{"id":9143,"date":"2022-05-20T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-19T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=9143"},"modified":"2023-05-04T14:48:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T04:48:57","slug":"the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PAUL SLATER  |  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the tensions 11years earlier, on neighbouring Bougainville, in the lead up to the crisis which gripped and tore apart that island for the next ten years.&nbsp; The Solomon Islands Prime Minister in 1999, Bart Ulufa\u2019alu, asked Australia for help. He characterised Australia\u2019s words in response to his plea for help as being like a man standing on the shore reading to a drowning man from a lifesaving manual.&nbsp; Only after the tensions had turned to bloody violence did Australia act, spending over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowyinstitute.org\/publications\/australias-costly-investment-solomon-islands-lessons-ramsi\">$2.6 Billion between 2003 and 2017<\/a> on \u201cOperation Helpem Fren,\u201d also known as the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite Australia\u2019s geographic proximity and colonial history in the region, hard won victories in the Second World War and lessons that should have been learned from Bougainville, the Australian Government seemed incapable of understanding what was happening in 1999 Solomon Islands and why Bart Ulufa\u2019alu was rightly worried. Australians knew more about America, Asia, Europe or the Middle East and the people of those places than they did about their closest neighbours in the Pacific. That has not changed since 1999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, is not new to the job or the relationship with Australia. This is the fourth time he has been Prime Minister. The first was in 2000, when rebels from the Malaitan Eagle Force captured Ulufa\u2019alu and forced him to resign. During the past 22 years there has been ample opportunity for Australian politicians, in and out of government, to build relationships with their counterparts in Solomon Islands and elsewhere in the Pacific, including Sogavare, as difficult as that may have been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2020, in <a href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-its-the-way-that-you-do-it\/\">The Pacific Step-up: it\u2019s the way that you do it <\/a>, I talked about the necessity of authentic personal relationships for anyone or any country, including Australia, to have influence in the Pacific. I provided examples of how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowyinstitute.org\/the-interpreter\/remembering-png-wasman-second-world-war\">Australians<\/a> have successfully done this in the past. I talk about the importance of spending time with people in the Pacific as a culturally meaningful reciprocity at the heart of authentic relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those relationships can\u2019t be formed at the drop of a hat with flying visits by senior officials or politicians when we perceive a crisis. Especially if we have at times treated Pacific countries\u2019 concerns about issues like climate change and drowning islands with what many in the Pacific perceive as disrespect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia\u2019s and other countries\u2019 reaction to the 2022 security agreement between Solomon Islands and China is a case in point. Seeing the agreement as a threat to Australia\u2019s strategic interests, the Australian Government first despatched two senior intelligence officials and then the junior Minister for the Pacific, Zed Seselja, to the Solomon Islands\u2019 capital, Honiara.&nbsp; Presumably, their mission was to dissuade the Solomon Islands Government from proceeding with the agreement. The United States followed suit with a visit by the White House Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, and entourage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That these envoys were received and heard in Honiara could be seen as evidence of Australian and United States ability to exercise soft power in the Pacific; our good relationships with this Pacific nation had provided us with valuable access. According to our rules, that is the way it is supposed to work, after all, we provide lots of aid, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The envoys were undoubtedly politely, even respectfully received, but the despatch of fly-in fly-out envoys with little or no personal involvement with the country, its leaders and its people is more likely to have been seen as a disrespectful. And Prime Minister Sogavare does not appear to have been dissuaded. Seeing soft power in the Pacific in terms of a quantum of aid or in terms of the rules by which we conduct our strategic relations elsewhere is not always effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is an old adage of diplomacy, attributed to mid-19th Century British Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, that countries don\u2019t have friends, they only have interests. That formulation sits well with our Western rules-based-order approach to international relations. Perhaps we need to see our relationships with Pacific countries, where the rules might not be the same, a bit more like friendships. We can still strive to advance our interests, but read a little less from the lifesaving manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"author label wp-block-paragraph\">AUTHOR<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Paul Slater is a former Pacific desk officer in the Defence, Liaison Office in Papua New Guinea, and Bougainville Peacekeeper.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the tensions 11years earlier, on neighbouring Bougainville, in the lead up to the crisis which gripped and tore apart that island for the next ten years.