Tembari Children's Care goes online

Tembari Children’s Care Inc - an active local community-based organisation (CBO) based and operating in Oro Province and in the National Capital District (NCD) - now has a new blog http://tembari.blogspot.com/

The organisation was formed to promote and improve the living standards of orphans who are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and to educate communities on children’s rights to survival, protection, development and participation.

Based on the organisation’s strategic focus, it is the initiative of Tembari Children’s Care to establish community learning centers (CLCs) in the rural communities and settlements to facilitate regular education and awareness programs that will foster children’s growth, development and participation especially those who are HIV/AIDS-infected and affected children.
It is also the vision of the Tembari Children’s Care to seek and secure external assistance fro funds, materials and skill from donors, governments and individuals to support the programme for children’s growth and development.
TCC also recognises HIV/AIDS epidemic as a threat in the rural areas where people have no access to reliable information.

As such, programmes and projects would be developed to carry out massive public awareness and education regularly among the people in their own dialects.

The awareness would target people of all ages aimed at making them responsible, prevention-conscious and caring.
The organisation has about 15 trained volunteers who have been certified in different fields such as HIV/AIDS, counseling, home-based care, children’s rights, gender equality, child abuse, drugs and alcohol, STIs, and many more.
TCC seeks to work closely with civil society organisations, provincial AIDS councils, National AIDS Council, donor agencies and government agencies in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea.
TCC will always strive to become a leading community-based organisation promoting children’s rights to growth and development and keeping them away from all forms of abuse regardless of their gender and religion. Special consideration is given to those who are infected with, and affected, by HIV/AIDS.
Remember, today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders. Please don’t leave them behind.

Need a blog or website?

If you want a blog or website for yourself, your employer or your business, drop me a line at malumnalu@gmail.com .

I can set up a blog for free or at minimal cost, while a website - built using latest new CMS technology - will vary according to your requirements and the size of your site.

I've noticed that so many websites are PNG are not updated and are built using old programmes such as FrontPage and Dreamweaver.

A content management system is software that keeps track of every piece of content on your Web site; much like your local public library keeps track of books and stores them.

Content can be simple text, photos, music, video, documents, or just about anything you can think of.

A major advantage of using a CMS is that it requires almost no technical skill or knowledge to manage.

Since the CMS manages all your content, you don't have to.

 

 

Thoughts on the Papua New Guinea Defence Force

From PAUL OATES

Any Defence Force must have a raison d'être or reason for being.

The Papua New Guinea Defence Force was until Independence, historically part of the Australian Defence Force.

Australia has a number of overseas Defence commitments that require a logistical and personnel base to successfully carry out these programmes.

 It is very disappointing that PNG personnel aren't allowed to participate in these activities as a joint force.

When the PNGDF was used to help put down the Vanuatu revolt, there seemed to be a clear role for some form of Pacific security force to be maintained, other than from your ANZAC neighbours.

While PNG has contributed to the RAMSI initiative, there is still no defined external role for the PNGDF for anything other than limited internal objectives.

As regards internal objectives or 'Missions' as the US chooses to describe them, has the PNG government allowed their Defence Force the assets to perform a credible role in such areas as the protection of marine resources and border protection?
Therein lies the nub of the problem.

What role or 'Mission' should the PNGDF have that can and will be supported by the PNG government?
Australian Defence Force funding has in peace time, traditionally hovered around 3% of GDP.

 How does this stack up against the PNG budget for Defence?
Previous blogsite comments suggested there was a real role for the PNG Defence Force to restore government and police control of areas in the PNG Highlands.

Tribal warfare and security of government assets should be of prime importance in protecting law abiding citizens and their property.

 The traditional rivalry with the RPNGC is however a matter that would have to be addressed if there were to be successful combined operations.
The main stumbling block, from an external perspective, would appear to be the PNG government's apprehension that a strong Defence Force may be a potential threat. I can't see that perception going away any time soon.

Yali loses appeal, but will leave jail

FORMER Madang Governor James Yali failed in court yesterday to have his 12-year sentence for rape reduced to eight years.

But he will be released on parole, and will not have to serve the balance of his time behind bars.

Mr Yali had appealed against his sentence, and was in court yesterday to heat the decision.

He was jailed in January 2006 for raping his wife’s 17-year-old sister.

He appealed against the sentence claiming it was manifestly excessive in all circumstances.

But the Supreme Court rejected this.

“We accordingly confirm the sentence and dismiss the appeal against the sentence,” Justice Panuel Mogish read out the ruling on behalf of the other judges on the panel.

Yali refused to comment as he was leaving the court house.

