Concerns on closure of Kokoda Track by villagers

THE Kokoda Track Authority and the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority have expressed concern about the latest threats by villagers to close the Kokoda Track.

They said the actions of certain Kovelo villagers in placing barriers across the Kokoda Track in their village and charging K200 permit fees for trekkers to pass was uncalled for and villagers should cease their unnecessary actions immediately.

 “This is very disappointing as the KTA has convened a special Board for this coming Tuesday to specifically address the villagers concerns. The Chairman of the KTA, James Enage, will travel today to Kovelo to work with the Villagers to resolve this issue,” said Rod Hillman, chief executive KTA.

Mr Hillman said the KTA is now a new organisation that has learnt from previous mistakes. A new management committee has been established and new systems instigated to ensure the industry moves forward and the funds are fully accountable and distributed equitably. Trek fees are now collected efficiently by the KTA and are ready to be distributed to land owners and the community. Establishing a system to distribute the funds is proving a challenge and this is the main area of concern to all involved.

“The future of the Kokoda Track relies on everyone working together and providing an experience that trekkers will want to come to Papua New Guinea for. Taking drastic steps like this barricade can only hurt every village and everyone involved in the benefits gained from the trekkers. We are already seeing a significant drop in trekking numbers due to the global economic downturn, the recent deaths on the track and the continuing negative media stories. These actions can only further reduce trekking numbers on the track which will have an enormous impact on all the communities living there,” said Rod Hillman.

The Kokoda Track is PNG’s major tourism attraction and last year close to 6,000 trekkers walked the Kokoda Track bringing huge job opportunities including porters, guides, hotels, transport and food. Each trekker pays K200 to the KTA as a permit to walk the track and these funds are used to maintain the track and associated facilities provide payments to land owners and communities and to operate the KTA.

“I am sure common sense will prevail and the barricades will be removed so the people of Kovelo, the other villagers along the track and all the people who benefit from the trekkers can continue to reap the rewards of their work,” said Rod Hillman

 

Clever cartoon, eh?

Call for Lutheran communion solidarity with communities affected by climate change

LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
LWI News online:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html

PURI, Orissa State, India/GENEVA, 7 May 2009 (LWI) - A group of theologians, ethicists, anthropologists and staff working on
adaptation and mitigation measures related to climate change, are calling for the Lutheran communion's global solidarity with vulnerable communities that are acting to address the impact of climate change.

"To be in communion with creation, means to be in solidarity with those victimised by climate change, who inspire and motivate
our commitment and actions to redress climate change," stated the 23 persons following a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) "Climate Change Encounter in India," 16 - 20 April, in Puri, in the northeastern state of Orissa.

The international event in disaster-prone Orissa was aimed at witnessing first hand the dramatic effects of climate change, and
reflecting on the interconnections with other parts of the world. It was organised by the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) in collaboration with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI) and the Department for World Service (DWS) associate program, Lutheran World Service India (LWSI).

In addition to those from the UELCI and LWSI, participants came from LWF member churches in Australia, Denmark, Germany, India,Indonesia, Sweden and the USA, from DWS programs in Bangladesh and Tanzania, as well as other Christian denominations and faiths. The five-day event comprised visits to coastal fisher folk and farmer communities around the Bay of Bengal, analyses of climate change, Bible story and worship.

In the six rural communities visited, the participants heard testimonies from and interacted with a large number of persons, whose entire lives, meaning and future are deeply affected by climate change. The LWSI rural development project is working with such communities to educate, empower people and support local initiatives such as self-help groups, disaster management and village development committees to counter the impact of climate change.

The initiatives to adapt and take preventive measures include effort to continually plant more trees; educating children;
promoting traditional food, well-being and health; and relying more on communal family systems, which can survive better amid
climate change. Community members are also conscious of the need to build houses on safer ground or raise them off the ground; and to construct elevated tube wells that guard against salinization during flooding. Through cooperation with government authorities and various disaster alert mechanisms and groups, villagers receive and plant new seeds after floods.

The LWF communiqué titled, "Witnessing to Hope Amid Rising Waters," sums up what the event's participants witnessed, and
also invites solidarity with the hopeful actions that the villagers are taking for their future.

As part of sharing the insights from the Puri communities with the wider Lutheran communion, the participants recommend that the process be broadened before and during Pre-Assemblies leading up to the July 2010 LWF Eleventh Assembly in Stuttgart, Germany.

