This week's collection of news, commentary & analyis from and about the Pacific island region:
- ICYMI, Fiji went to the polls for the first time in eight years yesterday. This vlog gives an overview of the day's happenings:
- A Queensland woman has taken advantage of constitutional changes to claim citizenship of Vanuatu on behalf of her grandparents, who were 'blackbirded'.
- President Anote Tong of Kiribati has expressed his disappointment in Australia's lack of support in relation to the impacts of climate change in the region.
- Here on The Interpreter, Philippa Brant looks at what the visit of the Chinese navy's Peace Ark to Fiji, PNG, Tonga and Vanuatu means in terms of soft power.
- Giff Johnson makes a compelling case for Pacific governments to provide funding to non-governmental organisations involved in essential service delivery.
- On the Devpolicy blog, Matthew Dornan & Joanna Spratt examine the NZ Aid program's efforts to promote use of renewable energy in the Pacific island region.
- From the Pacific Network on Globalisation comes this critique of Australia's 'aid for trade' approach in the region.