But chairman of the Parole Board Sir Kubalan Los said in a statement yesterday Yali was granted parole and the decision was based on merit.

He said while out of jail, Yali would serve the rest of his time under close supervision by community-based correction officers.

Sir Kubalan refuted suggestions Yali would contest the Rai Coast by-election, saying restrictions applied to State prisoners on parole.

He said the decision to grant parole to Yali was done after hearing views from sectors of the community, including the victim and church and community groups.

Reports swirled in Madang, Yali was going to walk out of Madang prison yesterday.

However, Beon commander Joe Jako, when contacted yesterday afternoon, said acting Correctional Service commissioner Henry Wavik directed them not to release Yali until they receive the original release order.

 

 

Prime Minister put on notice

Caption: Sir Mekere firmly making a point yesterday that the Opposition was ready and united to push for a vote-of-no-confidence against Prime Minister Sir Michael.-Nationalpic by AURI EVA.

Morauta says Somare offered Opposition  Cabinet posts

OPPOSITION Leader Sir Mekere Morauta has put Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare on notice that the conditions are right, and he is ready to change the government, The National reports.

There is an obvious “fatal fracture” with the ruling National Alliance Party and its coalition partners and the Opposition “is poised to strike” with a vote-of-no-confidence, Sir Mekere said yesterday. 

“There is definitely a great deal of unhappiness in the National Alliance camp and it’s causing a rift between its coalition partners,” Sir Mekere said.

 “The National Alliance is fatally fractured and implacably divided,” he said based on observations from the recent announcement by the Prime Minister Sir Michael of a major reshuffle to his cabinet and the in-fighting in the NA NGI camp.

 The Moresby North-West MP added that with the Supreme Court decision of the validity of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) looming “the NA led Government knows their days are numbered”.

 “The Opposition is poised to strike, we are together and politics is a numbers game."

 He said the current rift within the NA camp was also affecting coalition partners and these were signs of the Government becoming unstable.

 Political commentators had predicted that a reshuffle or news of what may transpire may cause disgruntled coalition partners to move camps and that a vote-of- no confidence was imminent.

 Sir Mekere said the Opposition was ready to push for a vote-of-no-confidence against the Government when the time came.

 Sir Mekere said the Prime Minister had offered three important ministries to Opposition MPs, including the Police portfolio.

 Sir Mekere said the Prime Minister offered the Police Minister portfolio to a member of his PNG Party and also made the same offer to another member of the Opposition.

 “I met with Sir Michael and asked him about this but he denied it,” Sir Mekere said and added that these were all signs the “the NA days are numbered”.  

 He said what “kitchen cabinet” was trying to do was offer portfolios to Opposition MPs, however this would not work as politics was a game of numbers and would only be determined on the floor of Parliament.

 “We remain strong, we are together and we will weather out this silly season and strike when the time is right,” he said. 

 In the last few weeks the Prime Minister had announced he would make a major reshuffle to his cabinet but had postponed his decision and was tipped to make it prior to the first sitting of Parliament.

 The Opposition has also had meetings last week and the week before but did not disclose the agenda.

 Papua New Guinea’s leading political scientist Dr Alphonse Gelu said: “PNG politics is unpredictable, it is only on the floor that we would know who has the numbers.

 "W have the OLIPPAC (Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates) in place which places certain restrictions but history has shown that regardless of the law, a government can be replaced by another."

 At this time, both sides of Parliament are anxiously waiting the decision of the five-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on the validity of OLIPPAC.

 Observers said if the five-judge bench ruled OLIPPAC unconstitutional, the Prime Minister would face a challenge from within rather than outside.

 The Special Supreme Court reference on OLIPPAC came to its conclusion last Feb 8 after all parties made their final submissions. The court has reserved the decision to a later date

Crowd disappointed over Prime Minister no-show

MORE than 1,000 people including men, women and school children who lined up the streets to get a glimpse of the country’s Prime Minister were disappointed as they were not given the opportunity sparking calls for the resignation of West New Britain Governor Peter Humphreys over this protocol blunder, The National reports.

Hundreds of people waited in vain at Independence Park hoping that the founding Prime Minister would at least address them about the government but were dispersed by heavy rain as the Prime Minister was spirited in a tinted vehicle into the provincial assembly for the National Executive Council meeting.

Hoskins LLG President Felix Umarie yesterday called on Governor Peter Humphreys to resign over what he called the deliberate protocol blunder.

“I think the programme was so confined that more than 1,000 people waited at Independence Park the whole day and the Prime Minister was not given the opportunity to address them what was going on with the country,” he said.