"Give Us Today Our Daily Bread" is the theme of the assembly, to be hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wuerttemberg.

They expressed their support for the various climate change-related advocacy positions of the LWF Council and member
churches and encouraged others to do likewise. They urged a strategic presence and LWF message at the December 2009 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark. To coincide with that crucial meeting, they proposed that a time be designated and promoted globally for ringing church (and other) bells in order to emphasize the urgency of redressing climate change.

The full text of the communiqué from the LWF event in Puri is available at: www.lutheranworld.org

More information and further reflections about the LWF Eleventh Assembly theme are available at:
www.lutheranworld.org/Assembly2010_theme.html

*        *          *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF
currently has 140 member churches in 79 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 68.5 million. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not
represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation
(LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
P. O. Box 2100 CH-1211
Geneva 2 Switzerland

Tel.: +41/22-791 63 69
Fax: +41/22-791 66 30




 

A naked grab for power

THE AUSTRALIAN Letters Blog May 08, 2009 3 Comments

I REFER to Graham Davis's response (Letters, 4/5) to Jon Fraenkel's letter (2-3/5). I carry no brief for the racial supremacists of my country, but Fiji's imperfect democracy is an evolving one. And neither Frank Bainimarama, nor Sitiveni Rabuka before him, had the right to destroy it, whatever the pretext.

The wonder and paradox of democracy is that the outcome cannot be guaranteed in advance. A fairer and more equitable electoral system will not necessarily deliver a result that Bainimarama, Davis or some of us would prefer. Indeed Fiji's coup leader is on record as saying that ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase would return over his dead body.

What this sentiment suggests is that Fiji's unelected ruler, who has no mandate from the people, would lend his support to a democratic model of governance so long as he was satisfied with and could guarantee the outcome. That is a dangerous proposition and reveals far more about the shallowness of Bainimarama's understanding of the nature of democratic politics.

The charge of "racism" that is flung with abandon at Qarase's government is cited to justify the December 5, 2006 coup. Suffice it to say, that in the context of Fiji the discourse about race and ethnicity is more complicated than is portrayed. It is not confined to one community. As a person of mixed-racial parentage, I can cite examples of being at the receiving end of racial slurs and discrimination. But I would not for one moment suggest that a coup d'etat would be the way to address racism and bad governance. The end does not justify the means.

Electoral reform, while important, is essentially a red herring. The real problem in Fiji is that feudal cliques refusing to relinquish privilege, an army that refuses to recognise its limitations in a democracy, and failed politicians of all persuasions and opportunistic businessmen who support them, see nothing wrong in undermining electoral verdicts.

The choice is not between good and evil as such, but rather between the legitimation of arbitrariness and whim in public life and the hesitant but gradual process of democratisation with all its checks and balances.

If the racial supremacists in Fiji are now converts, let it be the Damascus experience of Saint Paul and not the ambivalence of Hamlet. Fiji's latest coup should be seen for what it is—a naked grab for power.

Graham Leung
Suva, Fiji

Lets hope the "Melanesia Way"of decision-making is not writen into the pilot manuals......fly Airlines of PNG, perhaps?

From JOHN FOWKE

 

AIR Niugini has continued its services to Fiji, via the Solomon Islands, under its code share agreement with Solomon Airlines in the hopes that current disagreements between the two airlines can be solved "the Melanesian way".
"Our tolerance and continued effort to resolve this dispute only reflects the Melanesian way of dispute resolution and we are still committed to finding a workable solution that can benefit both parties," Air Niugini chief executive officer Wasantha Kumarasiri said in a statement on Wednesday.

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea National Youth Sunday

ELCPNG Hagen District Youth singing a song when presenting their offering to the ELCPNG National OfficeDrama performed by the Ampo Youth ministry at the Immanuel Youth Hall

Martin Luther Seminary students presenting an item during the Youth Sunday Service at the Immanuel Youth Center

Ampo Youth leading worship with songs and music at the Immanuel Youth Hall during the National Youth Sunday service

By GUTI WARIME of ELCPNG

Every year the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) observes the first Sunday of May as the National Youth Sunday.

