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Politics and Nature of the State


Bougainville in Transition

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Description 

Bougainville held its referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea in November 2019. The option for independence won by an overwhelming majority. With this, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville enter an unprecedented phase in their history. How did this happen? Where does it lead? How does what has happened in Bougainville relate to the broader context of Papua New Guinea, Melanesia and the region? These are challenging and as yet not fully answered questions now faced by Bougainvilleans, Papua New Guineans, and also their neighbours, including Australia. This micro-credential aims to provide its participants with a strong knowledge base from which to understand and participate in the conversations now taking place regarding the future of Bougainville.
In this micro-credential we will examine the origins of Bougainville nationalism and situate it within the context in which it emerged: colonial and post-colonial Papua New Guinea. We will follow the history of the Bougainville conflict, or kraisis, and the decade-long search for peace, and compare the development of these political movements and those elsewhere in PNG. Careful attention will be paid to the political dynamics in the period after the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, to seek to understand how a once radical position became de facto government policy. Finally, we will examine the referendum vote itself and its implications.

Topics 

  1. Driman (dream): the significance of the Bougainvillean referendum
  2. Gavman blo mipela (our government): the context and origins of Bougainvillean nationalism.
  3. Kraisis na bel isi (crisis and peace): the Bougainville Conflict and peace process
  4. Otonamas i stap pinis (autonomy is here): Autonomous Bougainville Government
  5. Vot blo yumi (our vote): the referendum, its administration and politics
  6. Bruklus? (Indepence?): challenges of the post-referendum period

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

  1. Describe the aspects of Bougainville’s political development and current constitutional arrangements
  2. Identify the factors driving secessionism and the consolidation of political movements in Bougainville
  3. Contrast and compare the factors at play in subnationalist politics in Bougainville with those elsewhere in Papua New Guinea
  4. Achieve understanding of the complexities involved in the relationship between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville
  5. Understand and describe the key political challenges facing Australia, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville as it enters a period of transition.
  6. Present their analysis in a cogent and structured way

Indicative assessment

Bougainville Brief: 30%; Links to LO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Scenario analysis: 70%; Links to LO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Assumed knowledge 

This Micro-credential is taught at graduate level and assumes the generic skills of a Bachelors or equivalent. 

Micro-credential stack information 

 This Micro-credential is currently not part of a stack.

Details 

  • Course Code: DPA10

  • Workload: Contact hours: 12 hours, face-to-face or online (eg via Zoom). Individual study and assessment: approx. 50-60 hours.

  • ANU unit value: 3 units

  • Course Code Level: 8000

  • Contact:  ANU Department of Pacific Affairs: dpa@anu.edu.au

This Micro-credential is taught at a graduate level.  This is not an AQF qualification. 

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How Papua New Guinea Works

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Description 

Papua New Guinea is Australia’s closest neighbour and shares with it a long and sometimes turbulent history. Engagement with Papua New Guinea’s political system and civil institutions is challenging: there is a great deal of political instability, there are deep difficulties with the machinery of government, very significant cultural differences, logistical complications and heterogeneity across the social and geographic landscape. This micro-credential will provide an overview of the political economy of Papua New Guinea, aiming to equip enrollees with a capacity to understand, navigate and act in this complex terrain.

This credential is designed for current and prospective policy makers and aid professionals seeking to better understand PNG’s political and administrative arrangements, and the contemporary social, political and economic transformations underway in PNG. It examines and unpacks PNG’s political economy, and provides the tools to understand the politics of development and the development of politics in PNG. It explores the factors driving social, political and economic reform and examines the relationship between PNG’s formal and informal institutions and state performance, particularly in relation to service delivery.

Topics 

  1. Turbulence and continuity: the paradox of Papua New Guinean political economy
  2. Subsistence, services and extraction: the Papua New Guinean economy
  3. Churches, culture and civil society
  4. Disorderly democracy – elections, politics and political culture
  5. Service delivery – DDAs and CDFs
  6. Future reforms
  7. Conclusion: What works in Papua New Guinea, and for whom?

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

  1. Describe PNG’s political and administrative arrangements, institutions and the key aspects of PNG’s political economy
  2. Demonstrate a working understanding of the complexities faced by Papua New Guinean and foreign actors engaging with these institutions, especially regarding service delivery
  3. Critically apply models to Papua New Guinean politics to develop analysis
  4. Describe why PNG matters to Australia and identify the key challenges and policy choices for Australia’s relationship with PNG
  5. Evaluate challenges involved in engaging practically with Papua New Guinean society

Indicative assessment

  1. PNG Country Brief: 30%; Links to LO: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
  2. Research essay 70%; Links to Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3,4

Assumed knowledge 

This Micro-credential is taught at graduate level and assumes the generic skills of a Bachelors or equivalent. 

Micro-credential stack information 

 This Micro-credential is currently not part of a stack.

Details 

  • Course Code: DPA08

  • Workload: Contact hours: 12 hours, face-to-face or online (eg via Zoom). Individual study and assessment: approx. 50-60 hours.

