From the islands of love

The dancers in this troupe were selected from villages around Kiriwina (mainland Trobriand Islands) to raise funds for the Trobriand Islands Cultural Show to be staged next month.
The initiative was from the Kiriwina local level government president Jennifer Rudd and her 33 ward councilors, who decided to do something which would boost their tourism industry.
The plan is to raise at least K100, 000 in both Alotau and Port Moresby. -Pictures by ELIJAH D ELIJAH

Highlights from Sunday's bemobile Cup grand final

Highlights from Sunday's bemobile Cup grand final between Rabaul Gurias and Enga Mioks.
The Gurias took out the Auld Mug of Papua New Guinea rugby league 24-14. Pictures by AURI EVA of The National, Papua New Guinea's No. 1 daily newspaper

Prime Minister co-signed carbon credit certificates

Leader of the Opposition Sir Mekere Morauta has renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to inform Papua New Guineans for which forest areas he co-signed carbon credit certificates in favour of an Australian-based company Climate Assist last year.

Sir Mekere said it was a very serious issue that demanded a full explanation by the Prime Minister. 

“Forest resources, whether they are flora, fauna, timber or potential carbon trading assets, belong to people, not to Michael Somare or the Office of Climate Change.

“People need to know what he has sold, to whom, for how much, and where the money is.”

Official documents bearing the PNG National Government crest show that Prime Minister Somare signed certificates for Climate Assist together with the suspended Executive Director of the Office of Climate Change Dr Theo Yasause and Director of Climate Assist Mr Gregory Thomas Corby.

A certificate was signed on 12^th June 2008 with Series Number A33, 000,001 to A39, 666,666 with the beneficiaries named as Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd and the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Office (PNG).

It commits 6,666,665 metric tonnes of carbon credits with a maturity date of 01 January 2012 when the current Kyoto Protocol will end.

Sir Mekere said that the Prime Minister must tell the nation whether he signed this document or not.

 “Is it a forgery? 

“If it is not, he must tell the public why he has done this and which resources belonging to which landowners he has committed.

“Those landowners and the general public need to know.”

Another document obtained by the Opposition shows that the Ruthven Street Business Banking Centre of the Westpac Bank in Toowoomba Queensland is holding two carbon credit certificates in “safe custody” under Gregory Corby’s name.

 According to a letter written on 24^th September 2008 to Mr Edwin Price, Executive Manager of Climate Assist by a senior manager at that Westpac branch, the certificates were issued on 22^nd September 2008, each for 39 million metric tonnes of carbon credits, with Series Numbers C1 to C39 and B1 to B39.

The letter bears the common seal of Climate Assist PNG, an official stamp of the Westpac branch and is witnessed by a Justice of the Peace.

“Prime Minister did you issue these additional certificates to Climate Assist? 

“If you did not, who did? 

“With authority from whom? 

“And whose resources do they pertain to?”

Sir Mekere said that it was incumbent on the Prime Minister to tell the truth to the nation.

“He is yet to answer the 20 questions I asked him some months ago on climate change and related issues.

“He cannot continue to ignore or evade questions on important national issues, hoping that in time people will simply forget.”

 

Church corporate dinner

THE MARIMARI LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PORT MORESBY IS HOLDING A CORPORATE DINNER AT THE GRAND PALACE RESTAURANT ON FRIDAY, 23^RD OCTOBER, 2009 TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CHURCH BUILDING.

 

ANYONE WISHING TO ASSIST CAN CONTACT THE CONGREGATION PASTOR, PASTOR GUNDU ON MOBILE NUMBER (675) 7693 5757, THE FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON, MRS DENNIE MILLAN ON (675) 710 55187 OF THE TREASURER, MRS SAMARITI GARAP KORIMBO ON (675) 720 51060.

 

TICKETS ARE GOING FOR K200 PER HEAD OR K2, 000 FOR A TABLE OF 10 PEOPLE.

 

