Misunderstanding corruption and community: comparative cultural politics of corruption regulation in the Pacific

This paper will take as its empirical foundation the author’s experience of corruption and regulation in small Pacific island states. The argument is that notions of corruption and strategies for its regulation suitable for modernized societies, which lack cultural specificity and community engagement, may in fact stimulate corruption relationships in transitional cultures. The other consequence of the imposition of inappropriate definitions and regulation strategies is a profound misunderstanding of communities of dependence. In fact, corruption control can misconstrue and exacerbate economic and political dependence environments, fostering the conditions for corruption which accompany socio-economic development. Two remedies are suggested. First, corruption requires an appreciation which is ‘community-centered’, while at the same time not being neutralized by disconnected cultural relativity. Second, an enterprise theory of corruption in modernized societies and international political/commercial entities may assist in the relevant translation of global anti-corruption policies in a way which advances good governance in traditional communities. This is so when corruption is conceived as dependant on phases of modernization, and the tensions which arise when the interests of societies at different phases intersect. Corporate citizenship and compliance with anti-corrupt business practices by major corporations with a commercial interest in these transitional economies may be more beneficial than deference to uniform international codes of governance

The Holodeck model, learning environments, and resilience in higher education: A multidisciplinary approach

This conference paper presents a framework for developing online learning environments for multidisciplinary contexts at an Australian university. The framework aims to strengthen organisational resilience, emphasised by the institutional fragility demonstrated globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper examines the educational Holodeck Model and it promotes its capacity to provide systematic support structures for developing learning environments in diverse disciplines including TESOL, Criminology, Research Methods and International Relations. Keywords: learning environment, tertiary education, multidisciplinary, online asynchronous framework <br/

Access to Justice in Post-RAMSI Solomon Islands Part 2: Perceptions of Access to Justice

This is the second part in a series of three In Briefs highlighting findings from the Solomon Islands Access to Justice Survey commissioned by the Solomon Islands government and supported by the Australian government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2019a). The findings are drawn from the Survey Summary Report (UNDP 2019b). The survey assessed justice needs and barriers to effective dispute resolution, particularly among groups recognised as having unmet justice needs, including women and people with disabilities. This In Brief highlights key survey findings concerning perceptions of access to justice. Interested readers should consult the main study reports.Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trad

Access to Justice in Post-RAMSI Solomon Islands Part I: Common Conflicts and Disputes

Solomon Islands’ law and justice sector has received substantial donor support in the two decades since the end of the civil unrest known as the Tensions. Building capacity and coordination across key agencies was an integral part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). International development partners acknowledge the importance of access to justice for successful peacebuilding. The Australian government views its commitment to the Solomon Islands justice sector as a ‘30-year plus engagement’. Since RAMSI’s departure in June 2017, there has been considerable interest in evaluating progress and addressing ongoing challenges in this area. This is the first in a series of three In Briefs drawing on findings from the Solomon Islands Access to Justice Survey commissioned by the Solomon Islands government and supported by the Australian government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2019a). The findings presented in this series are from the national survey reported in the Survey Summary Report (UNDP 2019b). The survey was designed around closed-response questions with preset response options — including a free-text response — that were developed, tested and validated in Solomon Islands prior to their application. Interested readers should consult the main study reports. This In Brief examines the types of disputes commonly reported, who experienced them and their impacts. The following In Briefs in this series examine perceptions of access to justice and pathways to dispute resolution.Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trad

Access to Justice in Post-RAMSI Solomon Islands Part 3: Pathways to Dispute Resolution

This is the final in a series of three In Briefs highlighting key findings from the Solomon Islands Access to Justice Survey commissioned by the Solomon Islands government and supported by the Australian government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2019a). The findings presented are drawn from the Survey Summary Report (UNDP 2019b). The survey assessed justice needs and barriers to effective dispute resolution in Solomon Islands, particularly for groups with recognised unmet needs, in the period following the withdrawal of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). This In Brief summarises the survey findings relating to pathways to dispute resolution. Interested readers should consult the main study reports.Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trad

Triage of patients with venous and lymphatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic – The Venous and Lymphatic Triage and Acuity Scale (VELTAS):: A consensus document of the International Union of Phlebology (UIP), Australasian College of Phlebology (ACP), American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS), American Venous Forum (AVF), European College of Phlebology (ECoP), European Venous Forum (EVF), Interventional Radiology Society of Australasia (IRSA), Latin American Venous Forum, Pan-American Society of Phlebology and Lymphology and the Venous Association of India (VAI)

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has resulted in diversion of healthcare resources to the management of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. Elective interventions and surgical procedures in most countries have been postponed and operating room resources have been diverted to manage the pandemic. The Venous and Lymphatic Triage and Acuity Scale was developed to provide an international standard to rationalise and harmonise the management of patients with venous and lymphatic disorders or vascular anomalies. Triage urgency was determined based on clinical assessment of urgency with which a patient would require medical treatment or surgical intervention. Clinical conditions were classified into six categories of: (1) venous thromboembolism (VTE), (2) chronic venous disease, (3) vascular anomalies, (4) venous trauma, (5) venous compression and (6) lymphatic disease. Triage urgency was categorised into four groups and individual conditions were allocated to each class of triage. These included (1) medical emergencies (requiring immediate attendance), example massive pulmonary embolism; (2) urgent (to be seen as soon as possible), example deep vein thrombosis; (3) semiurgent (to be attended to within 30-90 days), example highly symptomatic chronic venous disease, and (4) discretionary/nonurgent- (to be seen within 6-12 months), example chronic lymphoedema. Venous and Lymphatic Triage and Acuity Scale aims to standardise the triage of patients with venous and lymphatic disease or vascular anomalies by providing an international consensus-based classification of clinical categories and triage urgency. The scale may be used during pandemics such as the current COVID-19 crisis but may also be used as a general framework to classify urgency of the listed conditions