Nation building in Papua New Guinea: a local alternative

Abstract

"This paper is written from a development perspective placing good or democratic governance at the heart of nation building. It argues that the present governance approaches in Papua New Guinea need to be complemented by one that focuses on the local levels of both the State and civil society. This is the only way that the structural predicament of nation building in Papua New Guinea can be addressed: the uneasy fit between the State and the governance practices of customary social groups. The first part of this paper explains the detrimental interaction between these two agencies, and the second part makes the case for a local approach. The major challenges of the corresponding development interventions are discussed in the last sections, including: selection of the most appropriate level of local government to be strengthened, adjustment to the fluidity of customary social groups, and the strategic choice of intermediate civil society organisations ..." - page 1