School of People Environment and Planning

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    The tourist resort and the village : local perspectives of corporate community development in Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Hughes, Emma Louise
    A new global development model prioritises the role of the private sector, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals aiming to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability in partnership with business. This study examines the capability of tourism sector-led development initiatives, or Corporate Community Development (CCD), to bring about positive, locally meaningful change for two Indigenous communities in Fiji. A Development First framework for CCD developed in this thesis foregrounds community perspectives. Findings suggest the capacity of the private sector to contribute to community development in line with community priorities is constrained by an overriding Tourism First focus on prioritising the business, even where companies aspire to longer-term sustainable development outcomes. Whilst specific initiatives focusing on supporting development projects and running a social responsible business achieve positive outcomes for communities, much CCD is charity-focused and confined to a narrow spectrum of immediately visible needs largely defined by hotels and tourists. Approaching CCD from local perspectives also suggests ways to reconceptualise CCD. It focuses attention on the interconnected impact of all company activities (both core operations such as employment and voluntary activities such as donations), whilst an Indigenous perspective of CCD reframes its purpose as obligation. This can be understood in terms of community expectations around entitlements, reciprocity and fulfilling collective rights. A focus on Indigenous understandings of wellbeing and development shows that tourism is seen as an opportunity to contribute to vanua priorities for both current and future generations, but makes it clear that communities do not want more charity or aid, instead seeking to be an integral part of development conversations determining a fair share of their resources. The twin concepts of corporate social coherence and corporate social obligation acknowledge the significance of people and place underpinning tourism in Fiji and prompt a critical rethink of private sector-led development. Findings underline the risks of charging the private sector with responsibility for community development and demonstrate the current limitations to what the tourism industry can be expected to deliver. Community perspectives present a starting point from which to challenge current ways of thinking and allow conceptualisations of development to flourish.
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    I am not the problem : challenging deficit narratives of indigenous development through alternative media : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2016) Stillwell, Laura
    The aim of this research was to explore the extent to which alternative media sources challenge normative representations of Indigenous peoples and provide an opportunity for alternate representations, specifically expressions of agency and empowerment. Mainstream media oversimplifies Indigenous development goals and relies heavily upon stereotypes and problematising discourses. Critical analysis of alternative news articles show that alternative media represents issues related to Indigenous development from a collective perspective, demonstrating a strong presence of solidarity. Contestation of problematising discourses is commonly situated in a context of colonisation and ongoing marginalisation and through this narrative stories of agency and empowerment are shared. Overwhelmingly, there was evidence that Indigenous development was not being undertaken in a participatory approach, the state failing to consult and instead enforcing paternalistic and punitive policies specifically targeting Indigenous communities. A key finding of this research is that alternative media provides a voice for those silenced by state processes and policies, disseminating urgent calls for community-based engagement and recognition of the ongoing impacts of colonisation for Indigenous development.
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    The evolution of benefit sharing agreements in Papua New Guinea : what are the lessons learnt and what are the prospects for the future? : a research presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (The Author, 2013) Anoser, Killian Saulmai
    With an abundance of natural resources, the extractive and fishery exploitation at a developed stage, Papua New Guinea (PNG) should have been at the top end of the developing world, however, this has not materialised. PNG is going through the dilemmas of development through high rate of resource exploitation and unequal distribution of benefits that is having detrimental effect on the economy and general living standard. Many have questioned why this situation has existed without being addressed. It is also acknowledged here that there has been much literature that has been written on the environment and social impacts of resource project, however, there has been little written on the benefits flowing through to those people affected by resource developments. This report attempts to address those benefit sharing issues. A review of past and current projects and how they distributed benefits has provided a baseline from which the most important elements for future benefit sharing have been identified. These are that BSA are negotiated, legally binding agreements that recognise property rights, are internationally recognised, they allocate and demarcate responsibilities and ensure development coherence. Using these characteristics, a fair and equitable benefit sharing could then be developed for resource projects in Papua New Guinea.