8 - Kirk Huffman Revisited on Traditional Economies

Are traditional economies a source of resiliency for Melanesians?

This episode discusses the global economy and contrasts it with traditional economies which are still practiced today across Melanesia. Traditional economies are practiced in a respectful way caring for the land, the people, and other resources. The discussion focused on people from Vanuatu, who are land based, which makes land and agriculture so vitally important. In the end, all the knowledge, tools, and resources are there for Melanesians to live sustainably and fulfilled. They just have to go back and make use of them. Kirk suggests it is time for Melanesians to sit back and think about how they are conducting themselves in terms of their economies. Melanesia has resources and traditions that make them resiliant beyond what many countries in the world can claim.

Links from the Discussion:

Traditional economy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_economy
The return of shell money: PNG revives old ways after Covid's blow to economy by Kalolaine Fainu in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/22/the-return-of-shell-money-png-revives-old-ways-after-covids-blow-to-economy
Barter for Better Fiji https://www.facebook.com/groups/2964591663604507/
Robert F. Kennedy's remarks at the University of Kansas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy%27s_remarks_at_the_University_of_Kansas#:~:text=It%20measures%20neither%20our%20wit,proud%20that%20we%20are%20Americans.

Rah Island, Vanuatu https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ra/@-13.7166658,167.6158237,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x6ef0c3ead7650fb3:0xcf827b6764c03687!8m2!3d-13.7166667!4d167.6333333
The Sydney Morning Herald - A palmy balm for the financial crisis by Kirk Huffman https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-palmy-balm-for-the-financial-crisis-20090209-gdtcr4.html
Pig Banks: Imagining the Economy in Vanuatu https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/book/1916/chapter-abstract/190515/Pig-BanksImagining-the-Economy-in-Vanuatu?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Re-imagining the economy in Vanuatu - Haidy Geismar https://www.haidygeismar.com/Publications_files/HR%20Ch1%20Regenvanu%20Geismar.pdf