Allow girls to finish school: Kidu

Posted on The National

Girls should be allowed to complete school and achieve their goals in life first before getting married, says former Moresby South MP Dame Carol Kidu.
Speaking during the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) at the flexible open and distance education (Fode) campus in Port Moresby on Friday, Dame Carol, pictured, said in order for the county to progress there should be a balance of gender in every sector.
“There should be a good number of women in government offices, private sector, education, health, sports and parliament,” she said.
IWD is celebrated around the world on March 8 but PNG women celebrated on March 24.
It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements in national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political sectors.
In line with IWD, Papua New Guinea set March 24 in the calendar to commemorate the day nationally.
It is a day when women are recognised for their contributions, whether big or small, in shaping the country.
Dame Carol encouraged the female Fode students to finish their secondary education.
She encouraged them to go to university or college and get a qualification before getting married.
Dame Carol said getting married should not be the destination for girls.
She said marriage was not bad, however, female students had to make education their priority.
Fode principal Anthony Rayappan said in the past, in many countries, women were merely seen as home makers but this was changing.
He stressed the theme of 2019 IWD, “balance for better”.
Rayappan said women should be seen as equal partners in nation building.
He said more women were are enrolling in Fode centres nationwide and commended women for choosing education.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/allow-girls-to-finish-school-kidu/

Anne Nealibo Dickson-Waiko – pioneering gender academic

Dr Anne Nealibo Dickson-Waiko

CATHY KEIMELO | Gender in PNG Research Program

PORT MORESBY – As a teacher, advocate, mentor and silent achiever, the late Dr Anne Nealibo Dickson-Waiko (1950-2018) will be remembered for her contributions to the advancement of women in Papua New Guinea.

Hailing from Wagawaga in the Milne Bay Province, Anne was born on 15 May 1950, the fourth child of five children to Osineru and Doreen Dickson.

From humble beginnings as a six-year-old school girl at Kwato Mission, Anne continued at Port Moresby High School and later attained a Diploma in Secondary Teaching at Goroka Teachers College.

From 1971 to 1973 she taught at Kilakila High School, during this time marrying John Kaniku, also a teacher, and had two sons.

Juggling motherhood and work, in 1974 Anne joined the University of Papua New Guinea as a professional assistant in social science at the Teaching Methods Centre. Concurrently, she studied part time for a Bachelor of Arts, graduating with first class honours.

From 1978 to 1981, Anne undertook further study in the USA but, with the joy of having a third son came sadness, tragedy struck and she lost her first-born son. These years in the USA were difficult for Anne and her family but she completed her Masters in Political Science at the University of Mississippi in 1981.

In 1986, she had a daughter with John Kaniku but their marriage dissolved soon after. By 1987, Anne was undertaking PhD studies at the Australian National University in Canberra and was awarded her doctorate in 1993.

During this time, she remarried Professor John Waiko and had another son in Canberra. As Professor Waiko was based in Port Moresby, she left her young son with him while she completed field work in the Philippines.

Anne was a dedicated academic and worked extremely hard until she fell ill in September 2018. UPNG’s Professor Peter Yearwood described her as a valuable and dedicated lecturer. As a student at UPNG, I enjoyed her classes on PNG gender issues, colonialism and nation building, and South East Asian history.

As an academic, researcher and advocate for gender equality in PNG, she focused much on history and gender studies. UPNG recognised her as an internationally significant scholar who between 2005-2015 wrote seven articles or chapters in refereed journals and books.

Anne was also a consultant, advisor and facilitator for a number of gender related projects which she engaged in with government, non-government and international organisations and donors. Her most significant contribution to women’s improvement in PNG was her involvement in the Review of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level government led by Ben Micah in 1995 with other women academics and leaders.

Her involvement looked at incorporating women’s representation in both the provincial and local level government particularly in having nominated seats for women. This was approved by the national parliament and made effective in 1997.

It was a turning point for women in politics as it allowed women to participate and be heard at the provincial and local levels of government. I hope that this revelation will be made known to many PNG girls and women so that we are grateful for women who paved the way for our voices to be heard.

