education policies in urban contexts: Christ the King Primary School, Port Moresby by Michelle Nayahamui Rooney

Australia’s microstate visa: first arrivals by Henry Sherrell

Advocating for women in Porgera: an interview with Everlyne Sap by Camilla Burkot and Everlyne Sap

PNG’s eye health heroes by Bob McMullan

Gaining insights across development silos by Jessica Taaffe

Improving quality education in a world obsessed with student numbers: evidence from PNG by Anthony Swan and Grant Walton

How to maintain momentum on nutrition and early childhood development by Mark Rice

In brief

Fortnightly links: inequality, Nicaragua, coconuts, Radi-Aid awards, Syria, and more

New discussion paper: what changes Australians’ views about aid?

A proposal for open access Pacific migration to Australia

Devpolicy Research Fellow wins Best Paper prize

Bill Armstrong: volunteering with attitude

Introducing the ‘Donor Tracker’

Support for ODA and donations to NGOs (previous paper replaced)

Practicing what we preach: Devpolicy receives 4* transparency rating

This is the fortnightly newsletter of the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, published every second Friday.

 

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