On May 3 this year, all congregations throughout the 17 districts of ELCPNG observed the day in supporting the Youth Ministries with prayers and thanksgiving.
One of ELCPNG’s oldest youth halls, Immanuel Youth Hall, built by the then active Lae Lutheran Youth (LLY) of ELCPNG in the 1970’s, came to life that day.

The Redeemer Parish congregations in Lae city gathered at the hall for Sunday service and many youth participated in leading the worship in music and songs, creative dance and drama.
The secretary of the ELCPNG Evangelism Department, Rev Binora and the ELCPNG National Youth Director, Mr Mileng, were present at the event.

In his speech Rev Binora challenged the youth to fully utilise the Immanuel Youth Hall which has been sitting idle for many years.

He challenged the youth to come up with creative ideas to resurrect the long gone active spirit of fellowship that had moved the LLY in those days when he was a member.

“ELCPNG Youth should fully utilise this big building [Immanuel Youth Hall]!” Rev Binora stressed.
Every year, each of the 17 districts of ELCPNG usually gives their offerings to the National Youth Office (NYO) to show their ownership and support for the youth ministries.

However, due to financial constraints and geographical locations of most congregations, it has been about 10 years since the NYO last sent out invitation to the districts seeking their support.
However, after the event, on May 5 the Highland District of ELCPNG - the ELCPNG-Hagen District Youth - came to present a cash offering of K1557.90 (USD556) to the National Youth Office and some garden food for the staff at the ELCPNG headquarters.

The items included 13 kaukau bags, 12 bunch of banana and bags of fruits and vegetables.
Upon receiving the gifts, the Acting Head Bishop of ELCPNG, Reverend Zau Rapa, thanked them and gave some challenging remarks to everyone who gathered.

“From birth till death, the church is part our life so whatever we do to the Church, we are actually helping ourselves and not another person,” Rev Rapa stated.
The National Youth Director, Mr Mileng, is very pleased and thankful for the gifts of thanksgiving presented to the National Youth Office in Ampo by the Church of Hope Parish in the Jabem District, the Hagen District Youths and other groups.

MEDIA FREEDOM WEEK

BY OSEAH PHILEMON

 

It has been suggested that the standard of journalism in Papua New Guinea has dropped over the last few years and young journalists have been urged to uphold the journalism code of ethics in their work.

It has also been suggested that journalism schools were not producing the quality graduates needed by the media industry in PNG.

I beg to differ.

If it is true that the standard of journalism in PNG has dropped, then it is not the young journalists who should be blamed, but rather the people responsible for providing editorial management and direction in the various news organisations.

These are the people who decide on what events or news get covered and what events do not get covered; they decide on what goes where in newspapers, on TV news and radio news; they determine what the nation should read about, hear about or watch on TV and what should be discarded daily.

They decide what gets prominence and what does not.

They and their chief executives who hold the cheque books determine whether young journalists receive further training at the cost of their own news organisations or wait for freebies from donor agencies and overseas information services.

These are the people who decide how far inland newspapers can be delivered, where TV and radio transmitters should be installed to give wider access to the public.

It is my view that the quality of editorial direction and management in the newsroom has a lot to do with the quality and standard of journalism in PNG.

It has a lot to do with whether journalists, both young and seasoned, uphold the so-called journalism code of ethics.

The quality of journalism in PNG is shaped by them, not necessarily by young journalists who only follow instructions to cover various news events.

It is time for the spot light to be flashed on those who should really be held accountable and answerable to the public for the daily dose of news that we read, hear and see in our media daily; not the young journalists fresh out of journalism school or trying to understand how to cover this complex nation called PNG.

As we celebrate another Media Freedom Week, media organisations should focus their attention on ensuring that many more Papua New Guineans in the rural and far remote areas of PNG have access to the media.

Our media today only reach a very small percentage of Papua New Guineans, especially those in the urban and peri-urban areas.

The rest in the rural and rural remote parts of the country remain completely isolated.

To me, reaching these people remains the single greatest challenge facing the PNG media industry today.

Having spent 10 months out of the media industry, it has become obvious to me that some sections of our industry risk becoming irrelevant to the society they purport to serve.

The public receive very little real value in their media and in a country where there is a glaring absence of government information service; the people are at a loss as to who they should turn to for relevant information.

The people’s hunger for information on how to improve their way of life and or raise their standard of living remain unfulfilled.

 

Yours,

 

 

Oseah Philemon, OBE

Voco Point

Lae