RIP Mike Manning
by Alex
Mike Manning, chair of Transparency International and a major player in the “Institute for National Affairs”:http://www.inapng.com/ “died Saturday in Rabaul”:http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2344888.htm?tab=pacific. Mike was a naturalized citizen of Papua New Guinea and he epitomized a certain sort of crusty, cynical Australian expatism that is such a strong — and ambivalent — part of PNG’s history.I did not know Mike well, running into him occasionally, most recently at an embassy party in Port Moresby in the summer of 2007. He was pro-business and anti-mucking about, but underneath the gruff demeanor had a kind streak and a genuine desire to help others.
Mike spent much of life trying to help business flourish in Papua New Guinea, and for me the most important thing about this was his support for original research and policy work at the INA. INA publications remain an important part of understanding Papua New Guinea and indispensable ‘grey literature’ about the country and they form, like the INA itself, a part of Mike that will continue to live on in future years.
Mike died on Friday, not Saturday. The ABC and others have this wrong.
can anyone tell me if mike manning is the mike manning who was at uni of sydney around 1963 and played the role of caligula in the francis flannagan st andrews college production of albert camus’ play’ caligula’.
the play also included mal ramage. craig arnold ( me ) played scipio. it was reviewed by mungo macallum probably in honi soit
if this is so, if you know the play, it acquires a certain significance given mannings later role in png.