Tim Anderson. A survey of women roadside sellers in Madang Province of Papua New Guinea found that they earn a weighted average income of more than three times the national minimum wage. The relative economic success of these roadside vendors relies to a large extent on access to good-quality customary land and proximity to major roads.
How well is our understanding of the current status of women in relation to land tenure, land
management and access to land in matrilineal societies in the Pacific? This question forms the
central objective of this research by Joel Simo, Ana Naupa, Kristina Stege and Ruth Maetala and
Dr Elise Huffer commissioned by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in 2007.
Matt Allen: Neo-classical economists have repeatedly called for the reform of land tenure arrangements in the independent states of Melanesia on the grounds that the customary ownership of land in those countries is a critical barrier to economic growth. Some, such as Helen Hughes (2003), have advocated the abolition of customary land tenures and their replacement with freehold or other forms of individual title.
Two recent decisions of the Court of Appeal of Vanuatu demonstrate some serious
problems that are becoming increasingly common in Vanuatu nowadays, as persons
who are not the true custom owners enter into a lease of land with an innocent third
party and then that lease is registered under the Land Leases Act [Cap 163]. The
decisions in these two cases indicate that there are deficiencies in the legislation so far
as protecting the rights of the true custom owners.
Traditional Money Banks are alive and well in Vanuatu. Wealth based within pig tusks, red mats and stringed shell money, have an ancient and respected history. The traditional money banks project aims to maintain and revitalise living traditional cultural practices whilst stimulating income generation in Vanuatu.This project was jointly undertaken by the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, the Vanuatu Credit Union League (VCUL), the National Council of Chiefs, UNESCO Office (based in Apia), and the Government of Japan (Japanese Funds-In-Trust (JFIT).
The National Land Summit in September 2006 marked a turning-point in Vanuatu’s
land affairs. The twenty-six years after independence were marked not by land
policy development, but by land policy decline. The 20 main resolutions endorsed
by the Summit are evidence of serious problems in such areas as agreements to
lease custom land, lease conditions, land use planning, subdivisions, registration
procedures, public access to beaches and rivers, and the public’s awareness of land
rights and laws
Ralph Regenvanu, Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council explains the meaning of the 'year of the traditional economy' declared by the Vanuatu government in 2007.
A Piece of Paradise' is a documentary that explores the nation of Vanuatu, a collection of tropical islands in the South Pacific. On paper, it's one of the poorest countries on earth - yet there is very little poverty. No one can own land there - but few are homeless. CUSO-VSO staff Sean Kelly traveled to Vanuatu to find out why. [5 mins.]
Tim Anderson & Gary Foley. This article explains Australian Aboriginal land rights as the just claim of a long
historical movement, driven by Aboriginal voices of resistance to dispossession.
In December 2006 Australian TV channel SBS aired a documentary on the land boom fuelled by tourism in Vanuatu, undermining traditional culture and leading to land being stolen.
