In a few days, on July 1st the borders of Solomon Islands will open, after a long period of restrictions (since March 2020). As a researcher based within the country, I have mixed emotions about it. The day after Cyclone Harold in April 2020, I was on the campus of Solomon Islands National University looking … Read more →

Communications products are seen as the burps of the development sector – after the project recipe is finalised, some activities are underway, an agreed set of communications products will be defined and burped out, a result of the “main meal” which is the project activities. As burps, there is often less foresight and planning, and … Read more →

Recently I have been spending less time on Facebook and more time on LinkedIn and my outlook on life is better for it. The shift started earlier this year, there were two events in my social circle that made me realise Facebook is destructive, particularly for women’s self-esteem, solidarity and respect. The first one was … Read more →

The acclaim for Tanna, a film shot on the Vanuatuan island of the same name, continues into 2017, with its recent nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. Cinematically beautiful, shot with a relatively small crew from Australia, the film tells a story of a young woman whose marriage is arranged while she … Read more →

One of the first people to see the upcoming Disney movie Moana will probably be me.   Featuring a Pacific female lead, Moana, tells the story of a sea voyage by a young girl in search of a fabled island. I am one of those uncool people that watches animated feature films regularly and without shame. … Read more →

On a recent blog on Devpolicy, Dr Anouk Ride discusses how gender-based violence is framed in the Solomon Islands context and argues for a more nuanced policy and public debate on why men are violent, what role men and women have in legitimising this violence and, critically, how this can be changed. Read What’s culture … Read more →