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News, Reports & Updates

Latest news, partnerships, events and updates from XSPI and its network of partners across the Asia-Pacific.

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2026

9 articles

10 Jun 2026

PNG

Professor Miranda Forsyth, ANU Presents at XSPI Q2 Expert Network Meeting

At the XSPI Q2 Expert Network meeting, Professor Miranda Forsyth, School of Regulation and Global Governance, College of Asia & Pacific, ANU presented a talk titled "Connecting community to state through governance innovations in PNG." Professor Forsyth discussed five current projects focused on mapping justice systems and community rule making in PNG and other Pacific nations. Her presentation led to broad feedback and discussion among XSPI members. Professor Forsyth also referenced the proposed establishment of a PNG Peace Institute potentially at Mt. Hagen.

4 Jun 2026

Bougainville

Hon. Theresa Baranangko MP, Member for Central Bougainville Women Requests XSPI Advisory Support

Following a meeting in Buka, Bougainville, the Hon. Theresa Baranangko MP requested Ms. Mann secure support from the Sankamap – XSPI Bougainville Taskforce to assist drafting a five-year (2026–2030) framework for the proposed Women's Cooperative in Central Bougainville. An initial draft was subsequently completed by the Taskforce which the Member is currently reviewing.

28 May 2026

Bougainville

Inaugural Sankamap – XSPI Bougainville Taskforce Mission Secures Strong ABG Project Endorsements

Ms. Josephine Mann completed the Bougainville Taskforce's first mission to Bougainville, comprising broad government, NGO and private sector meetings in Arawa, Buin, and Buka focused on three of the Taskforce's five current project initiatives. Buka meetings secured endorsements for: (1) OOXii Global Community Vision Eye Care project; (2) Bougainville-led CSO Development Hub; and (3) Bougainville-led Accelerated Malaria Elimination initiative. Dr. Joseph Mautu convened prominent business leaders and secured interest in forming a Rotary Satellite Club, potentially linked to Port Moresby Rotary Club. Ms. Mann also visited the Arawa School of Nursing where strong support for OOXii was obtained.

25 May 2026

Bougainville

Bougainville Taskforce Facilitates Initial Discussions to Create Buin Rotary Satellite Club

Josephine Mann, XSPI PNG Country Director, and Nellie Tinga, Co-Chair Bougainville Taskforce, facilitated a half-day workshop in Buin, South Bougainville to explore options to create the first Rotary affiliation in South Bougainville District. The meeting was convened by Dr. Joseph Mautu and Mr. Albert Nukuitu, a prominent local business leader. The meeting resolved strong interest in progressing discussions with Rotary to qualify the potential for creation of a satellite club.

25 May 2026

Bougainville

PaCSIA Receives Bougainville Health Minister Endorsement

PaCSIA, a key member of the Sankamap – XSPI Bougainville Taskforce, convened the first mental health training workshop in Bougainville, held at the Catholic mission in Chabai, North Bougainville. In her opening remarks the Minister for Health Honorable De Lourdes Semoso and the North Bougainville Women's Representative fully endorsed the PaCSIA-led community mental health project. Minister Semoso said: "Thank you Dr. David Tierney and Dr. Serge Loode for introducing these programs to us apart from your Mental Health responsibilities in Bougainville. You have done justice to the people of Bougainville."

15 Apr 2026

Bougainville

XSPI and Sankamap Partner OOXii Global Receives Balwyn Rotary Club Centenary Grant

The Balwyn Rotary Club announced the Kariong Somersby Rotary Club was awarded a multi-year Centenary Grant to support the OOXii Vision Project for vision testing and affordable glasses provision in Bougainville, PNG. The project proposes to train four local health workers in vision screening and dispensing glasses, conduct up to 10,000 refractive vision screening tests, and provide 2,000+ glasses and frames. Dr. Sarah Crowe, OOXii Global CEO stated: "Winning this very important grant was critical to enable OOXii to proceed with its much-needed Bougainville project. Our sincere appreciation to the XSPI PNG Working Group's Bougainville Taskforce without whom we would not have been successful securing this grant."

1 Apr 2026

PNG

Drs. Terence Wood & Cameron Hill Present at XSPI Expert Network Q1 Meeting

Drs Terence Wood and Cameron Hill, Consultants, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School, ANU presented to a combined meeting of XSPI's Expert Network and PNG Working Group. Dr. Hill addressed the Australian Development Budget Outlook while Dr. Wood discussed Australia's PNG Bilateral Program. The talks generated very active discussion among XSPI members attending.

