Dr Michael Main

Michael Main has a PhD in anthropology from the Australian National University.  Michael’s doctoral research focussed on the Huli-speaking population of Hela Province in the Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlands, with a particular focus on armed conflict and gender-based violence.  Michael’s research in Hela has also focused on the social and cultural impact of the Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas project.  Michael has a professional background in geology and environmental science, which has provided the basis for his interest in the anthropology of development and resource extraction, and associated social instability. In 2014 Michael completed a Master of Development Studies at The University of Melbourne, where he undertook field research on the environmental consequences of PNG’s Ok Tedi mine and the impact on West Papuan refugees living on the Fly River downstream from the mine.

Michael’s expertise has been utilised by various organisations including Jubilee Australia, Conciliation Resources, the NSW Environmental Defenders Office, and the United States Institute of Peace.  Michael was one of ten independent expert reviewers of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Sepik Development Project and the Frieda River Mine proposed by PanAust, which led to the intervention of several UN Special Rapporteurs and a landowner case taken to the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct.  Michael maintains a close working relationship with his Papua New Guinean colleagues and their peacebuilding work in Hela Province.