The people again waited yesterday hoping for some words from the Prime Minister but it was not included in the programme that Mr Umarie described the security arrangement as “a Hitler type operation”.

He said the Prime Minister was driven in a tinted vehicle and hundreds of school children who wanted to see their PM were not given that opportunity.

Mr Umarie said the presidents as heads of local level governments (LLGs) were snubbed from the programme to meet the Prime Minister and his Cabinet Ministers.

“This goes to show that the government has no recognition of the LLGs,” Mr Umarie said.

He said the LLG Presidents who had the mandate of the people were not included in the programme and did not have the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister and have dialogue with the Provincial and LLG Affairs Minister on problem facing the LLGs.

He said that the 11 LLG Presidents were not invited to a dinner hosted by the Governor that was attended mostly by public servants.

Mr Umarie said the Governor must resign because he was not accountable and transparent about government business since becoming the leader of the province.

 

 

Defence: an important element of national power

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

For years, the PNGDF has been a misunderstood element of national power.  After numerous false starts and countless defence ministers, PNG needs a new defence White Paper.  The last key policy document is some 10 years old. 

Despite important strategic changes within the region, the past three PNG governments have not had any defence reviews done and producing its own defence white paper.  It is important for PNG to have a good strategic plan and to be reviewed annually.  Without complicating matters, some blend of corporate reorganisation, realignment and renewal of a new nationally-sustainable defence policy is needed.

PNG's first challenge is to enhance its sovereignty and security.  We do this by bridging the gap between declared defence commitments and actual military capabilities.  Integral to our vision of a more credible defence posture are the realignment and consolidation of existing commitments, a vigorous modernisation program for the next 15 years and beyond.  This must include a broad sweeping reorganisation, especially of our higher defence command.

The second challenge is to improve defence management in all core competence areas.  That is, the way defence manages its equipment acquisition; its people's careers, planning in every area from how we fight to how we feed our people.  All these processes need to be revised due to military technological and management changes in the world this past decade.

Defence cannot allow itself to become complacent in the face of great changes sweeping through our society and region.  The national priority task whether in defence or the whole country is to become the master of change rather than its servant. 

Change, be it technology or in the way we manage and organise ourselves, is something which the PNGDF needs to drive.  Any development challenges must be well managed at a time of budget constraints and during an extended time of peace.

Defence has several functions.  The defence department as apart from being a self-accounting agency provides defence policy advice to government.  Its military arm - the PNGDF; carry out various security roles with specific tasks relating to: surveillance and response, monitoring, enforcement and interdiction missions, maritime law enforcement/coastguard tasks, border patrols, intelligence collation and dissemination, aid to the civil community, civic action tasks/nation building, remote area medical patrols, coast-watch duties, search and rescue, "mercy missions", showing the flag in remote maritime localities, ambassadorial good-will visits by ships, peace support operations with neighbours, etc).

Its span of diversified responsibilities simultaneously overlap into agencies like: police, fisheries, customs, health, environment and conservation, foreign and provincial affairs, works and transport departments, provincial and community governments, and so on. 

Since 2001, no manpower review eventuated to have credible minimum levels of manning.  PNG can have an affordable military if the defence Ministry plans well to first, get a realistic budget, and secondly, properly prioritise operations better. 

Presently the PNGDF lacks a surge capacity as it is already cut to the bone.  It can not mobilise quickly, if it has to respond to any defence emergency of a low-level contingency.  Present defence manpower system is grossly inappropriate for our new strategic circumstances. 

Consequently, despite the PNGDF's significance to our country's development and stability; defence issues and national security is unfortunately not given the priority attention by the government.  Additionally, defence's constitutional roles are highly specialised responsibilities that cannot simply be transferred to other government departments. 

The PNGDF is a useful strategic management tool but governments have failed to fully understand its capability.  The government must be more creative in how far it wants to put defence to work towards future development aims. 

For instance, if our defence force was well resourced, it would very well complement the works department’s programme of improving remote district infrastructures\ - without the government unduely spending millions on civil contractors.

Finally, there are broader social challenges taking place in our society.  These are important because the PNGDF remains part of our society.  It draws people and skills from our wider community, and relies on community support to function effectively.  Here, the public must urge their MPs on the best ways available to defend our national interests, which defence and national security are an integral part of.

Last, but not the least; I further encourage citizens whether they be academics, diplomats, public servants, retired servicemen, journalists, students, politicians, representatives of industry, or a common villager to all participate as concerned citizens in an informed; and balanced public debate on matters of defence and national security. 

 

 The writer is a former defence chief, now a private sea training school executive and freelance writer.