2 Feb 2026

PNG

XSPI and Abt Global Enter PNG Malaria Strategic Partnership

XSPI and Abt Global executed a Strategic Partnership MOU for a PNG Provincial Scale Malaria Partnership. The partnership is designed to provide a platform for XSPI and Abt Global to jointly explore potential sub-national malaria and control projects, initially focused on eight of PNG's highest burden provinces. This is a unique initiative representing PNG's first private-sector provincial scale initiative to engage the private sector supporting malaria control.

17 Jan 2026

PNG

Josephine (Jo) Mann Appointed Inaugural XSPI PNG Country Director

Dr. Dan Evans, XSPI Founder & Chair announced the appointment of XSPI's inaugural PNG Country Director, Ms. Josephine (Jo) Mann, effective 19 January 2026. The late 2025 XSPI Steering Committee decision to appoint a PNG Country Director followed the mid-2025 inaugural Member Survey and related strategy review. Ms. Mann was appointed following a comprehensive international executive search which demonstrated very strong interest in the position, partly due to XSPI's unique development model and localisation commitment.

2025

7 articles

19 Dec 2025

General

Zoey Diaz Completes CEO Role

Dr. Dan Evans, Founder & Chair, XSPI announced that Zoey Diaz has advised her decision to complete her XSPI CEO role effective mid-January 2026 to seek alternative professional career opportunities. Zoey commenced her position as the inaugural CEO in March 2023. As CEO, Zoey had responsibility for all XSPI operations including its Advisory Council, Expert Network, Project Management Office and three country working groups focused on Bangladesh, Indonesia, and PNG. Dr. Evans stated: "Zoey's decision to complete her XSPI CEO role is completely endorsed. XSPI is exceedingly grateful for all her leadership, program and partnership creation related contributions. We are very pleased Zoey will remain an XSPI Limited Director."

1 Jul 2025

Bangladesh

XSPI and Build Bangladesh Enter Strategic Partnership

Zoey Diaz, XSPI CEO and Farhad Reza, CEO Build Bangladesh jointly announced the execution of a strategic partnership. This transition follows completion of XSPI's Bangladesh Working Group initiated in late 2020. The new strategic partnership aims to foster cross-sector collaboration, leveraging synergies between key stakeholders across business, NGOs/NFPs, academia/health/medical research, philanthropy/private capital, and government. The partnership will be conducted for an initial 12-month period.

30 Jun 2025

General

XSPI Completes First Member Survey, Announces Organisation Restructure

Dr. Dan Evans, Founder & Chair advised that the Steering Committee has completed a member survey to review XSPI performance over its initial five-year history since July 2020 inception. The review confirmed strong member support for XSPI's cross sector development approach but highlighted desire to increase development sector impact. The Steering Committee decided to increase focus on PNG and transition its Bangladesh and Indonesia Working Groups into specific, focused strategic partnerships with Build Bangladesh Enterprise and Springfields Asia & Pasan Besa Pae, respectively.

24 Jun 2025

Indonesia

XSPI, PT Springfields and Pasan Besi Pae Enter Strategic Partnership

Zoey Diaz, XSPI CEO, Simon Fields, CEO PT Springfields, and Afiana Ndun, CEO Pasan Besi Pae jointly announced a joint strategic partnership. PT Springfields is the Indonesian development sector consultancy Simon leads. Pasan Besi Pae (YBP) is an NGO based in West Timor, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Province, Indonesia. The new strategic partnership will enable the continuation of XSPI related cross sector partnership engagements which are primarily eastern Indonesia focused.

18 Feb 2025

Bougainville

PaCSIA Bougainville Mental Health Program Joins Sankamap – XSPI Bougainville Taskforce

Dr. Dan Evans, Co-Chair, Bougainville Taskforce advised Dr. Serge Loode, CEO and Dr. David Tierney, Consultant, Peace and Conflict Study Institute Australia (PACSIA) have joined the Bougainville Taskforce to gain further support for the Bougainville Mental Health Community Education Program. Dr. Evans said: "Our Sankamap and XSPI led Bougainville Taskforce is very excited to have PaCSIA join us so we can support this very important contribution to Bougainville."

30 Jan 2025

Bougainville

Sankamap and XSPI Create Strategic Partnership; Form Bougainville Taskforce

Following successful engagement with Hon. Ismael Toroama, President, resulting in formal endorsement of several proposed development sector initiatives, ABG XSPI and Bougainville Sankamap Australia Assoc. Inc. (Sankamap) have entered a strategic partnership. A Bougainville Taskforce has been established Co-chaired by Nellie Tinga, CEO Sankamap and Dr. Dan Evans, Founder & Chair, XSPI with each party nominating key qualified members.