Madventures in Papua New Guinea

By ERIN PICKARD

Hi Malum,
I work with Travel Channel's online community team and wanted to let you know that one of our shows, Madventures, will be featuring Papua New Guinea in a new episode, airing tonight, Monday 10/19 at 11pm E/P.
What is Madventures?
Madventures is on a quest to explore the most insane destinations in the world. Hosts Riku and Tunna are two fearless Finns who cross the globe carrying nothing but backpacks and cameras from the Himalayas to the African deserts, from Tokyo to Polynesia.
Riku and Tunna's adventures include meeting the world's last cannibals in Papua, uncovering the illegal bazooka business in Cambodia and doing rock-paper-scissors to see who has to eat monkey brains straight from the skull in the Amazon.
Papua New Guinea Details
This week in the all-new episode of Madventures, explorers Riku and Tunna get lost in Papua New Guinea’s darkest jungles, infested with crocodiles, missionaries and other merciless predators. The duo are on the search for mankind’s ultimate taboo with a particular question in mind: Is cannibalism still alive? You can catch the new episode TONIGHT, Monday, 10/19, at 11pm E/P on the Travel Channel.
Community
I hope you get an opportunity to watch the show and if you're on Twitter, connect here and let us know what you think! Also, I'm putting together a list of bloggers to keep individuals interested in receiving weekly updates filled-in on giveaways, show info, sneak peek videos, etc. Please let me know if you are interested in being on this list.
On a more personal note, I hope you do not find this email offensive. I try to reach out to people who would be interested to know that Madventures is featuring their area!

Regards,
Erin Pickard

Room 214, Inc. on behalf of the Travel Channel
http://www.room214.com/
http://www.travelchannel.com/
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Madventures

Government denying people their constitutional rights

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta today said that the decision by police last week to prevent the Salvation Army and the PNG Council of Churches from holding a march and rally in support of the United National “Stand Up, Take Action” campaign represented a very worrying trend.

“Why would anyone in authority prevent this rally from taking place?” Sir Mekere said. 

“All that these church and civil society representatives wished to do was to express their concern about poverty and Papua New Guinea’s lack of progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and to debate these issues.

“What is wrong with that? 

“We should be encouraging such debate. 

“But it seems the Government wants no public discussion of anything.

“Where is Michael Somare? 

“This is not the Michael Somare that Papua New Guinea used to know.

“Where have our democratic rights and freedoms gone under this Somare-NA Government?

 “This is yet another example of the trend of this Government of turning PNG into a Mugabe-type regime.

“The important institutions of state, like the police, are fast being turned into compliant tool kits by the government for its political interest.”

“Section 46 of our Constitution expressly provides for freedom of expression; Section 47 provides for the right to freedom of assembly and association; Section 57 provides for enforcement of these guaranteed rights and freedoms.

“Is it not the job of the Police to uphold our Constitution and our laws? “Their action to disallow the Churches’ rally is a violation of the Constitution.”

Sir Mekere said that a similar incident occurred last week, when police prevented a peaceful March from being held in Madang, to protest against the Marine Industrial Park to be built at Vidar.

 “The march had been approved by the provincial police authorities, but apparently a government minister complained to police headquarters, who overturned the decision and banned the march.”

Sir Mekere said the police hierarchy should remember they were not the political servants of the government. 

“The police force is an independent constitutional authority.

“But it seems the police are now completely at the bidding of the government, stifling debate and preventing citizens from expressing their views.”

“What are the government and the police scared of? 

The reason given for not approving the Madang march was that due to recent unrest over the position, power and conduct of some Asians, protest marches had been banned throughout the country.

“What nonsense!

“In whose interests is the country being governed?

 A foreign power? 

Foreign business interests? 

Illegal immigrants? 

“Certainly not for Papua New Guineans.”

 Sir Mekere said that Captain John Kerari of the Salvation Army had made a very forceful point when questioning the decision to ban the church rally when he said: “we do not want to be seen as humbugs; we were planning on a peaceful rally with prayer and singing.”  

Sir Mekere urged all Papua New Guineans to speak out and to insist on protection of their constitutional rights.

 

Rabaul Gurias beat Enga Mioks

Rabaul Gurias today took out the bemobile Cup rugby league grand final with a 24-14 win over Enga Mioks at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

In front of a capacity crowd, the men from the land of tubuans, dukduks and volcanoes gave a football lesson to the younger and less-experienced Engans in a game which was controlled by Australian refereeing legend Bill Harrigan.

The Gurias raced to a safe 14-0 lead at halftime, and although the Mioks staged a strong second half renaissance, time was not on their side.

Rabaul was first to score in the 13^th minute when prop Rodney Pora powered over near the posts, and with the extras from halfback Rolly Matalau, took an early 6-0 lead.

Matalau followed this shortly after with a penalty goal to push his side further to 8-0.

Enga was in sixes and sevens in the first half, allowing agro to creep into their game, which Rabaul capitalised on with another try to reserve forward Sam Ponda just before the halftime hooter, goaled by Matalau, to lead 14-0.

The Gurias shot to a seemingly-unassailable 20-0 lead in the 45^th minute with a corner try to winger Boas Ruru, which was goaled by Matalau.

The Mioks’ never-say-die attitude showed after that as they scored tried through winger Miok Anjo in the 49^th minute and prop Esau Siune in the 60^th minute, which was goaled by halfback Mai Tom, to trail 20-10.

