The global aid world has changed, partly in response to the reconfigurations of geopolitical powe... more The global aid world has changed, partly in response to the reconfigurations of geopolitical power and to the global financial crisis (GFC). Paradoxically, in the face of recession in most northern economies, collectively foreign aid contributions have not fallen. However there has been a qualitative shift in its narrative and nature. This new regime which we term retroliberalism-projects the concept of "shared prosperity," but constitutes a return to explicit self-interest designed to bolster private sector trade and investment. Drawing evidence from New Zealand and the United Kingdom, we argue that aid programmes are increasingly functioning as "exported stimu-lus" packages.
The notion of a 'Polynesian Triangle'stretching from Hawai'i in the north, to Rapa... more The notion of a 'Polynesian Triangle'stretching from Hawai'i in the north, to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the west and Aotearoa/New Zealand in the south, was first posed by European ethnographers attempting to gauge the extent of Polynesian settlement of the islands of the Pacific (Kirch 2000: 230-245). Movement, often over long distances, has characterized the history of Polynesian peoples:'so much of the welfare of ordinary people of Oceania depends on informal movement along ancient routes drawn in bloodlines'(Hau'ofa 1993: ...
This paper examines the case of Niue, a small raised atoll with a population of under 1500 that i... more This paper examines the case of Niue, a small raised atoll with a population of under 1500 that is self-governing in free association with New Zealand. Its marginality in terms of physical and economic isolation, small size and harsh environment is pronounced. However, it has survived with relatively high living standards and a range of livelihood options for its population. The paper assesses Niue's marginality and analyses its strategies for survival and development, focusing on the manner in which it has negotiated sovereignty.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09614524 2012 640983, Mar 28, 2012
ABSTRACT The aid effectiveness agenda has placed much emphasis on issues of recipient ownership, ... more ABSTRACT The aid effectiveness agenda has placed much emphasis on issues of recipient ownership, alignment, and donor harmonisation. It has affected the policies and practices of many donor agencies and promoted a drive to consult widely with partners in governments and civil society and encourage their active involvement in aid-funded development activities. Yet, when we look closely at small island states — in this case Tuvalu — we can see how this participation and consultation is placing considerable burdens on such agents and institutions to the point where their effectiveness and even their putative ownership is compromised. L'ordre du jour de l'efficacité de l'aide a fortement mis l'accent sur les questions relatives à l'appropriation par les récipiendaires, l'alignement et l'harmonisation entre bailleurs de fonds. Il a influé sur les politiques générales et les pratiques de nombreuses agences donatrices et encouragé les efforts en vue de consulter largement les partenaires au sein des gouvernements et de la société civile et d'encourager leur participation active aux activités de développement financées par l'aide. Or, lorsque nous nous penchons sur les petits États insulaires — dans ce cas Tuvalu — nous constatons que cette participation et cette consultation font peser des fardeaux considérables sur ces agents et institutions, à tel point que leur efficacité, voire leur appropriation putative, sont compromises. A agenda da efetividade da ajuda humanitária tem dado muita ênfase a questões de propriedade dos que recebem ajuda, alinhamento e harmonização dos doadores. Isto tem afetado as políticas e práticas de várias agências doadoras e promovido amplamente consultas a parceiros em governos e na sociedade civil e incentiva seu envolvimento ativo nas atividades de desenvolvimento de ajuda financiada. Porém, quando examinamos com cuidado pequenos Estados insulares — neste caso, Tuvalu — podemos observar como esta participação e consulta estão impondo um considerável fardo para tais agentes e instituições a ponto de sua efetividade e mesmo seu senso de propriedade estarem comprometidos. El discurso sobre la eficacia de la ayuda se ha centrado en la apropiación por parte de los beneficiarios, el alineamiento y la armonización entre donantes. Este discurso ha afectado las políticas y prácticas de muchas agencias donantes que han desembocado en esfuerzos para hacer consultas amplias entre las contrapartes gubernamentales y de la sociedad civil, y para impulsar su participación activa en acciones de desarrollo apoyadas por donantes. Sin embargo, al examinar detenidamente los pequeños estados insulares —en este caso Tuvalu— es evidente que esta participación y el proceso de consultas constituyen una carga para tales actores e instituciones, a tal grado que su eficacia y hasta su supuesto protagonismo están en riesgo.
Journal De La Societe Des Oceanistes, Feb 26, 2013
ABSTRACT Since the early 2000s, international development cooperation principles emphasise recipi... more ABSTRACT Since the early 2000s, international development cooperation principles emphasise recipient countries’ ownership of policies, donors’ alignment with the recipients’ administrative processes, and harmonisation of donor processes. Overall, this should enhance the development policy sovereignty in the Pacific Island countries and polities. Since 2011 researchers from Victoria University, Massey University, the University of the South Pacific, and the University of New Caledonia investigate the impact of changing aid modalities on development policy sovereignty in the Pacific. The research includes a range of polities: independent states, semi-autonomous territories, as well as dependent territories. First findings suggest aid policies in the Pacific unfold in unique ways and ‘aid’ is just one of the flows of resources between Pacific Islands and post-colonial powers. Moreover, the relationship between aid and sovereignty is more than one of donor and recipient; it also contains elements of, and space for, agency by Pacific peoples.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 03098265 2010 548508, May 1, 2011
Simulation games have a long history in education and are well suited to learning about negotiati... more Simulation games have a long history in education and are well suited to learning about negotiation, power, relationships and uncertain outcomes. This paper reflects on the experience of using a semester-long simulation game to introduce postgraduate students to development policy. It focuses on three issues identified in the literature—realism, the role of staff and assessment—and maintains that the risks and
There has been a longstanding debate about the role of capital in agriculture. Most of this has t... more There has been a longstanding debate about the role of capital in agriculture. Most of this has taken place in the context of the so-called 'agrarian question'. This discussion has often been overgeneralised and simplified the specific geographies of agrarian transformations. We argue this has arisen due to a failure to characterise and analyse the different forms of capital engaged in agricultural production and how they are articulated and assembled. It is the existence of this diversity of capital that partly explains the differentiated unfolding of the geographies of the agrarian transition that we witness empirically. This paper argues that we need to understand the nature of what we refer to as 'congregations of capital' and the articulations between their different forms if we are to better appreciate the way capital engages in agriculture, the ways it shapes labour relationships, and the ways it restructures agrarian economy and society. In order to do this, we use the example of the global wine industry with particular reference to the unfolding strategies used to attach capital to land evident in the New Zealand sector.
The global aid world has changed, partly in response to the reconfigurations of geopolitical powe... more The global aid world has changed, partly in response to the reconfigurations of geopolitical power and to the global financial crisis (GFC). Paradoxically, in the face of recession in most northern economies, collectively foreign aid contributions have not fallen. However there has been a qualitative shift in its narrative and nature. This new regime which we term retroliberalism-projects the concept of "shared prosperity," but constitutes a return to explicit self-interest designed to bolster private sector trade and investment. Drawing evidence from New Zealand and the United Kingdom, we argue that aid programmes are increasingly functioning as "exported stimu-lus" packages.
The notion of a 'Polynesian Triangle'stretching from Hawai'i in the north, to Rapa... more The notion of a 'Polynesian Triangle'stretching from Hawai'i in the north, to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the west and Aotearoa/New Zealand in the south, was first posed by European ethnographers attempting to gauge the extent of Polynesian settlement of the islands of the Pacific (Kirch 2000: 230-245). Movement, often over long distances, has characterized the history of Polynesian peoples:'so much of the welfare of ordinary people of Oceania depends on informal movement along ancient routes drawn in bloodlines'(Hau'ofa 1993: ...
This paper examines the case of Niue, a small raised atoll with a population of under 1500 that i... more This paper examines the case of Niue, a small raised atoll with a population of under 1500 that is self-governing in free association with New Zealand. Its marginality in terms of physical and economic isolation, small size and harsh environment is pronounced. However, it has survived with relatively high living standards and a range of livelihood options for its population. The paper assesses Niue's marginality and analyses its strategies for survival and development, focusing on the manner in which it has negotiated sovereignty.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09614524 2012 640983, Mar 28, 2012
ABSTRACT The aid effectiveness agenda has placed much emphasis on issues of recipient ownership, ... more ABSTRACT The aid effectiveness agenda has placed much emphasis on issues of recipient ownership, alignment, and donor harmonisation. It has affected the policies and practices of many donor agencies and promoted a drive to consult widely with partners in governments and civil society and encourage their active involvement in aid-funded development activities. Yet, when we look closely at small island states — in this case Tuvalu — we can see how this participation and consultation is placing considerable burdens on such agents and institutions to the point where their effectiveness and even their putative ownership is compromised. L'ordre du jour de l'efficacité de l'aide a fortement mis l'accent sur les questions relatives à l'appropriation par les récipiendaires, l'alignement et l'harmonisation entre bailleurs de fonds. Il a influé sur les politiques générales et les pratiques de nombreuses agences donatrices et encouragé les efforts en vue de consulter largement les partenaires au sein des gouvernements et de la société civile et d'encourager leur participation active aux activités de développement financées par l'aide. Or, lorsque nous nous penchons sur les petits États insulaires — dans ce cas Tuvalu — nous constatons que cette participation et cette consultation font peser des fardeaux considérables sur ces agents et institutions, à tel point que leur efficacité, voire leur appropriation putative, sont compromises. A agenda da efetividade da ajuda humanitária tem dado muita ênfase a questões de propriedade dos que recebem ajuda, alinhamento e harmonização dos doadores. Isto tem afetado as políticas e práticas de várias agências doadoras e promovido amplamente consultas a parceiros em governos e na sociedade civil e incentiva seu envolvimento ativo nas atividades de desenvolvimento de ajuda financiada. Porém, quando examinamos com cuidado pequenos Estados insulares — neste caso, Tuvalu — podemos observar como esta participação e consulta estão impondo um considerável fardo para tais agentes e instituições a ponto de sua efetividade e mesmo seu senso de propriedade estarem comprometidos. El discurso sobre la eficacia de la ayuda se ha centrado en la apropiación por parte de los beneficiarios, el alineamiento y la armonización entre donantes. Este discurso ha afectado las políticas y prácticas de muchas agencias donantes que han desembocado en esfuerzos para hacer consultas amplias entre las contrapartes gubernamentales y de la sociedad civil, y para impulsar su participación activa en acciones de desarrollo apoyadas por donantes. Sin embargo, al examinar detenidamente los pequeños estados insulares —en este caso Tuvalu— es evidente que esta participación y el proceso de consultas constituyen una carga para tales actores e instituciones, a tal grado que su eficacia y hasta su supuesto protagonismo están en riesgo.
Journal De La Societe Des Oceanistes, Feb 26, 2013
ABSTRACT Since the early 2000s, international development cooperation principles emphasise recipi... more ABSTRACT Since the early 2000s, international development cooperation principles emphasise recipient countries’ ownership of policies, donors’ alignment with the recipients’ administrative processes, and harmonisation of donor processes. Overall, this should enhance the development policy sovereignty in the Pacific Island countries and polities. Since 2011 researchers from Victoria University, Massey University, the University of the South Pacific, and the University of New Caledonia investigate the impact of changing aid modalities on development policy sovereignty in the Pacific. The research includes a range of polities: independent states, semi-autonomous territories, as well as dependent territories. First findings suggest aid policies in the Pacific unfold in unique ways and ‘aid’ is just one of the flows of resources between Pacific Islands and post-colonial powers. Moreover, the relationship between aid and sovereignty is more than one of donor and recipient; it also contains elements of, and space for, agency by Pacific peoples.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 03098265 2010 548508, May 1, 2011
Simulation games have a long history in education and are well suited to learning about negotiati... more Simulation games have a long history in education and are well suited to learning about negotiation, power, relationships and uncertain outcomes. This paper reflects on the experience of using a semester-long simulation game to introduce postgraduate students to development policy. It focuses on three issues identified in the literature—realism, the role of staff and assessment—and maintains that the risks and
There has been a longstanding debate about the role of capital in agriculture. Most of this has t... more There has been a longstanding debate about the role of capital in agriculture. Most of this has taken place in the context of the so-called 'agrarian question'. This discussion has often been overgeneralised and simplified the specific geographies of agrarian transformations. We argue this has arisen due to a failure to characterise and analyse the different forms of capital engaged in agricultural production and how they are articulated and assembled. It is the existence of this diversity of capital that partly explains the differentiated unfolding of the geographies of the agrarian transition that we witness empirically. This paper argues that we need to understand the nature of what we refer to as 'congregations of capital' and the articulations between their different forms if we are to better appreciate the way capital engages in agriculture, the ways it shapes labour relationships, and the ways it restructures agrarian economy and society. In order to do this, we use the example of the global wine industry with particular reference to the unfolding strategies used to attach capital to land evident in the New Zealand sector.
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Papers by John Overton