Cultivating Christian civil society: fundamentalist Christianity, politics and governance in Papua New Guinea

"I begin this discussion with a general introduction to Christianity in Papua New Guinea, particularly as it relates to broad issues of governance, electoral discourse and demands for reform. Then, as further background, I present my observations of the conduct of the most recent Papua New Guinea elections, taken largely from my situation in the Southern Highlands electorate of Kagua-Erave. The course of the election and the types of election messages people were presented with, together with their responses, offer considerable insight into their opinions of government and their approach to the question of governance. While this Discussion Paper canvasses a range of Christian approaches to electoral politics and the 2007 national election, my focus is especially on the fundamentalist Christian groups. These groups are increasing in influence throughout Papua New Guinea and contribute to a profound disenchantment with electoral politics and politics more generally, which militates against efforts to strengthen community demands for better governance ..." - page 2AusAI

Christianity, masculinity and gender violence in Papua New Guinea

"In this paper, I consider some of the alternative ways of being a man that have emerged in Papua New Guinea. Specifically, I discuss the ways that some forms of Christianity are promoting more caring, responsible and non-violent forms of masculinity in Papua New Guinea. Considering Christianity’s huge influence there, together with the need to ground interventions in the local context, a good understanding of the nature of Papua New Guinean forms of Christianity, and how they impact on gender, is necessary for designing effective primary prevention initiatives. Though my focus here is on the specific case of Papua New Guinea, which I know best, many of my observations are almost certainly applicable to other countries in Melanesia and the wider Pacific, where Christianity is also highly influential..." - page 3AusAI

Alcohol, gender and violence in Bougainville

This In Brief reports on research undertaken in Bougainville in October 2015 (Eves and Crawford 2014).1 Unlike previous studies, this research specifically explored the relationship between women’s economic empowerment and violence against women through in-depth qualitative interviews. Interviewees included business women in the urban context of Arawa (Kieta District) and rural women involved in informal marketing and alluvial mining (Panguna District) and in informal marketing and cocoa farming (Tinputz District).2 Preliminary analysis reveals a strong connection between men’s excessive alcohol consumption and violence against their intimate partners.AusAI

Marie Stopes, Family Planning and Genocide in Bougainville

In 2014 it was reported that over half the adult population of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has no access to family planning (Radio Australia 9/9/2014). The national government has made renewed attempts to increase access in recent years but such attempts are not without controversy in this overwhelmingly Christian nation. This In Brief reports on a recent, heated controversy over the use of contraceptive implants by the international family planning NGO, Marie Stopes, during its work in BougainvilleAusAI

The Relationship between Violence against Women and Women's Economic Empowerment in Bougainville

Women’s economic empowerment is now seen to be a critical aspect of poverty reduction and development and is an important goal of the current Australian aid program. Economic empowerment initiatives generally focus on income-generating activities to enable women to acquire income independently of their partners. Given the importance the Australian aid program places on women’s economic empowerment, it is important to reflect on the relationship between economic empowerment and broader empowerment (Eves and Crawford 2014). This In Brief reports on research undertaken as part of the Do No Harm project in three districts of Bougainville: Kieta, Panguna and Tinputz, in October 2015.AusAI

Sorcery and Witchcraft in Papua New Guinea: Problems in Definition

In this In Brief, Associate Professor Richard Eves looks at the lack of definitional clarity that exists around the terms sorcery and witchcraft in the Papua New Guinea context. He notes that the blurring of these two terms occurs not only in popular media but that it is also "widely reproduced by NGOs, donor organisations, and government institutions”.AusAI

Pitfalls in QCA's consistency measure

Background. As a consequence of difficulties in movement initiation and execution, people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are typically encouraged to consciously monitor and control the mechanics of their actions. This is described as 'reinvestment' and has been shown to help mediate effective motor output. Paradoxically, in situations where people with PD are particularly motivated to move effectively, reinvestment may exacerbate existing movement deficits. Objective. To examine the propensity for reinvestment in a sample of people with PD. Methods. A volunteer sample of 55 people with PD was asked to complete a previously validated measure, the Reinvestment Scale. A sub-sample (and age matched controls) was asked to complete a recently developed, movement specific, version of the Scale. Data was collected on Mini Mental State Examination and the Hoehn & Yahr Scale. Participant demographics, including age of onset and duration of disease, were also collated. Results. Multiple regression analyses showed that duration of disease was associated with reinvestment score on both the Reinvestment Scale and the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale. Conclusions. Participants appeared to become more aware of the mechanics of their actions over time. Possible explanations for this finding are discussed with reference to rehabilitation. Copyright © 2007 The American Society of Neurorehabilitation.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Developing Insecurity: Sorcery, Witchcraft and Melanesian Economic Development

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Do No Harm: The Relationship between Violence Against Women and Women's Economic Empowerment in the Pacific

It is now widely accepted that women's economic empowerment brings a range of benefits even beyond gender equality gains for individual women, greatly improving the health, wellbeing, and productivity of entire families and countries, and contributing to effective, sustainable development. Recognising these substantial benefits, the Australian aid program places strong emphasis on addressing women's economic disadvantage. In the recent announcement of the appointment of the new Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, both the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator Michaelia Cash, highlighted the need, particularly in the Pacific, to promote gender equality and women's economic empowerment, and to address violence against women (Bishop and Cash 2013).AusAI

Witch hunts in Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands Province: A Fieldwork Report

The issue of sorcery and witchcraft-related accusations and violence in Papua New Guinea is receiving increasing attention domestically and internationally. A growing body of literature is also focusing on the issue, providing non-government organisations, donor agencies, and the Papua New Guinea government with an evidence base for addressing the problem in locally appropriate ways. Little of the literature, however, deliberates upon the perpetrators of these violent attacks. This In Brief reports on interviews undertaken in November and December 2013 in Goroka with eight perpetrators who had been involved in 13 attacks on people accused of witchcraft.AusAI