Rabaul, with machine-like efficiency, drove the final nail into Enga’s coffin with a 71^st minute try to Ruru to complete his double.

The Mioks had some consolation on the hooter with a try to winger Jason Tali, however, it was all too little, too late.

Gurias’ hooker Sakias Kabange capped off a memorable day by being named man-of-the-match.

Governor General Sir Paulias Matane, who happens to be from the land of the Gurias, presented the inaugural bemobile Cup to Gurias’ captain George Moni as a prelude to celebrations.

The cup was delivered by helicopter to the paddock to be unveiled by its designer, 13-year-old Port Moresby student, Florence Metta.

A capacity crowd jam-packed the Lloyd Robson Oval to witness yesterday’s grand final.

 

bemobile Cup Grand Final Day in pictures

First pictures of Rabaul Gurias' bemobile Cup win

Will Enga Mioks or Rabaul Gurias win Sunday's bemobile Cup rugby league grand final?

Results of my latest poll:
Enga Mioks: 17 (65%)
Rabauk Gurias: 8 (30%)
No opinion: 0 (0%)
Don't know about the issue: 1 (3%)

Breaking news: Rabaul Gurias have just taken out the 2009 bemobile Cup with a convincing 24-14 win over Enga Mioks

Gurias win bemobile Cup

Rabaul Gurias have just taken out the bemobile Cup with a 24-14 ousting of Enga Mioks at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

Story and pictures to come.

I'm off to the footy!

I’m off to the footy to see who wins the bemobile Cup.

Keep watching this blog.

 

Malum

 

 

Storm Boy brings back memories of ‘happy days’ of cinema in PNG, celebrates the life of ‘Mr Percival’

The Storm Boy book cover

Storm Boy and Mr Percival

Mr Percival, who died at Adelaide Zoo last month, aged about 35

Last Sunday, after a long day at work, I went home to find my children already fast asleep and yet another cold meal that has become so much a part of my life as a journalist.
It was close to midnight, EMTV had closed, but was playing the Australia Network featuring a film that I had seen more than 30 years ago as a 10-year-old in Lae.
I tried to wake up my children to watch this, one of my all-time favorite movies, but to no avail.
That film was Storm Boy, based on a book by Australian Colin Theile, and which was later made into a classic Australian film of the same name in 1976.
The showing of the film was also to celebrate the life of one of the film’s stars, the pelican Mr Percival, who passed away at the Adelaide Zoo last month aged in his mid-30s and who had reached superstar status by starring in a film.
A short obituary to Mr Percival was also read after the film.
In 1976, the bird was used in Storm Boy, the film based on Colin Thiele's novel about a boy who raises three pelicans.
The boy is forced by his father to release them, but one bird, Mr Percival, returns.
The Coorong near the Murray mouth was the setting for the movie.
Storm Boy was a movie that touched my heart – and that of so many other children - so many years ago as a child in Lae.
I already have a copy of the book at home and my children enjoy every minute of me reading the book to them, which just goes to show the timelessness of Storm Boy.
It also brought back so many memories of another day, particularly of the now-extinct movie theatres, which once abounded all over Papua New Guinea.
A whole generation in Papua New Guinea has sadly grown up without knowing the experience of watching movies in a cinema.
In the “happy days” of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, cinemas were commonplace all over the country.
Those of us who grew up in that roaring and memorable period will know the joy of watching films on the big screen.
These days, with the advance of television, video, VCDs, and the Internet, the movie projector has become as antiquated as the time-honored typewriter.
Anyway, it was in 1978, when I was 10, that my father brought my elder brother David and I to the Huon Theatre at Eriku in Lae one rainy night to watch Storm Boy.
I remember sitting with my eyes glued to the big screen, following Storm Boy’s every move, until I broke down and wept with him when his pet pelican Mr Percival was shot by hunters along a lonely, windswept Australian shore.
Every once in a while there is a special film, a film that appeals to all ages, a classic family entertainment that celebrates life and joyfully touches the heart.
Storm Boy is that film.
Storm Boy (Mike) lives with his recluse father, Hide-Away Tom, on South Australia's lonely and beautiful coast.
Years before, when Storm Boy’s mother had died, Hide-Away Tom had left Adelaide and gone to live like a hermit by the sea.
Here his Storm Boy’s spirit roams with his pet pelican, Mr Percival, and his secret Aboriginal friend, Fingerbone Bill.
He knows no other world.
Suddenly there are intruders: the local school teacher who wants him to take lessons, a resentful wildlife ranger, duck shooters, hooligans with loud music.
Storm Boy, growing up, is forced to choose between a life of continued isolation and the challenges of the outside world.
One time the hunters are in the area, Mr Percival is shot down and Mike does a mad search through the long grass to find him.
The search is unsuccessful and Mike cries as he walks along the beach remembering times they spent together.
Fingerbone eventually finds Mr Percival and buries him.
He shows Storm Boy the grave he dug, and there are a few moments of sadness, but this is turned to hope when Fingerbone shows Storm Boy a nest with a freshly hatched pelican in it: "Mr. Percival all over again, a bird like him never dies."
The film was one of the first Australian feature films made for children to become well-known and both the book and film are still widely used in school English programmes.