&nbsp; The Solomon Islands [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":9140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1757,1021,248,1057],"tags":[1032,842,969,1050,990,1235,634,1023],"class_list":["post-9143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geopolitics-diplomacy","category-pacific-outlook","category-png-and-the-pacific","category-security","tag-bougainville","tag-climate-change","tag-pacific-islands","tag-pacific-outlook","tag-pacific-step-up","tag-paul-slater","tag-soft-power","tag-solomon-islands"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Kelsey O'Brien","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving | Griffith Asia Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving | Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-19T22:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-04T04:48:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Griffith Asia Institute\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Griffith Asia Institute\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a\"},\"headline\":\"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-19T22:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-04T04:48:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":760,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/drowning-not-waving.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Bougainville\",\"Climate change\",\"Pacific Islands\",\"Pacific outlook\",\"Pacific step up\",\"Paul Slater\",\"Soft power\",\"Solomon Islands\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Pillar 3: Geopolitics and diplomacy\",\"Region | Papua New Guinea and the Pacific\",\"Region-PNG and the Pacific\",\"Topic-Security\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving | Griffith Asia Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/drowning-not-waving.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-19T22:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-04T04:48:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/drowning-not-waving.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/drowning-not-waving.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Today, a number of locations within the Solomon Islands are facing immediate and direct climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and food and water insecurity. Source: uib.no\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Insights\",\"description\":\"Asia Insights is published by the Griffith Asia Institute. It offers latest commentary on Asia-Pacific affairs and aims to inform and foster academic scholarship, public awareness and considered and responsive policy making.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1\",\"width\":2930,\"height\":308,\"caption\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/griffithasiainstitute\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/GAIGriffith\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/author\\\/gaigriffith-edu-au\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving | Griffith Asia Insights","description":"PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving | Griffith Asia Insights","og_description":"PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the","og_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/","og_site_name":"Griffith Asia Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/","article_published_time":"2022-05-19T22:30:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-04T04:48:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Griffith Asia Institute","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GAIGriffith","twitter_site":"@GAIGriffith","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Griffith Asia Institute","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/"},"author":{"name":"Griffith Asia Institute","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a"},"headline":"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving","datePublished":"2022-05-19T22:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-04T04:48:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/"},"wordCount":760,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg","keywords":["Bougainville","Climate change","Pacific Islands","Pacific outlook","Pacific step up","Paul Slater","Soft power","Solomon Islands"],"articleSection":["Pillar 3: Geopolitics and diplomacy","Region | Papua New Guinea and the Pacific","Region-PNG and the Pacific","Topic-Security"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/","name":"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving | Griffith Asia Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg","datePublished":"2022-05-19T22:30:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-04T04:48:57+00:00","description":"PAUL SLATER | In 1999, tensions between ethnic groups in Solomon Islands were rising. For anyone who cared to notice, there was even a resemblance to the","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg","width":900,"height":500,"caption":"Today, a number of locations within the Solomon Islands are facing immediate and direct climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and food and water insecurity. Source: uib.no"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/the-pacific-step-up-drowning-not-waving\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Pacific Step-up: Drowning not waving"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/","name":"Griffith Asia Insights","description":"Asia Insights is published by the Griffith Asia Institute. It offers latest commentary on Asia-Pacific affairs and aims to inform and foster academic scholarship, public awareness and considered and responsive policy making.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization","name":"Griffith Asia Institute","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1","width":2930,"height":308,"caption":"Griffith Asia Institute"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/","https:\/\/x.com\/GAIGriffith"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a","name":"Griffith Asia Institute","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Griffith Asia Institute"},"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/author\/gaigriffith-edu-au\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10314,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/post-referendum-charting-bougainvilles-independence-vote\/","url_meta":{"origin":9143,"position":0},"title":"Post-referendum: Charting Bougainville&#8217;s independence vote","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"21 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"IAN KEMISH AM\u00a0 |\u00a0 In the aftermath of the 2019 referendum, where Bougainvilleans strongly favoured independence, Papua New Guinea's parliament is poised to vote on Bougainville's independence, which is expected to be rejected. A negative vote without a constructive plan could lead to Bougainville declaring independence unilaterally, posing challenges for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"2018 Cultural performance at the Reeds Festival in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Bougainville.