Remarkably, Anne spent 45 years at UPNG, most of her career, and over the years she imparted her knowledge to contributing to the development of PNG, particularly to the female population. In 2016, Anne, pioneered PNG’s first gender studies program and was commissioned by the National Research Institute to carry out a scoping study which informed the research themes of the gender program.

A colleague described Anne as a passionate woman who supported gender equality through her work, teaching and research.

You dedicated your life to improve the lives of the masses.
Sacrifices made, and hurdles jumped. 
Yet strived to put a smile on another’s face.
With a humble heart and a sweet smile, you still persevered. 
Gratitude is all that can be offered at this time 
But your legacy will remain. 
Smile and know that it will get better.

The Gender in PNG Research of the PNG National Research Institute program acknowledges Ms Marjorie Andrew for allowing us to use the late Dr Anne Dickson-Waiko’s eulogy in writing this tribute and Associate Professor Peter Yearwood, Head of the History, Gender Studies and Philosophy Strand, for the short tribute you sent to be included in this obituary

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/03/anne-nealibo-dickson-waiko-pioneering-gender-academic.html

Huli Warrior's Yellow Faces Sacrifice Fear

VOLUME 12 WINDOWS TO ICH

Hale LahuiResearch Officer, PNG National Cultural Commission

Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, with over 750 languages representing 750 ethnic groups. Papua New Guinea is made up of 24 provincial governments, and the nation is divided into four regions known as Momase, the Highlands, New Guinea Islands, and the Southern Region.

Body decoration is an intrinsic element of Papua New Guinea culture. There are certain underlying symbols and meanings of an ethnic group’s strength, group solidarity, and identity that are often expressed through this medium, which is prevalent among societies in both the Southern and the Highlands regions of the country. However, body decoration seems more pronounced within the communities of the Highlands.

Of the unique cultural and ethnic groups, an indigenous population called the Huli in the Highlands is perhaps the most well-known for their aggressive warring nature as well as decorative face makeup and costumes worn during battles.

For over a thousand years, the Huli have made their home deep within the Southern Highlands in the Tari, Koroba, Magarima, and Komo Districts. During their existence, their history and culture have mostly been transmitted orally from generation to generation. Until as late as 1936, they were unknown to the outside world. In fact, the colonial government hadn’t even had contact with the Huli until 1951. Because their existence has been left largely uninfluenced by the outside forces, the Huli provide a purer sense of cultural and anthropological understanding of traditional ways of life.

For the Huli, as it is for many tribes and cultures that can be traced back to antiquity, face and body art plays an integral role in rituals and festivals. Face painting has long been a dynamic feature, where different approaches are taken depending on the occasion. Since the Huli are culturally a warring people, they tend to favor awe-striking colors of bright yellow and red.

It has been suggested that the vibrant colors, along with the Huli’s full ceremonial regalia for war, not only instills a sense of fear in their opponents, but also helps create an altered state of consciousness in the Huli warriors themselves. Within this state of mind, the Huli sacrifice their fear and individually in the name of the mutual identity and collective interests of the tribe.

While warfare and pre- and post-war rituals have long been the common occasions for applying facial makeup in Huli culture, other specific gatherings, seasonal events, and ritualized activities, such as spiritual dances and initiation ceremonies, also call for facial makeup. The initiation ceremonies are especially important as they mark the rite of passage from child to adult within the tribe. During these events, the men take the lead role in creating exquisite facial designs to accompany their intricately designed headgear. However, during dances, which are referred to as mali, adults and children, including females, apply makeup that is worn throughout the performances.

The background color for Huli facial makeup is usually made from yellow clay called ambua. This background application is decorated with accents of red clay, hare, and white clay, momo. Vermillion, goloba, and black charcoal, ira punga, are also used to add decorative features and patterns to the overall design of the facial makeup. However, white is sometimes used as the backdrop for the designs, and clear tree oil, mbagwa, is also occasionally used when a color pigment isn’t desired.

While this makeup has historical roots and importance to Huli-specific rituals and cultural activities, in recent years, the Huli have become the subject of tourist circuits being run locally. To appease or entertain travelers, the Huli now often apply less-than-traditional colors using acrylic paint and other not-so-traditional materials.