University of Goroka stars Shine in Mamma Mia!

By KATE GUNN of University of Goroka

The University of Goroka has done it again!In its stage production by final year expressive arts students, UOG has proven that Papua New Guinea has its own home-grown talent in the genre of contemporary performing arts.
A production of the stage musical smash Mamma Mia! was held on campus on Wednesday 14th October and Thursday 15th October 2009, to a fully-packed Mark Solon Auditorium.
The students involved in the musical undertook most production responsibilities: stage management, scene changes; props; music and singing with support and guidance from staff in the expressive arts department.
The students proved to the audience that they had great talent in the areas of expressive dance, singing and acting. Staff and students were impressed by the professionalism of the production, and enjoyed the performance of a contemporary musical drama on stage.
The storyline of the musical was that of a bride-to-be trying to discover the identity of her father in order to feel “complete” for her big day, as told through performances of hit songs by the ‘70s pop group ABBA.
The musical explored the themes of finding your identity; family; love and the mistakes made in life.
For further information please contact:
Ms Kate Gunn
Public Relations & Marketing Officer
The University of Goroka
Ph: (675) 7311 877
Fax: (675) 7321914

Yumi Piksa to Air on CNN

By KATE GUNN of University of Goroka

 

In a positive development for the University of Goroka (UOG), the Yumi Piksa pilot workshop conducted earlier this year at UOG, in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), will be aired this weekend on CNN International on Saturday 17^th October and Sunday 18^th October 2009.

As part of the its third episode,  the programme entitled: Scene by Scene – Films of Asia Pacific, Yumi Piksa will be shown on CNN International as a prelude to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Scene by Scene takes us into the classroom as Australian filmmaker Verena Thomas teaches filmmaking to students of the University of Goroka in PNG’s Highlands.

We see some of the fruits of their labour including a film that archives the important work of a man making clay flutes used by the women to call their men.

In July/August of this year, to help students learn the skills of filmmaking and production whilst working amongst their local communities, three short films were compiled and produced by students of UOG with facilitator Ms Verena Thomas, a PhD candidate from University of Ttechnology Sydney, for the Yumi Piksa pilot workshop. 

The result of the workshop was the Yumi Piksa documentaries, which focus on telling stories from local communities and are currently gaining a lot of international interest from the media.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Goroka Dr Gairo Onagi stated that is was “great for the University to gain such international exposure for a technological and useful workshop that was helpful to both the students and community. Yumi Piksa provides a new and challenging method of telling ‘our’ stories to the world.  It also provides a new method of data collection”.

Be sure to watch Yumi Piksa on CNN on Saturday 17^th October at 11.30pm and Sunday 18^th October at 5.30am and 6.30pm (Sydney time).

 

For further information please contact:

Ms Kate Gunn

Public Relations & Marketing Officer

 University of Goroka

Ph: (675) 7311 877

Fax: (675) 732 1914

Email: gunnk@uog.ac.pg

 

Or

 

Ms Verena Thomas

Centre for Health Communication

University of Technology Sydney

Ph: +61 2 9514 3847

Email: Verena.Thomas@uts.edu.au

 

 

bemobile Cup Grand Final Day Programme

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby

11am Band commences interlude of entertainment between games
11.20am Curtain-raiser women’s match (1)
12.30pm Band commences interludes of entertainment between games
12.50pm Curtain-raise women’s match (2)
2pm Pre-match entertainment
2.20pm Arrival of Governor General Sir Paulias Matane
2.30pm Team arrivals
2.40pm Teams warm up on field
2.45pm Toss with Referee
2.47pm Teams run out and line up
- Dignitaries walk out
- National Anthem
- Balloon release
2.55pm Kick off by the Governor General
3.00pm Official kick off
3.40pm Watete Theatre Company
3.50pm Second half kick off
4.40pm Presentation by Governor General, PNG National Rugby League Chairman Don Fox and bemobile Chairman Anthony Smare