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- Item“Broken” pathways : understanding the licensing experiences of overseas-trained medical doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Thomas-Maude, JohannaMore than 40% of registered medical doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand received their primary medical qualifications overseas. Within this landscape, the pathways that international medical graduates (IMGs) must follow to achieve professional licensing depend on their background. This research explores IMG experiences of these processes using a capabilities approach to mobility justice, finding that although pathways to registration exist on paper, many are broken, unpredictable, and often unattainable in practice. General registration is available to doctors who completed their primary qualifications, or have worked for a minimum time period, in 24 high-income, Global North countries known as Comparable Health Systems (CHS). Other IMGs must apply for registration by taking a medical knowledge examination from the United Kingdom (U.K.), Australia, Canada, or the United States of America (U.S.A.), demonstrating English language competency, and taking the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX), which evaluates context-specific clinical skills. While completing these steps is time-consuming and costly, IMGs on the NZREX pathway are also required to complete two years of supervised work in local hospitals. First year positions, known as Postgraduate Year One (PGY1), are limited and prioritised for New Zealand medical graduates (NZMGs). As a result, a bottleneck has delayed or prevented many of these IMGs, typically originating from Global South countries, from finding PGY1 employment. This research addresses a knowledge gap by exploring the relationship between IMG experiences, professional outcomes, and their designated pathway to registration. An exploratory sequential mixed methods research design was employed, consisting of semi-structured interviews of IMGs (n = 24) and local experts (n = 9), an online questionnaire of IMGs (N = 80), and a document analysis of historical policies, grey literature, and media reports (N = 370), across three phases. The project was framed by a capabilities approach to mobility justice that evolved alongside the research design, data collection, and analysis. This theoretical approach considers what IMGs in Aotearoa New Zealand are able to “be” and “do” as migrant professionals, through four key components known as the 4Ps. The 4Ps comprise professional mobilities and capabilities, (inter)personal mobilities and capabilities, mobilities and capabilities in practice, and mobilities and capabilities power regimes. Combining empirical data with this theoretical lens highlights how medical registration pathways and policies contribute to uneven mobilities and capabilities among IMGs in Aotearoa New Zealand. Injustices are produced through misrecognition and the arbitrary exclusion of individuals who did not train in CHS countries. Such arbitrary exclusions, in turn, produce brain waste, whereby some IMGs already residing in Aotearoa New Zealand were unable to work as doctors, or experienced significant delays in registration, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation is detrimental not only to these IMGs, but also to the chronically under-resourced local medical workforce and, consequently, the broader population in need of healthcare. Furthermore, colonial vestiges can be seen to have contributed to a recurring cycle of policy changes, which have culminated in contemporary licensing policies strongly resembling those from 1905. To create more just pathways for registration for IMGs in Aotearoa New Zealand, this (post)colonial cycle needs to be examined, evaluated, and broken, paving the way for more equitable medical regulation.
- ItemKia rauka I te tūranga memeitaki no te iti tangata ānuanua o te Kuki Airani = Towards attaining holistic wellbeing for the Rainbow community of the Cook Islands : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in International Development, Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Wichman, Valentino (Valery) Tefa'atauKia Orana and welcome to this scholarly exploration of Tūranga Memeitaki, or Wellbeing, within the Ānuanua, or Rainbow, Community of the Cook Islands, guided by the principles of Akapapa’anga (genealogies) and Kai Vānanga (elevated conversations). This thesis is a deliberate endeavor to shed light on the experiences of a unique and often marginalized community. It aims to address the question of what is Tūranga Memeitaki for the Ānuanua community? Grounded in the Akapapa'anga methodology, which delves into the intricate web of relationships and connections among individuals and groups, this research employs Māori genealogical analysis to unearth the nuanced dimensions of Tūranga Memeitaki within the Ānuanua community. By drawing upon family trees, oral traditions, historical records, and diverse information sources, this approach offers a comprehensive understanding of the community's wellbeing dynamics. To navigate the sensitive nature of discussions and the subject matter concerning the Ānuanua community, a novel method known as Kai Vānanga Vatavata has been developed. Inspired by other Pacific approaches, this method has been customized to accommodate the specific needs and concerns of marginalized communities, ensuring respectful and culturally appropriate data collection and interpretation. Throughout the enquiry, the Kai Vānanga Vatavata method has undergone continuous refinement to optimize its efficacy in capturing the diverse perspectives and experiences within the Ānuanua community. Given the distinct challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities worldwide, a nuanced understanding of Tūranga Memeitaki for the Ānuanua community holds significant implications for addressing these challenges effectively. The research methodology incorporated interviews, focus groups, and literature analysis to explore the multifaceted dimensions of wellbeing and its impact on holistic human experience. By engaging directly with members of the Ānuanua community, this study aims to amplify their voices, illuminate their narratives, and contribute to the development of tailored policy solutions and research recommendations aimed at enhancing their overall wellbeing. The principal outcomes derived from the Kai Vānanga Vatavata highlight the imperative of conducting research that is culturally relevant and led by Ānuanua for Ānuanua. It underscores the urgency of ceasing the compartmentalization or 'othering' of the Ānuanua community, recognizing resilience and beyond both within this community and more broadly, and transitioning from a focus on wellbeing to an emphasis on wholebeing.
