The Lowy Institute strengthens Australia-Papua New Guinea ties
On 2-4 December the Lowy Institute hosted the second annual Australia-Papua New Guinea Emerging Leaders Dialogue. The Dialogue is the flagship event of the Australia-PNG Network, supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It brought together 20 emerging leaders from business, civil society, and government both countries to discuss common challenges and form enduring professional connections. The Dialogue focused on the central themes of sustainability, entrepreneurship, and international engagement. Participants discussed a range of issues including access to justice for young indigenous Australians, the future of Bougainville, and developments in Manus.
2015 is the 40th anniversary of PNG independence from Australia. The Dialogue participants developed a number of proposals to grow links and expand understanding of PNG in Australia. Key recommendations include:
- Leveraging Australia's experience in successful public health campaigns and tackling lifestyle diseases by linking relevant organisations in Australia, particularly those involved in rural and remote health, with PNG communities and governments.
- Working with business and government to foster entrepreneurship by developing a small business incubation program in PNG. Such a program would facilitate mentoring, enable young professionals to undertake exchanges, and offer access to seed funding and information sharing for young entrepreneurs.
- Taking advantage of the 40th anniversary of independence by developing an online, freely available teaching resource for schools in Australia and PNG.
- Introducing an annual Emerging Leaders Award to recognise an Australian or Papua New Guinean who has made an outstanding contribution to deepening ties between the two countries.
At the Dialogue the Lowy Institute was also pleased to announce the appointment of former ABC Pacific Correspondent Sean Dorney as a Nonresident Fellow in the Institute's Melanesia Program for 2015. With over 40 years' experience reporting in the Pacific, Sean will be a huge asset to the Lowy Institute's work on the Pacific.
On 3 December the Australia-PNG Network also held the first meeting of its Advisory Council. The Lowy Institute is pleased to announce the Advisory Council members: Dr Thomas Webster, Director, National Research Institute of PNG, Serena Sumanop, Executive Director, The Voice Inc., Alexander Rheeney, Editor, PNG Post-Courier, Sean Dorney, Pacific Correspondent and Lowy Institute Nonresident Fellow, David Bridie, Artistic Director, The Wantok Musik Foundation, and Lyn Legér, Senior Environmental Consultant, BMT WBM. These prominent Australians and Papua New Guineans will guide and assist the Network to deepen people-to-people links and communicate the outcomes of the Dialogue.
Through initiatives such as these, the Lowy Institute continues to provide a platform for deepening the Australia-Papua New Guinea relationship.