  • ANU unit value: 3 units

  • Course Code Level: 8000

  • Contact:  ANU Department of Pacific Affairs: dpa@anu.edu.au

This Micro-credential is taught at a graduate level.  This is not an AQF qualification. 

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Micro-nationalism and the State in Papua New Guinea

No dates are currently scheduled.

 

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Description 

On the 16th September 1975, the territories of Papua and New Guinea, were granted simultaneous independence as a single country, Papua New Guinea (PNG). In the months leading up to PNG’s independence, Josephine Abaijah, leader of the Papua Besena separatist movement and the first woman to be elected to the territories House of Assembly, unilaterally declared Papua's independence from Australia. Bougainvillean leaders, Leo Hannet and John Momis, subsequently followed suit declaring Bougainville “The North Solomons Republic”. Both secessionist movements, whilst unsuccessful, left a distinct hand mark on the PNG state in the form of provincial governments and decentralised service delivery arrangements.
Still today, micro-nationalist movements continue to disrupt and shape the PNG state and are driving key reform agendas. Through a series of case studies this course will examine the key nationalist movements that emerged pre- and post-independence. It will look at how these movements were articulated, the state response in each case, and how these responses (provincial government, decentralisation, special autonomy, special provisions with respect to employment and service delivery, new provinces, greater autonomy for key resource-rich provinces through gradated decentralisation etc) have and continue to shape the PNG state.

Topics 

  1. Papua Besena
  2. Bougainville
  3. Mataungan - East New Britain
  4. Paliau - Manus
  5. New Ireland
  6. Hela
  7. Enga
  8. Min

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

  1. Understand how cosmology and identity are articulated in nationalist movements in PNG
  2. Be familiar with the key micro-nationalist movements which have shaped the PNG state
  3. Identify movements which continue to challenge the integrity of the PNG state
  4. Understand the current reform landscape and how it relates to micro-nationalist politics

Indicative assessment

Comparative analytical piece (2000 words) 60%; Links to learning outcome 1, 2, 3 and 4

Political brief and situation analysis (1500 words) 40%; Links to learning outcome 1, 2, 3 and 4

Assumed knowledge 

This Micro-credential is taught at graduate level and assumes the generic skills of a Bachelors or equivalent. 

Micro-credential stack information 

 This Micro-credential is currently not part of a stack.

Details 

  • Course Code: DPA09

  • Workload: Contact hours: 12 hours, face-to-face or online (eg via Zoom). Individual study and assessment: approx. 50-60 hours.

  • ANU unit value: 3 units

  • Course Code Level: 8000

  • Contact:  ANU Department of Pacific Affairs: dpa@anu.edu.au

This Micro-credential is taught at a graduate level.  This is not an AQF qualification. 

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Political Economy of Service Delivery in Melanesia

No dates are currently scheduled.

 

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Description 

This micro-credential aims to develop conceptual and applied knowledge of governance and service delivery challenges in Melanesia. By examining existing and emerging trends in the region, particularly in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Bougainville, this micro-credential considers contemporary policy debates involved in the politics of governance reform, decentralisation and its associated implications for development. Specifically, the micro-credential considers the role of Constituency Development Funds (CDFs) in providing local-level development and service delivery to communities in Melanesia. It introduces participants to scholarly discourse on a range of topics incorporating insights from comparative politics, public administration and development studies to engage with debates on decentralisation, government service delivery and the emergence of CDFs in the Melanesian context. Case studies of applied policy relevant research conducted in Melanesian countries are explored.

Topics 

  1. The role of the state and concepts of governance
  2. Decentralisation and the post-colonial Melanesian state
  3. Long standing challenges of government service delivery
  4. The emergence of CDFs
  5. The politics of governance reforms
  6. Policy and programming challenges in supporting governance

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the contextual factors behind governance reforms in Melanesia, including reasons for their successes and ongoing challenges
  2. Critically reflect on and engage in an in-depth analysis of key policy reform initiatives relevant to the Melanesian context
  3. Appreciation of the challenges faced by key political actors, public servants and development partners in Melanesia

Indicative assessment

Class participation: 10%; Links to LO: 1, 2 and 3

Concept review and in-class briefing: 40%; Links to LO: 3

Written case study (3,000 words): 50%; Links to LO: 1 and 2

Assumed knowledge 

This Micro-credential is taught at graduate level and assumes the generic skills of a Bachelors or equivalent. 

Micro-credential stack information 

 This Micro-credential is currently not part of a stack.

Details 

  • Course Code: DPA11

  • Workload: Contact hours: 12 hours, face-to-face or online (eg via Zoom). Individual study and assessment: approx. 50-60 hours.

  • ANU unit value: 3 units

  • Course Code Level: 8000

  • Contact:  ANU Department of Pacific Affairs: dpa@anu.edu.au

This Micro-credential is taught at a graduate level.  This is not an AQF qualification. 

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