- ItemExploring the potential of Green Tourism Bonds as a climate financing initiative in Samoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of International Development, Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Patrick, Isabella GraceThis research aimed to explore the potential of a climate financing initiative, namely Green Tourism Bonds, in Samoa. Green Tourism Bonds are a climate financing initiative that allows the tourism sector to adapt and mitigate to the impacts of climate change through providing financial capital where needed. With only one prominent case of Green Tourism Bonds being used globally, there is a research gap in Samoa to explore how these bonds could be implemented in line with Samoan aspirations. Therefore, this research undertook an approach that is driven by the sustainable tourism development aspirations of the Samoan Tourism Authority and the Government of Samoa. The development research problem is that globally-led climate financing initiatives are hard to access for Small Island Developing States, and do not encourage them to tap into their already present forms of community resilience. An example of this resilience can be seen through Latai‐Niusulu, Binns, et al., (2020) cultural-ecological lens on climate change resilience, which directly draws from the knowledge that Samoans have been resilient throughout their history. These historic, dynamic and adaptable patterns of resilience continue to be drawn upon in the contemporary climate change environment (Latai‐Niusulu et al., 2020). This research found that for Green Tourism Bonds to have potential in Samoa, they would have to align with their sustainable tourism development and climate financing approaches. Ultimately, for climate financing to contribute to long-term, in-country resilience, cultural ecological resilience needs to be at the forefront. If it is to be connected to tourism, climate financing needs to also uphold how the sustainability principles established by the Pacific Tourism Organisation are conceptualised in Samoa. Green Tourism Bonds have made proven contributions to the sustainable tourism development in other places. However, due to the challenges posed by the economic COVID-19 recovery, the ‘newness’ of climate financing, capacity of the Government of Samoa and the tourism sector in Samoa, this approach is not recommended in the short- to medium-term in Samoa. This research connects sustainable tourism development and climate financing together in the Samoan context and recommends further options for Samoa.
- ItemWomen's empowerment : a case study on the Female Community Health Volunteer programme in Balkumari, Nepal : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters in International Development, Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Thompson, FrancescaThe Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV) Programme in Nepal is considered the backbone of the national health system. With over 52,000 female volunteers trained across the country, they have gained the ability to provide intimate support to mothers and young children, acting as the interface between community and national health (MoHP, 2014, p. 23). As Nepal is a patriarchal nation, women’s and children’s health can often be not prioritised or dismissed. Prioritising women’s health is linked with women’s empowerment and a step towards addressing poverty. This study focuses on one NGO, the FCHV Programme that works towards women’s health, and aims at understanding in what areas the programme actively works towards women’s empowerment. The FCHV programme operates with female volunteers, whose responsibility is working with women that need health support. This study is framed within a gender and development context. It utilises a qualitative methodology and an empowerment framework to explore how the FCHV programme operates within a local Nepalese context, and in what ways the programme includes empowerment of women. The primary research method applied were semi-structured interviews throughout the seven-weeks of fieldwork in the village of Balkumari in Bardiya District. This study found that despite a lack of financial remuneration, the female volunteers in Balkumari have had some empowering experiences through the education they received. By sharing their education within the community, other women also benefited. In the process, the women experienced increased self-esteem and social status.