19 Jan 2025

PNG

XSPI and OOXii Global Agree Strategic Partnership

Zoey Diaz, XSPI CEO announced the execution of a strategic partnership with OOXii Global, a Sydney, NSW based health sector initiative funded by OOXii Foundation dedicated to low resource setting community eye care solutions. OOXii has developed a unique approach based on its vision wheel technology designed to provide directly refractive diagnosis, lenses and frames within community settings.

2024

4 articles

6 Dec 2024

Bougainville

XSPI & Sankamap Meet Bougainville President Hon. Ismael Toroama

Dr. Dan Evans, Founder & Chair, XSPI and Nellie Tinga, CEO, Sankamap met with Hon. Ismael Toroama in Sydney to discuss Bougainville development sector opportunities. The President advised his support for two proposed Sankamap – XSPI initiatives comprising: (1) Bougainville-Led Development Hub and (2) Bougainville-Led Accelerated Malaria Elimination which he planned to submit for formal ABG endorsement.

5 Dec 2024

Indonesia

Australian Indonesian Centre (AIC) & XSPI Host "Indonesia Energy Transition: The Opportunity of Blended Finance" Webinar

XSPI & AIC planned and hosted a webinar focused on blended finance for Indonesia's energy transition. The event brought together leading experts from financial, government, and energy sectors. The webinar featured a keynote speech by Dr. Mari Pengestu, recently appointed Special Envoy for Climate Finance, followed by a panel discussion with leading experts from the financial and energy sectors. Three key themes were addressed: (1) Critical challenges in climate finance; (2) The opportunity and potential risks of blended finance; and (3) Key insights from the energy sector.

21 Nov 2024

PNG

Locally-Led Development in Papua New Guinea: Looking to Community-Driven Solutions Webinar

XSPI held a very successful webinar supported by AIDN attended by 64 participants focused on locally led development in PNG and why it is critical to achieving development outcomes. Facilitated by Steve Goudswaard (Navigating Uncertainty), the panel featured experts including Prof. Stephen Howes (ANU), Cathy Alex (Advancing PNG Women's Leadership Network), Paul Barker (PNG Institute for National Affairs), Miriam and Steve Layton (AT Projects), and Lorna McPherson (Digicel PNG).

1 Sep 2024

Bougainville

XSPI Introduced to Bougainville President, Also Participate in Constitutional Discussions

Dr. Dan Evans, XSPI Founder & Chair and Zoey Diaz, XSPI CEO met Hon. Ismael Toroama, President and Hon. Ezekiel Masatt, Attorney General in Brisbane meetings to introduce XSPI facilitated by Nellie Tinga, CEO, Sankamap. Positive discussions were focused on two potential development sector proposals comprising: (1) Bougainville-Led Civil Society Network and (2) Bougainville-Led Malaria Elimination. XSPI executives also attended the draft Bougainville Constitution stakeholder workshop.

2023

3 articles

23 Nov 2023

Indonesia

XSPI & Monash University Indonesia Facilitate Indonesian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy (IST) Forum

The ESG Capability JV (AIC, Monash University Indonesia, XSPI) hosted a forum for the Indonesia Financial Authority OJK to discuss appropriate policies to support implementation of the taxonomy and securing sustainable financing for energy transition and associated critical minerals. The forum was well attended with 65 participants across Indonesian/Foreign banks, energy companies and OJK/ESG JV staff. Anna Skarbek, CEO of the Climateworks Centre provided an Australian perspective.

15 Mar 2023

General

XSPI Appoints Zoey Diaz as Inaugural CEO

Dr. Dan Evans, XSPI Founder & Chair announced the appointment of Zoey Diaz as its inaugural CEO effective immediately. Zoey lives with her family in Newcastle, NSW. She joins XSPI after 10 years experience with Gates Foundation. Dr. Evans commented: "The XSPI Executive Team is very excited about securing Zoey's appointment as XSPI's inaugural CEO.Zoey's extensive experience across both the international health and philanthropic donor sectors brings XSPI very valuable expertise. This now positions XSPI to significantly advance our next phase of international growth."

12 Mar 2023

Indonesia

Australian Indonesia Centre (AIC), Monash University Indonesia, & XSPI Form ESG Capability Joint Venture

A new joint venture between Monash, AIC and XSPI has been formed following Monash University Indonesia research on Indonesia industry ESG status initiated by the XSPI Indonesia Working Group. The research highlighted that the business sector in Indonesia had strong ESG commitment but appeared to have capacity/capability gaps related to ESG responsibilities and related policy development and project implementation.