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Bougainville.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Bougainville.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Bougainville.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10316,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/pacific-islands-forum-2023-navigating-challenges-and-priorities-in-the-region\/","url_meta":{"origin":9143,"position":1},"title":"Pacific Islands Forum 2023: Navigating challenges and priorities in the region","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"22 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"TESS NEWTON CAIN\u00a0 |\u00a0 Leaders of Pacific nations convened in Cook Islands from 6-10 November for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a crucial regional meeting addressing pressing issues like climate change and growing geopolitical competition. Established in 1971, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) emerged from the frustration of Pacific leaders\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting attendees 2023","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/PIF-2023.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/PIF-2023.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/PIF-2023.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/PIF-2023.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10031,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/bigger-moves-bigger-expectations-bidens-us-pacific-island-forum-summit\/","url_meta":{"origin":9143,"position":2},"title":"Bigger moves, bigger expectations: Biden\u2019s US-Pacific Island Forum Summit","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"10 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"SEAN JACOBS\u00a0 |\u00a0 An insightful analysis of the recent US-Pacific Island Forum Summit and highlights two important observations. The author effectively discusses the notable absence of the Solomon Islands Prime Minister due to his ties with Beijing and emphasises the need to balance Washington's security concerns with the development priorities\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Pillar 3: Geopolitics and diplomacy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Pillar 3: Geopolitics and diplomacy","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/feature-series\/pacific-outlook-feature-series\/geopolitics-diplomacy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Participants of the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit standing in front of the White House .","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10624,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/pacific-outlook-bulletin-21-february\/","url_meta":{"origin":9143,"position":3},"title":"Pacific Outlook Bulletin | 21 February","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"21 February 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"TESS NEWTON CAIN\u00a0 |\u00a0 Pacific Resilience Facility is 2024 priority for Pacific Islands Forum It\u2019s been seven years in the making, but the Forum leadership is determined to see the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) established as a matter of urgency. Speaking to the media recently Forum Secretary-General, Henry Puna and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Griffith University Pacific Outlook banner - map of the Pacific region over a beach background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10281,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/pacific-outlook-bulletin-8-november\/","url_meta":{"origin":9143,"position":4},"title":"Pacific Outlook Bulletin | 8 November","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"8 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"TESS NEWTON CAIN\u00a0 |\u00a0 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting The leaders of the region are gathering in Rarotonga, Cook Islands for their 52nd annual meeting. The meeting is hosted by Prime Minister Mark Brown as Forum Chair. The theme for this year\u2019s meeting is \u201cOur Voices, Our Choices, Our Pacific\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Region | Papua New Guinea and the Pacific&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Region | Papua New Guinea and the Pacific","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/pacific-outlook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Griffith University Pacific Outlook banner - map of the Pacific region over a beach background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10318,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/pacific-outlook-bulletin-22-november\/","url_meta":{"origin":9143,"position":5},"title":"Pacific Outlook Bulletin | 22 November","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"22 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"TESS NEWTON CAIN\u00a0 |\u00a0 Pacific Games underway Honiara lit up on Sunday as the 17th edition of the Pacific Games got underway. It is a project that has been seven years in the making and has not been without controversy. It is the first time that Solomon Islands has hosted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Region | Papua New Guinea and the Pacific&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Region | Papua New Guinea and the Pacific","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/pacific-outlook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Griffith University Pacific Outlook banner - map of the Pacific region over a beach background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/pacific-outlook-banner-900x500-copy-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"featured_image_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/drowning-not-waving.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}