The U.S. government has identified Papua New Guinea as a priority partner country under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS), with Morobe Province being named one of the two focus provinces in the SPCPS’s new 10-year plan. Understanding community-level fragility experiences, narratives, and solutions is essential to successful engagement in enhancing local capacity to prevent conflict and promote stability — not just in Morobe Province, but in Papua New Guinea and beyond. 

On June 7, USIP hosted a conversation with Dr. Melissa Demian on how fragility is experienced, perceived and overcome in Morobe Province, with a focus on its capital, Lae. The discussion considered how Dr. Demian’s research on fragility issues and community efforts can support the durability of life in the city of Lae.

Continue the conversation on Twitter using #PNGStability.

Speakers

Dr. Gordon Peake, moderator 
Senior Advisor, Pacific Islands, U.S. Institute of Peace

Dr. Melissa Demian 
Senior Lecturer, University of St. Andrews

Zuabe Tinning
Program Manager, Papua New Guinea, U.S. Institute of Peace

Ruth Kissam
Senior Advisor, Papua New Guinea, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related Publications

Japan-Pacific Islands Summit: Contending with Nuclear and Colonial Legacies

Japan-Pacific Islands Summit: Contending with Nuclear and Colonial Legacies

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Last week, Pacific Island leaders flew to Tokyo for the Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting (PALM), a summit between Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The meeting, which has occurred every three years since 1997, is designed to elevate Japan’s engagement with the forum and address common challenges, including climate change, fisheries and development.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Putting Data Around Intergroup Violence and Sorcery Accusation–Related Violence in Papua New Guinea

Putting Data Around Intergroup Violence and Sorcery Accusation–Related Violence in Papua New Guinea

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

This discussion paper provides analysis of newspaper reports from Papua New Guinea around two different but interconnected forms of violence: intergroup violence and sorcery accusation–related violence. The authors conclude that both types of violence are fueled by money politics, the widespread availability of guns and the normalization of violence, the erosion of traditional and local forms of leadership and regulation, and public service delivery failures.

Type: Discussion Paper

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

The Untapped Potential of Grassroots Peacebuilding in Papua New Guinea

The Untapped Potential of Grassroots Peacebuilding in Papua New Guinea

Thursday, May 9, 2024

This past January, deadly riots in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, spilled over into other towns and cities across the nation. As the dust settled, many held the country’s struggling youth population responsible, at least partially, for kindling the widespread unrest. Papua New Guinea’s government responded by announcing ambitious plans to address a broad range of problems facing youth — a promising move.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications