The Pacific Institute of Public Policy celebrated its first birthday on Friday, 21 November 2008

Guests in attendance at the celebration included First President of Vanuatu, Ati George Sokomanu; Hon. Sela Molisa, Minister of Finance; Hon. Joe Natuman, Minister of Health; His Excellency John Pilbeam, Australian High Commissioner; Hon. Bob Loughman MP; the Director General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Mr Rima Ravusiro; and Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr John Capper.

It is one year since PiPP was registered as a not-for-profit organisation under the Vanuatu Charitable Associations Act, but the concept was born a long time ago.

…Why are key messages not reaching national decision-makers? …PiPP Advisory Council member, Mr Hannington Alatoa, told guests that “the ideas behind PiPP are not those of one or two people, and the reality of the organisation is the result of collective thinking and collaborative effort.

Mr Alatoa noted that “we were not alone in recognising a considerable gap between academic and technical observations, and the realities on the ground. Nor are we the only ones recognising the enormous investment in research and development programs. So why are such initiatives not shaping policy? Why are key messages not reaching national decision-makers? Why is it that throughout the Pacific, debate on pressing policy issues is limited? Why do policy debates fail to engage local communities?

In attempting to address these questions, PiPP draws on its network that spans most Pacific island countries to connect knowledge, ideas and experiences to the live policy debate. Since its inception PiPP has hosted a series of policy round table discussion in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands and has published a number of policy briefing papers and the much acclaimed booklet The Political Parties and Groupings of Vanuatu. PiPP has also teamed up with ALP International Projects to run a Young Leaders’ Seminar that covered political campaigns, party reform, policy platforms and fund raising.

The beauty of the PiPP model is its simplicity. Mr Alatoa told guests “we don’t profess to have the answers. We don’t want to steer the debate. What we do want to do is provide an inclusive forum for debate and ensure participants have access to quality information in user relevant language and formats. We believe providing the opportunity for people to share ideas and experiences helps participants find creative solutions to development problems. Creative solutions that are steeped in cultural and political relevance. Creative ideas that respond not just to problems, but also that seek to steer policy in new directions based on visionary thought and empirical evidence”.

The PiPP office is now well established in Port Vila, defying the norm of locating regional headquarters in Suva. In the coming weeks the Institute will release the findings of its study into the social and economic impact of liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in Vanuatu. Next year will see the launch of a new regional key note speaker series. Further details of PiPP events and copies of publications can be found online.

To everyone who helped us reach this milestone, thank you very much!