UQ offers helping hand to Solomon Islands

A University of Queensland research centre will expand its involvement in the Solomon Islands to help local partners rebuild the South Pacific nation.

This follows further discussions this month between the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (ACPACS) and the National Peace Council`s (NPC) chairman and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Paul Tovua.

During these discussions Mr Tovua thanked Australia for its intervention in the country and said it was good for the Solomons and for the region.

"Now children can walk to school freely, women can walk in the gardens, the wrong doers are being charged and cases are being heard in court, if something happens you can call the police and know that they will help," he said.

"All these things were not possible eight or so months ago, before Australia and other nations in the South Pacific came to our shores.

"It has given us hope."

Last year academics from The University of Queensland ran mediation training sessions with members of NPC.

ACPACS director Professor Kevin Clements said his centre would run new mediation and problem solving training as well as expand other involvement in the Solomon Islands.

"In collaboration with a group of Faculty from across UQ, known as the University of Queensland Solomon Island Partnership for Peace and Development, we are developing research and practice programs that will assist colleagues in the Solomons," Professor Clements said.

"We will provide two more training programmes in mediation and problem solving in Guadalcanal and Malaita.

"We will also work with the NPC and other organisations in the Solomon Islands to focus attention on ways in which development initiatives can generate higher levels of structural stability and peacefulness."

ACPACS`s involvement with the Solomon Islands is part of a Memorandum of Understanding agreed between The University of Queensland and the Solomon Islands Government.

"It provides a framework within which we undertake to develop research, teaching and practice programs that will help the Solomon Islands Government become economically, politically and socially viable again," he said.

Media: For more information, contact Professor Kevin Clements (telephone 3365 1763, email k.clements@uq.edu.au) or David Ashkanasy (telephone 3365 2339, email d.ashkanasy@uq.edu.au).