The quest for independence signals a nation’s pursuit of sovereignty and control over its internal and external affairs. Sovereignty serves as the cornerstone upon which a country’s identity, governance, security, and international relationships are built. …
An engaged and informed community is important for governance, development and an effective democracy at any time, but that’s especially so in Bougainville right now. The island is in a sensitive political moment as it …
When straddling a barbed-wire fence, shifting your feet risks a wound ranging from hurt to horrendous. Shift carefully, not carelessly or inadvertently. For two decades, Australia has been doing a delicate straddle between Papua New …
It seems that the overwhelming outcome of the referendum on Bougainville, with over 97% of eligible voters supporting independence, surprised even seasoned observers. Still, as is well known, the vote is not binding. Under the …
Bougainville knows far better than Britain that a referendum vote to go or to stay is only the first mountain. Then the second mountain must be climbed—the negotiation to turn the outcome into a reality. …