- ItemThe effects of COVID-19 on ni-Vanuatu workers in New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Tonkin, CameronOn March 11, 2020, the United Nations World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic, initiating widespread government-imposed restrictions affecting peoples’ mobility, social engagement and livelihoods (United Nations, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted global structural inequalities and recognised the importance of migrant workers in their contributions to the global economy (International Labour Organisation, 2021). This context has placed increased recognition on the temporary migration policies that facilitate mobility and their evolution over time (International Labour Organisation, 2021). For temporary workers, participation under these policies had placed restrictions on their already limited social integration and has had an undeniable restrain on their labour rights (Rosewarne, 2010). Temporary workers are often not eligible to access the social and economic safety nets provided to national residents, which has exacerbated their vulnerability from the impacts of the pandemic (Mukumbang, 2021). This study aims to explore how ni-Vanuatu participants in the New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme have exercised agency during the pandemic. This research has focused on workers in Te Puke, New Zealand. The exploration of their lived experiences is harnessed through a qualitative approach and methods that have facilitated discussion in semi-structured interviews along with personal observations and reflections. The research findings demonstrate RSE scheme stakeholders consisting of RSE employers, local community organisations and respective national governments have made concerted efforts at the initial stages of the pandemic to engage RSE participants and provide the means to sustain themselves. However, as the pandemic had continued, ni-Vanuatu workers shifted their focus towards personal responsibility to supporting themselves and helping other workers. This research shows that even in the most restrictive environments, ni-Vanuatu RSE scheme participants as individuals are conscious and capable of making decisions for themselves. Contributions of this research could be reflected in the design and implementation of the RSE scheme post-pandemic to allow participants to define their needs and promote a better understanding of their experiences.
- ItemNarratives of Creole islandness : exploring the relational practices of public servants and community leaders in Jamaica : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Waite, SueAnn GeorgiaUnderstanding islands as spaces that amplify relational phenomena, Creole as produced by the experience of plantation colonialism; and narratives as sense-making tools which sustain cultural repertoires, this thesis uses a case study of public servants and community leaders involved in local development planning in Jamaica to explore the extent to which relational practices of islanders are explainable through narratives of Creole islandness. Assuming relations as the building blocks of institutions, the thesis proposes that examining relations and their cultural context is instrumental to understanding institutional change (and maintenance). The research uses Jamaica as an example of a Creole island, with the local sustainable development planning process and the participatory governance framework as the institutional context. Three subnational jurisdictions in Jamaica provided the basis for identifying a network of public servants and community leaders to produce the conversation data used for analysis. Members of the diaspora involved in related development initiatives were also included. Conversations produced two sets of research data: 1) identity narratives of Creole islanders, and 2) relational practices in the design and implementation of the local development planning and participatory governance processes. Analysis of the data set revealed patterns among public servants and community leaders in their emphasis on different elements of shared narratives of Creole island identity and conceptions of development, as well as patterns of relational practices between public servants and community leaders in their roles in the local development planning and participatory governance processes. The findings provide insight into how cultural narratives and repertoires support actors in their navigation of governance processes on a Creole island and suggest the importance of planning for relational practices when designing and managing development and institutional change processes.
- ItemRural livelihoods and natural resource sustainability : a case study of two communities on Chiloé Island : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Rural Development at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2005) Bannister Hepp, AlanThis research examines the relationship between livelihood strategies of rural communities in Chile and local environmental sustainability. It determines livelihood options adopted by local communities and identifies their impact on the surrounding environment. Two case studies are presented using the sustainable livelihood approach as a framework to describe the livelihood strategies of two rural communities in Chiloé Island. Environmental sustainability is investigated using elements and concepts of the FESLM (Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management) approach and of agroecosystem analysis. Both communities were selected because of their location close to extensive areas of native forests. One community is relatively isolated, has a “Huilliche” ethnic tradition, with a predominance of subsistence activities; the other is closer to markets and their livelihoods are primarily derived from farming-forestry systems. Data for the study was collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews with local leaders, relevant local government staff, NGOs, and community members. For the examined cases, results suggest that rural subsistence communities are highly diversified, using their resources in a non-sustainable way; generating livelihood strategies that fail to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions. Low productivity soils, steep slopes, and depleted fragile forest ecosystems create a complex natural resource base. The main causes for the community economic problems are the lack of road networks and markets to sell products to. Organisations in charge of development interventions are aware of the situation but find it difficult to start a sustainable development process, mostly due to a lack of human capital in the communities, notably education, organisational skills, and technology adoption. Future development interventions should tackle the issues that constrain development in these communities, consider rural communities’ context-specific characteristics, value local culture and tradition, facilitate to build social and human capital, ensure integrated management of natural resources, and assist with markets for existing and value-added products produced by local households.