Furthermore, instead of applying facial makeup for traditional activities, many are wearing the makeup daily as a form of show for tourists. These embellishments to and artificial usages for the makeup show why it is necessary to safeguard the cultural heritage that has traditionally been a part of Huli’s facial makeup.

Go to this link for more: https://ichcourier.ichcap.org/article/huli-warriors-yellow-faces-sacrifice-fear/

Post navigatio

PNG LNG and skills development: a missed opportunity

                      Written by Carmen Voigt-Graf, Francis Odhuno -DevPolicy Bog

PNG’s extractive sector is set to expand, with the construction of the next mega-project – the Papua LNG project – about to start this year. In light of this, a new discussion paper analyses the employment and skills development impacts of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in PNG. Lessons from the US $19 billion PNG LNG investment, the largest resource project ever completed in the country, can inform workforce development for future projects.

The construction of the PNG LNG project began in 2010 and the first gas shipment was made in May 2014. The project construction phase saw unprecedented growth in formal employment. Data provided by ExxonMobil suggest that at its peak, the project employed an estimated 21,220 workers, of which less than 8,500 were Papua New Guineans. When the project construction phase ended in 2014, the number of jobs on the PNG LNG project fell to about 2,000, with some 1,500 jobs for Papua New Guineans (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: PNG LNG workforce 2010-2014

The majority of skilled nationals who worked on the PNG LNG project were likely poached from other companies. However, no figures are available to show how many of the skilled workers who resigned from previous positions to work on the project were replaced by Papua New Guineans, thereby creating local employment opportunities. It is therefore impossible to determine the number of additional skilled nationals who may have gained employment in the PNG LNG project.

In contrast, low-skilled labour is readily available, and low-skilled Papua New Guineans from project areas were recruited as preferred area employees. During the construction phase, they made up the majority of the local workforce, but received little training, and their time on the project was short. As construction of roads, pipelines and other infrastructure moved on, workers living near the new areas were recruited instead, so few workers had the opportunity to make a permanent transition into the formal workforce.

Although no data is available, the recruitment of preferred area employees has increasedthe proportion of project workers from mining areas and host provinces. Oxfam’s study in four villages closest to the Central Province LNG plant revealed increased incomes, but many villagers also expressed concerns about the large number of foreign workers.

The lack of technical and vocational skills and experience of working on large, complex, projects resulted in many positions being filled by foreign workers. The Department of Labour and Industrial Relations (DLIR) facilitated the employment of foreigners on the PNG LNG project in several ways. It established an “LNG Priority Line” which guaranteed a quick turnaround time of ten days for processing  work permit applications, instead of the usual 42 days. Some of the work permit requirements were also lifted, and the Employment of Non-Citizens (Amendment) Act 2008 exempted ExxonMobil from advertising in PNG to find suitable citizens before offering positions to non-citizens.

Most foreigners worked as managers, engineers, technicians, and qualified tradespeople. The shortage of welders was particularly acute – according to DLIR, PNG had less than 600 licensed welders, but more than 5,000 were needed when construction began, so large number of specialist welders were imported, mostly from the Philippines. The Project Agreement between ExxonMobil and the PNG government is not publicly available, but is widely assumed to contain only vague and general commitments regarding training and localisation of workforce. Close to 100 local welders were trained during the LNG project but it is not clear where they now work, and the number of welders registered in PNG is still at under 600.

The number of LNG Project jobs has fallen substantially since the end of construction (see Figure 1). And skill shortages have become less severe. While there are enough welders, electricians and fitters to operate the LNG project, there is a shortage of process technicians (or plant room operators) who can operate the LNG plant.

The overall impact of the project on employment is difficult to determine because the LNG workforce was not monitored. A manager of one recruitment agency told us “there are now many workers with the experience of working on a large, world-class project. They were [however] used to huge salaries which created expectations that cannot be fulfilled outside of the LNG project… Some are currently registered in databases and are waiting for the next big project to set off”. However, there is no centralised database and it is unknown how many former LNG workers are still on the project, unemployed, or employed elsewhere. As such, it will be difficult to track down individuals with the skills or experience to be employed on future projects.

