2026: The Year of AI


Kora has returned from holidays with a new ‘do’ — and it looks like holiday mode clearly went a little too well! 😄

But along with the curls comes something more important: a few grounded thoughts on how to get the most out of AI.

According to Kora:

“AI is not something to fear, worship, or outsource our thinking to. It is a tool — and like all tools in Papua New Guinea, it works best when guided by people, culture, and respect.”

Our New Year series explores AI not as a distant or abstract technology, but as a practical companion — one that Papua New Guinea can engage with thoughtfully, ethically, and on its own terms.

2026 is not about racing the future. It is about learning how to walk with it.

The topics we’ll explore include:




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Closer than you think

Image
Papua New Guinea and the Asian Connection Papua New Guinea (PNG) is often seen through the lens of the Pacific — part of Oceania, tied historically to Australia and the wider Melanesian world. Yet when we look more closely, culturally and spiritually, PNG has as much in common with Asia as it does with the South Pacific. Across countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea, we find striking parallels in the rhythms of life, values, and worldviews that bind people together. Family at the Heart of Society In PNG and much of Asia, the family is not just a social unit — it is the foundation of identity. From the wantok system in PNG to the extended kin networks of rural Thailand or the Philippines, the idea of belonging runs deep. Decisions are made with family in mind; wealth and success are shared, not hoarded. Elders are cared for at home, not left to institutions, because wisdom is seen as a living inheritance. This coll...
Read more

Who Owns Kokoda?

Image
How a Sacred Wartime Trail Became a Battleground of Narratives (By Kora / Direction and editing: Glenn Armstrong) Kokoda is many things at once: a battlefield, a pilgrimage, a national symbol, a shared wound, a shared pride. For Papua New Guinea, it is the memory of villages, carriers, courageous families who sheltered soldiers, and the landscape that shaped history. For Australia, it is the legend of courage, endurance, sacrifice, and mateship - as is carved in granite on the four pillars of the Isurava memorial. But today, Kokoda is also something else — something less organic. It has become a contested narrative space , tensed between history, tourism, development funding, political symbolism, and competing interpretations of what the trail should “mean”. Slowly, quietly, and often without public debate, Kokoda has been reframed by external actors — including aid contractors, NGOs, policy think-tanks, and government programs — into something far broader than the wartime...
Read more

Ben Drums Up a New Website

Image
We sent Kora on a magical mystery tour to explore PNG music legend Ben Hakalitz’s new website.  (story by Kora; direction and editing by Glenn Armstrong)   Ben Hakalitz’s new website arrives at an opportune moment: a renowned Papua New Guinean musician builds a digital home for his craft, his brand, and his legacy. From the initial navigation, the site presents confidently—drum kits, signature series, contact details, and a clear brand identity (“Hakalitz Drums”). The visuals are striking: high-quality images of Ben in a studio setting, signature cymbals and snares branded under his name, and a strong sense that this is both a musical platform and a heritage project. What works well The clear brand name “Hakalitz Drums” ties the musician with a product line and professional identity. The site shows his international credentials—his work with major artists, his presence in Australia—and roots that in his PNG heritage. There is a sense of call to action: purchase drums, merch, c...
Read more

Ovu ga'hoe! Back cover reveal!

Image
  The following is the back cover text of Ricky Mitio's autobiography. “Ovu ga'hoe!” (I will not go!) These words of defiance were spoken by Ricky Mitio's mother, Mangkeo, as the dawn of a new age of Christianity swept through the New Guinea highlands, delivering its people from a long history of tribal warfare. It was this defiance that kept Mama Mangkeo and her family connected to their land, willing to accept the Light but not willing to go beyond it. It is of this Light, land and resilience that Ricky Mitio was born. In a fascinating story, Ricky Mitio was the first of his generation to gain an education and then lead a national organisation as the head of the lucrative coffee industry in Papua New Guinea. The son of one of the first native Lutheran evangelists in the Eastern Highlands Province, Ricky emulated his father's Christian pioneering spirit, only to find himself Papua New Guinea's most hired and fired state CEO, as his fledgling nation became a paradis...
Read more

What's in a name?

Image
BSP’s controversial new logo may well be an indication that the bank, which has outgrown Papua New Guinea, has plans to spread its wings further throughout the Pacific. Bank South Pacific currently operates in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, alongside its historical home base in Papua New Guinea. But is an entry into New Zealand now on the cards? The new BSP logo bears some resemblance to that of New Zealand’s national airline. It’s as if the brief was, “We want something similar to that of Air New Zealand.” In November 2023, the Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, made a bold suggestion that BSP should consider opening branches in Australia and New Zealand to 'service the Pacific diaspora', teasing the prospect of future expansion of the bank. See:  https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/106571 So, the shift in BSP’s corporate identity may well be a hint at an entry into the New Zealand banking sector and a furt...
Read more