- ItemThe challenges of climate change adaptation for displaced communities : the Bikini community on Kili and Ejit Islands : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of International Development, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University(Massey University, 2022) Fraser, AdamThe displaced Bikini community on Kili and Ejit Islands are facing significant threats from sea level rise. This effect of climate change is just the latest devastation to face this community. In 1946, the Bikinians were coerced into leaving their homes on Bikini Atoll to allow the United States to conduct nuclear tests. Their forced relocation has led to the community suffering long term impacts associated with displacement as they are still unable to return home. The vulnerabilities faced by the Bikinians due to displacement are intensifying the Bikinians’ exposure and sensitivity to climate change. However, the Bikinians are not passive victims of displacement or climate change and have shown high levels of resilience to the disruptive impacts of these processes. The strategies first developed in response to their displacement must now consider climate change. Conversely, for their adaptation to climate change to be successful, these strategies must address the impacts of displacement as the underlying cause of Bikinian vulnerability. The threats of climate change for the community on Kili and Ejit are considerable. Despite having developed strategies to respond to the vulnerabilities they face, climate change will continue to make life on Kili and Ejit Islands difficult because of the underlying social, cultural, economic and environmental characteristics. There may be limits to the Bikinians’ ability to adapt and remain resilient. The Bikinians, already forced from their homes, have been highly mobile with most of their population residing on other islands within the Marshall Islands or in the United States. Climate change may force yet more Bikinians to consider migration as a form of adaptation. This study explores how the vulnerabilities the Bikinians endure because of their displacement contribute to vulnerabilities associated with climate change. This study analyses these issues and focuses on how Bikinians adapt and build resilience. In seeking to share the story of the Bikinians this study draws on bwebwenato (talk story) research methods with members of the Bikinian leadership, and an analysis of documents detailing their struggle for justice against their displacement, and their experience with climate change.
- ItemBai givim mipela planti strong : teacher training programmes and teacher empowerment in Papua New Guinea : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Ready, JosephTeachers are an indispensable component of an education system. “Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education and key to sustainable global development” (UNESCO, 2008b, para 1.). Issues of teaching training and retention are having significant impacts on the quality of education in countries of the Global South. The increased focus on education access have resulted in classroom sizes ballooning in Papua New Guinea which in turn has impacted the quality of education. Numerous donors and agencies are working in Papua New Guinea in the education space. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been filling the gaps in teacher training through programmes to support and address the quality of education. Little is known about the extent to which teachers in these programmes are empowered. Therefore, it is timely to look at the relationship between teacher training programmes and teacher empowerment. This report uses an adapted empowerment approach as a theoretical framework to understand how teacher training programmes can empower teachers. This qualitative research draws on the case study of Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF), an education, health, and community NGO with a specific focus on the Teach for Tomorrow programmes. The project involved multiple methods to collect data, which were: tok stori, a culturally appropriate method of research with participants, document analysis, and a semi structured interview. The voices of participants feature teachers and an NGO employee with a strong localisation focus. Three key themes of culture, knowledge and partnership were identified from literature and form the foundation on which the empowerment lens was applied to this research. Findings show that there was a substantial increase in the amount of trained and certified teachers through the T4T programmes. Opportunities to improve the quality of teaching were provided through professional development and training. This received positive response from participants. Recognition of existing teacher knowledge of their communities was a vital part to ensure programme content focused on adding value to teachers’ knowledge. Overall, KTF programmes are making positive changes which empower teachers professionally, personally and as member of the community.
- ItemAn analysis on the effectiveness of community policing strategies on the methamphetamine trade in Tonga : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Naisali, SeimoanaPolice reform in small island developing countries has seen the increasing implementation of the community policing strategies as a means to achieve trust and confidence of Police within the community. Over the past two decades, the Pacific Islands have adopted a community-oriented policing approach over more hardened methods of law enforcement found in traditional policing because its strategies offer a more loosened approach to restoring justice and peace in the community. However, there have been claims that foreign assistance provided by donor countries to support policing in the Pacific has introduced new problems for recipient countries, particularly in the areas of policy design, implementation and suitability. This report analyses the effectiveness of community policing strategies in Tonga relating to methamphetamine, and the ways in which New Zealand provides aid to support and improve Tonga’s capacity and capability to tackle the issue. Increased reports of methamphetamine around Tonga have been increasingly evident in media headlines and Police reports. The debate in this research draws upon findings in the literature, semi-structured interviews and document analysis through Tonga Police’s current policy reviews. The findings also examine the suitability of foreign priorities in the local context and how improvements can be made to increase the efficacy and efficiency of Tonga Police. This research suggest that while New Zealand’s proactiveness in Tonga has seen slow but progressive results, its drug related strategies lack input and direction from local government and Tonga Police. A shift towards culturally suitable policing strategies focused on improving community wellbeing through grassroots initiatives such as rehabilitation, training and education is urgently required. The research argues for more collaborative cross-sector efforts between local government agencies and external organisations whose involvement can help to alleviate the strain on Police resources whilst upholding and improving community wellbeing.