The PNG LNG project brought some employment benefits to PNG, but these could have been considerably larger if there was more emphasis on training and local employment. Earlier investment in training would have benefitted more Papua New Guineans, giving them skilled employment opportunities on the project. Moreover, the PNG LNG construction phase did not last long enough to build up specialised technical skills, while the exposure of low-skilled local workers was ad hoc and intermittent. PNG nationals who worked on the LNG project were not skilled or re-skilled to give them other employment options when their contracts ended.

For employment on mega-projects to be sustainable, companies should ensure that national workers are able to find alternative employment after the project construction phase. At the very least, they should acquire skills which help them find work elsewhere. Since there is no record of the employment history of the PNG LNG workforce before and after the construction phase, the number of Papua New Guineans who have transitioned into other formal employments is unknown.

The PNG government missed the opportunity to impose stronger local employment and training targets in the PNG LNG National Content Plan. With negotiations on the Papua LNG project ongoing, it is not too late to impose stronger targets for the country’s next mega project. The PNG government should undertake a detailed survey of the project workforce to assess the skills that Papua New Guineans acquire while employed on the project, and their employability in future projects.

Given the continuing lack of quality public education and training, company training remains the only strategy to create a technically competent indigenous workforce. In this vein, one lasting benefit from the PNG LNG project  is the high-quality live gas process training facility in Port Moresby, which provides skills for the oil and gas sector. Given the low level of workforce skills in PNG, there is little risk that increased training will result in an oversupply of skills any time soon.

Go to this link for more: http://www.devpolicy.org/png-lng-and-skills-development-20190327/

Women breaking barriers

BY PATRICK NIATO TOM - Post Courier

Technical jobs are no longer for men.
As more women continue to break barriers and thrive in these fields.
Many women have moved on to become managers and supervisors in fields where men used to be team leaders, supervisors and managers, especially in the mining, shipping and aviation industries, to name a few.
They have not only held higher positions in those male-dominated fields but have delivered and continue to deliver quality services to the organisations they are attached with.
Three more Papua New Guinean women have proven this trend by becoming the first certified and qualified women to handle and operate the new rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes.
The three women were part of a contingent of six operators who underwent a week-long high skilled set training in Manila, Philippines at the International Container Terminal Service, Inc. (ICTSI) headquarters.
The women have overshadowed the odds of being in a male dominated environment and have worked alongside their male counterparts which is quite challenging but it’s something they really enjoyed doing.
For instance, operating of huge cranes and working in a busy environment like the shipping industry providing services in loading and off loading containers.
In such cases, critical thinking, analysis and timing is crucial and challenging and demands commitment, self-sacrifice and determination to handle the job well.
However, for the three women, they are up for the challenge and are always ready to deliver what is needed from them.
The female operators Nelly Joseph, Daphney Nasinom and Nasunu Joe are currently employed by South Pacific International Container Terminal. They have furthered their training in Manila, Philippines and recently returned.
They are specialised in operating the new RTGs 16-wheeled electric powered cranes which will power the international container terminal in Lae to meet international standards.
These three women were part of the second batch of operators who underwent specialised high tactical training skills under the ICTSI skills development pathway program to equip and develop skills, giving the locals an opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge in the various aspects of container terminal
services.
The women were very grateful for the privilege and opportunity given and stand ready to deliver what they have learned from the training.

Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/women-breaking-barriers/

Meet the 2019 SP Brewery Entrepreneur Award winner

Posted on Post Courier

A grade 10 school leaver who is also a big dreamer and does not give up easily, Vani K Nades, has taken the extra mile to make her dream a reality.
Vani’s story is one of perseverance and her journey is an inspiration to Papua New Guinean women.
Being educated in the village and falling short in her grade 10 marks did not deter Vani’s fighting spirit to succeed in life.
Vani worked hard, broke barriers and earned herself an international degree from Australia’s Southern Cross University.
Vani has led more than 100 employees with 12 managers of different business units during her time with one of the best institutions, now a university – the Institute of Business Studies. The institute focuses on giving a second chance to school leavers, creating competency training for corporate clients and youth empowerment programs.
Vani, an emerging female leader, has already made a difference and significant contribution to the business community and the nation.
She left her full time job five years ago to start her own business, Emstret Holdings Limited. It is an internet service provider in PNG focusing on giving access to rural schools and communities.
In just five years of taking the bold step to become an entrepreneur, Vani achieved the following:
– Founder and chief executive officer of Emstret Holdings Limited;
– Founder of Voices and Villages Foundation Inc – a charity arm of Emstret Holdings focused on impacting the communities through education, health, agriculture, clean water and solar solutions;
– Owned rental properties;
– Initiated Emstret School Challenge program that involves debate, spelling bee and poetry that have been running for 10 years;
– Initiated Melanesian school debate championships since 2014;
– Created history in PNG by sponsoring PNG’s first debate team to participate in world championships in Croatia in 2018;
– Became a TedEd club member in 2018, focusing on children from eight to 18 years;
– Established Little CEO Pizza Company Limited; and
– About to launch Emstret Space – a co-working space for startup SME and community space.
Growing up in the rural village, Vani experienced firsthand daily struggles. She was determined to make a change.
Vani started her charity foundation and her projects in the Central Province in collaboration with donors and partners included:
– Education: Building classrooms, providing text books and library books, stationeries and donating solar lighting to schools;
– Water and sanitation projects that were recently completed for Magautou village;
– Health: Providing free medical services to villages like Kalo, Hula, Kamali and Kerema in Gulf province; and
– Supplying food to flood victims;
Vani’s continuous work in various programs and her contribution to nation building in PNG has gained her the following recognition and awards;
– Southern Cross University Australia Annual Entrepreneur Award, 2018;
– PNG LNG ExxonMobil MSME Digital Innovation Award, 2018 (ABAC MSME Summit);
– NASFUND People’s Choice Award, 2018 (ABAC MSME Summit);
– ZUMBA Fitness Instructor;
– Professional Certificate in Marketing, Chartered Institute of Marketing UK (2017);
– Bachelors Degree in Accounting, 2000 (Southern Cross University, Australia); and
– Board member of POM Chamber of Commerce and PNG Institute of Directors.
Having demonstrated good governance, accountability and transparency in her work, Vani was named as a finalist, in a pool of three, in the Westpac Outstanding Women (WOW) Award in the SP Brewery Entrepreneur category.
On Friday, March 8, 2019, winners of the WOW Awards were announced as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.
SP Brewery managing director, Stan Joyce, announced Vani Nades as the winner of the SP Brewery Entrepreneur award.
Thrilled with her award, Vani said: “It’s a great privilege to receive this award from SP Brewery because SP supports SMEs and entrepreneurs.
“To be recognised by SP Brewery will go a long way to help support my business. With the support and recognition from a big company like SP Brewery, my business is motivated to keep striving.”
She said the win has given her the drive to push her boundaries to look for solutions and make an impact in the community.
“It is my dream to make the internet accessible to everyone in the community,” she said.
Mr Joyce said: “It’s important for big companies like SP to support local SMEs as this helps grow PNG’s economy.”
Vani’s entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas are guided by her personal values and beliefs that govern her actions daily.
This has earned her respect and integrity in the business community and has paved way for her businesses to prosper.

Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/meet-2019-sp-brewery-entrepreneur-award-winner/

Old RAH medical equipment to help people hit by earthquake in the PNG highlands

EQUIPMENT from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital will be put to good use in the highlands of Papua New Guinea with help from a Flinders University student.

Brad Crouch

The AdvertiserAPRIL 1, 20187:13PM

Flinders Uni Ph.D student Shila Paia with equipment from the old RAH that will be sent to her community in PNG, which was hit by an earthquake. Picture: Tait SchmaalSource:News Corp Australia

EQUIPMENT from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital will be put to good use in the highlands of Papua New Guinea with help from a Flinders University student.

Shila Paia, a PhD student, comes from a community devastated by the recent earthquake and mud slides in remote mountain areas.

Her contacts in PNG’s health services have enabled her to identify goods available from the decommissioned RAH that will help to cover shortfalls in medical supplies.

Equipment ranging from ultrasounds to theatre and surgical goods will help in everything from childbirth to basic primary health care.

“Every piece that has been made available from the old RAH will be useful,” she said.

“I’m especially pleased to have secured a surgical microscope, which I am hoping to donate to the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.”

Shila’s project is one of 29 endorsed project applications for equipment from the old RAH.

She is now seeking help to pack a shipping container.

