Read all posts for ‘australasia’

The high rate of violence and abuse against women in Fiji is having a negative impact on women’s ability to participate in economic life. Abuse is not just physical, it can also be emotional and financial. The financial abuse suffered by women in Fiji highlights a flaw in governance that […]

Rapid modernisation has caused Fiji to adopt new cultural trends that are at odds with traditional customs. Kava  is a drink that is usually served at formal ceremonies such as meetings of village elders and chiefs but as a result of modernist influences, it has become a commercialized commodity rather […]

Promises of employment and education opportunities have always lured country folk and many women to the “big smoke”. Over 83% of Australia’s population lives in major urban areas, while many rural towns are dwindling in population. The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (2007) show that more than one third of young Australians […]

A few years ago, the concept of “the 99%” entered mainstream parlance. It’s a bit of an ironic expression because quite frankly the missing 1% refers to those with the money and the power and leaves the rest of us, the 99%, very much like mere puppets on strings moving […]

The traditional lifestyles of the Pacific Islanders are an epitome of how growth can go hand in hand with sustainability.  Growth for them is not about economic acceleration. Growth is more intangible in nature; personal growth, cultural growth, spiritual growth and collective growth. Growth happens within the natural limits of […]