SA’s Dr Yasmin Endlich, Dr Chris Acot, Dr Robert Young and nurse Sharon Philip will travel to PNG to install the equipment and train locals.

Go to this link for more: https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/old-rah-medical-equipment-to-help-people-hit-by-earthquake-in-the-png-highlands/news-story/5376e741bb521f0beec2dfde2dd98f88

Landowner Identification in PNG: A Job for Government

Credit: Celine Rouzet

Peter Dwyer, Monica Minnegal | Devpolicy Blog | March 21, 2019

The Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas (PNG LNG) project commenced exporting gas to China, Korea and Japan in May 2014. Under agreements reached in 2009, landowners of eight petroleum licence areas, eight pipeline licence areas and a liquefaction plant site near Port Moresby were to receive royalties. By February 2019, payments had been made to people in only the last of these areas. The identification of landowners has been a major difficulty, and assigning responsibility for completing the task has been a matter of debate.

At the close of 2018, social mapping and landowner identification studies carried out by consultants to petroleum companies, clan-vetting exercises carried out by officers of the Department of Petroleum and Energy, and alternative dispute resolution processes implemented by the judiciary had failed to solve the problem. By this time too, agreements for two other LNG projects (in Western Province and Gulf Province) were under discussion. In January 2019, Petroleum Minister Fabian Pok told parliament that the government would not repeat the mistakes of the first LNG project. He wanted the companies to be responsible for identifying landowners in the new LNG project areas and he wanted this done before those projects moved to production. On January 23rd, referring to the Gulf Province LNG project, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said that the government “had tasked the developer to do the landowner identification process” and Minister Pok reported that Total – the developer – had agreed to do this.

The small print is not yet to hand so we cannot be sure just what the government has requested or what Total has agreed to do. Here, however, we argue that ceding responsibility for landowner identification to the petroleum companies is a seriously bad idea – bad for the companies, the government and for the people of Papua New Guinea.

Under the Oil & Gas Act 1998, final determination of landowner beneficiaries for a petroleum licence area is to be made by the responsible minister and gazetted as a Ministerial Determination. Recent determinations provide a record of landowner beneficiary identification for specified licence areas or pipeline segments. Those determinations name clans (variously ‘major clans’, ‘stock clans’, ‘beneficiary clans’) but do not name individuals within those clans. With reference to differential benefit-sharing arrangements they may subdivide clans as ‘highly impacted’, ‘least impacted’ and ‘invited’.

The diagram below shows some categories of landowner beneficiaries appearing in recent determinations and in clan-vetting exercises that precede and feed into those determinations. On the diagram, the boundaries of the lands of clans A to G are shown relative to a Petroleum Development Licence (PDL) area. Clans A, B and C are classed as landowner beneficiaries on the basis of long-term residence and use. Clans D and E are ‘invitees’ initially recognised as landowner beneficiaries on the basis of boundary-sharing with A, B or C with the possibility that they are subsequently granted equivalence with those clans. Clan F is classed as a landowner beneficiary on the basis of asserted ancestral connection and an ideology of rights to land being held in perpetuity. Clan G is an ‘invitee’ recognised as a landowner beneficiary on the basis of assistance rendered to A, B and C. H is a private citizen, or group, that holds registered title to a portion of the PDL area and, on this basis, under the Act is a landowner beneficiary.

The concept of ‘landowner’ is being used here in a broad and fluid sense. It is not used in agreement with any likely academic definition, with any detectable legal rigour or in conformity with a pan-PNG ideology of tenure because, of course, there is no pan-PNG ideology of tenure. The Oil & Gas Act requires that a company applying for a PDL must submit a “full-scale social mapping study and landowner identification study of customary land owners” of that licence area. Under the Act, customary landowners are persons whose relationship with the land has to do with “rights of proprietary or possessory kind”. Not all clans identified as landowner beneficiaries in Ministerial Determinations satisfy this definition. And the status of others, both the included and the excluded, as members of this category will be always amenable to contention. Several possibilities are implied in the diagram.

For example, a judgement that clan C was ‘more impacted’ than A or B because all land attributed to C is within the PDL area while portions of land attributed to A and B lie outside that area, could be challenged by the latter clans on the basis of area or numbers of people affected. Similarly, members of A, B or C could well have different opinions regarding acceptance of D or E as ‘invitees’ and their possible upgrading to the status of landowner is even more problematic in being politically, rather than empirically, motivated. Inclusion of F as landowner will be dependent on assessing the validity of accounts of ancestral connections from claimants who may well have competing agendas. Finally, inclusion of G could elicit claims from other clans that assert that they too provided assistance to A, B and C. Resolving problems of these kinds cannot be achieved by an anthropological study of ‘in situ’ land ownership. These sorts of problems are ultimately resolved only by facilitated negotiation with those charged with identifying landowners, or by litigation.

No petroleum company can produce a list of clans that will conform to, or satisfy, the sorts of decisions that currently inform Ministerial Determinations. They did not do so in the past and they cannot do so in the future. If companies now assume responsibility for producing a definitive list of landowner beneficiaries, there will no longer be any ambiguity about who to blame or who to take to court when the list is considered defective. The fault will be theirs. On these counts, the desire to shift responsibility – or at least the perception of responsibility – to the petroleum companies might, in the short term, prove beneficial to the government in domains of financial management and public relations.

There is, however, another reason why responsibility for identifying landowners should remain with the government. Only Papua New Guineans – the PNG government, courts, and the landowners themselves – can determine who owns the land in Papua New Guinea. This responsibility should not be ceded to outsiders. It should not be ceded to American, Australian, Chinese or French companies. Papua New Guinea is not their country. They are guests. Only Papua New Guineans can determine what is right for Papua New Guinea. The petroleum companies should recognise and acknowledge this and step back from this area of decision-making. The government should also recognise and acknowledge this and step forward to ensure that the rights of all Papua New Guinean woman and men are guaranteed by Papua New Guineans.

The original post is on this link: 

Adelaide's old hospital equipment to benefit 24 countries in need

PHOTO: Furniture and medical equipment from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital will be shipped abroad. (ABC News: Sarah Hancock)
By Sarah Hancock – ABC News Adelaide

Dozens of shipping containers of surplus medical equipment from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital are now on their way to developing countries.

The supplies range from old beds and other furniture to life-saving medical devices, and are being donated to 24 countries, including Australia's near-neighbour Papua New Guinea.

Shila Paia, who was born there, has helped raise thousands of dollars to allow some of the equipment to be shipped to PNG from Adelaide.

PHOTO: Shila Paia says even simple medical supplies are luxuries to PNG health workers. (ABC News: Sarah Hancock)

"The access to services isn't there, the basic primary health care isn't there — women are deprived, they are dying giving birth and children are dying," she said of PNG's dire lack of health services.

"This is going to make a lot of difference. Simple things like syringes are going to make a lot of difference.

"[Sometimes] a mother could be taking her child for immunisation to a clinic and the child could miss out just because there is no syringe there."

Ms Paia said simple items could make a big difference.

PHOTO: PNG health care is often simple, such as this room where women give birth. (Supplied: Soil Child)

"Most of the time we take for granted a lot of things, even simple things like gloves for example, we take it for granted here [in Australia]," she said.

It will take six weeks for the containers destined for PNG to arrive there, and a team of doctors and nurses from Adelaide will help teach local health workers how to install and use some of the more complex machines.

Anaesthetist Yasmin Endlich is looking forward to her trip north.

“I want to be there when that container arrives. I want to be able to show the people how to set the equipment up and how to use it safely," she said.

"It's extremely hard to look at all this stuff that is coming out of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital, not knowing what it is and where it should go."

About 30 charity groups and hundreds of volunteers have worked hard to clear out thousands of items from the former hospital site in the Adelaide CBD.

Among other countries to benefit are Cambodia, Ghana, Kurdistan, Mongolia, Sierra Leone, Timor Leste and Uganda.

Go to this link for more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-01/surplus-royal-adelaide-hospital-equipment-for-png/9385148

Two PNG Youths named for Commonwealth Youth awards

Posted by PNG Today

Two youth leaders from Papua New Guinea were named as finalists in the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Awards.

The founder of a youth-led organisation in PNG that uses sport as tool to end violence against women Jacqueline Joseph and architect Raylance Mesa are among 17 young change-makers from 13 countries are in the running to be named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year at an awards ceremony to be held on March 15 at Marlborough House, London.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards for excellence in development work celebrate outstanding adolescents and young adults aged 15–29 from Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Americas, Africa and Europe, who are leading initiatives ranging from poverty alleviation to peace-building.
This year’s group of finalists are recognised for spearheading projects that will contribute to the sustainable development goals – a set of 17 global targets that governments have committed to achieve by 2030.

Commonwealth Secretariat youth director Katherine Ellis said: “Through their own initiative, young leaders in communities across the world are delivering on the ambitious agenda set by governments on everything from eliminating hunger to protecting the environment.”
The finalists were chosen by a panel of judges including representatives of Commonwealth High Commissions, Commonwealth organisations and young leaders.
The shortlisted finalists hail from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Uganda and United Kingdom.

Jacqueline Joseph is the founder of Equal Playing Field, a not-for-profit organisation that uses sport as a tool to prevent violence against women and children and promote gender equality in schools.
She created Equal Playing Field for school (EPF4S), an eight-week respectful relationships programme that uses sport to engage with adolescent boys and girls to promote gender equality.
Through the programme, Joseph educates around two thousand 13 to 15-year-old girls and boys in schools in Port Moresby each year about the importance of respectful relationships as a way to reduce family and sexual violence.
He programmes fulfil one of the sustainable development goals (5) which gender equality
While Raylance Mesa is an architect working to promote quality education for rural schools while also building critical infrastructure such as libraries, schools and housing for teachers.
She also led awareness raising campaigns on climate change resulting in island communities building sea walls constructed from dead coral reefs, coconut trunks and logs.
Mesa’s programme accounts to fulfil one of the ustainable development goal (4) which is quality education. 

Go to this link for more: https://news.pngfacts.com/2017/03/two-png-youths-named-for-commonwealth.html

Activist Awarded International Women of Courage Award

By U.S. Embassy Port Moresby 

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: U.S. Embassy Port Moresby is pleased to announce that Veronica Simogun has been honored as the East Asia and Pacific awardee for the 2017 U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award. Ms. Simogun was honored as this year’s awardee in recognition of her work as an advocate for women and children who have been victims of violence.

U.S. Ambassador Catherine Ebert-Gray said she was thrilled to honor Veronica as the 2017 nominee for the International Women of Courage Award for Papua New Guinea.

“Veronica is very deserving of the International Women of Courage Award based on her consistent actions and courageous stance on rescuing, defending and caring for women and children who are survivors of violence,” Ambassador Ebert-Gray said. “She is a change agent for the human rights of women and children in Papua New Guinea.”

The U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award honors women around the globe who have exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress — often at great personal risk.

Ms Simogun is in Washington, D.C. for the official awards ceremony and a program of activities as part of the State Department’s observance of International Women’s Day in March. The program began on March 25 will continue through April 8 in the United States. Ms. Simogun will return to PNG on April 10.

Ms. Simogun is the founder of the Family for Change Association based in Wewak, East Sepik Province. Because of the support she provides for victims of violence, her own life has been threatened yet she continues to work tirelessly and selflessly.

Ms. Simogun started Family for Change in response to the high levels of family violence that she was seeing in her community. She has taken a courageous stance in rescuing and caring for vulnerable women and children in the face of threats of violence and verbal intimidation directed at her. Because of her work to protect them from abusive partners and relatives and to find safe homes for victims, she has become a hero to thousands in her community.

Family for Change has provided support services for more than 6,000 cases.  The Association has also repatriated or safely reintegrated more than 60 survivors of domestic violence, providing durable solutions in a society where there are few options for women who choose to leave abusive relationships.  In addition, Ms. Simogun has developed a program which she presents in schools to address the root causes of family violence and promote behavior change for men and boys.

When asked to describe what keeps her going in the face of such danger, Ms. Simogun said that she is not bothered when people harass or threaten her. She believes in protecting the women and children who are victims of violence in East Sepik province and that through education and awareness, her generation can influence young men and boys to become supportive partners in violence-free homes.

Go to this link for more: https://pg.usembassy.gov/activist-awarded-international-women-courage-award/