BIKPLA BALUS, PNG'S JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN

COUNTRYSIDE

Many art lovers will know the name Mathias Kauage. Hail from Miugi in the Simbu Province; he produced hundreds of abstract paintings that depicted the changes in our country. Focusing largely on social changes, his works would normally feature a carving like figure immersed into adapting to the changes before them.

One of his celebrated works resides in the headquarters of one of PNG’s iconic landmarks, Brian Bell Plaza Boroko. The name of the piece is Bikpela Balus. A rich turquoise blue covers the outer part where it depicts the open skies while towards the center of this masterpiece, a colourful Douglas DC 3 Aircraft is packed with carving like figures, obviously passengers onboard this flight. Expressions of optimism and fear are apparent, but one does senses a general emotion of anxiety. Perhaps it’s to do with defying gravity, the cramp interior of the plane but I sense it is what lies at the end of the trip. That is indeed is the great mystery.

For 35 years, our nation has traversed the skies of Statehood and the journey has been tumultuous, fraught with danger and there have been times when it was on the verge of extinction. Civil uprisings, ethnic conflicts, natural disasters, environmental catastrophes and the plague of corruption have challenged us dearly. Yes, we are all indeed anxious on what lies beyond the 2010 clouds and more than ever, we need to be prepared for what is coming.

The greatest irony in our nation’s history is about to take place. Papua New Guinea, shunned by the international community as one of the poorest, corrupt and despotic nations of the world that has insurmountable resources, is to set to reverse this predicament by 2050. The politicians want to make PNG a prosperous, happy and safe PNG by 2050. With a grandiose launch late last year, the masses turned out to witness the fun fare. Words of inspiration, symbols of wealth and commitment littered Sir John Guise Stadium as the nation braced for The 2050 Vision.

What followed has been an unprecedented effort by government to realign every State institution to this plan. Law reform in the public service, public finances, community development, foreign relations, health, education provincial, local level government affairs, and the government machinery is fully engaging in this realignment. Colleges, universities and other higher institutions are teaching the future leaders of our country of this plan. For the first time, foundation students were given the plan as part of their enrolment packs. Public servants are daily been reminded of the outputs and targets of the plan and wantoks, in the years to come, the wealth of our nation is to fund this vision. So for the time being, it seems what’s beyond the clouds of 2010 is The Vision 2050.

Plans to propel nations and empires to move forward have two things in common. The first is you need the support of the people. The second is to resources to fund these plans. From Furher Adolf Hitler’s Lebensraum, President Joseph Stalin’s Collectivization, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, Chairman Mao Tse Tung’s Culture Revolution to the White Australia Policy, the driving force of progress and development has no limits. Millions of men and women in these countries supported these policies and plans and willingly enlisted to carry them out. Whether through, war, compulsory property acquisition, resource extraction, genocide or famine, the machinery of the State is a powerful tool for change and only history can judge if it was for the betterment for humanity.

In the name of Lebensraum 6 million Jews were annihilated, 40 million souls perished under Collectivization, 5 million Americans starved in the New Deal and millions of Chinese were slaughtered under the Cultural Revolution. Trillions upon trillions of dollars were spent on these quests and depending on what history book you read, it was either a success or an utter failure. But one thing is for sure, the corridors of the Kremlin, the blue carpet of the Oval Office, the furniture of the Zhongnanhai, and the balcony of Kirribilli House, are all soaked in the blood of its people.

It’s too early to see if the 2050 Vision will cost our people, but there are worrying signs of what happened in Auschwitz, Ural lands, the dust bowls in Kansas, the massacres in Guangdong and the tragedies unfolded in the Urn am Land are on the steps of Mirigni Haus. Regulating NGOs so that mines can trash the land, permitting high levels of pollution that will poison our fish, funding criminal syndicates to rob banks, hiring mercenaries to kill off rivals, forced relocation due to ethnic violence, thousands of children dying from the lack of medication and neglecting the delivery of basic services were similar signs of Germany, Russia and the US in the 1930s, Australia in the 50s and China in the 1970s.

Are these mere random acts or are they consequences of The Vision 2050? Is there a connection between the Ramu nickel farcical bring 10% growth to our economy? Are the BSP bank robberies going to bring 1 million educated PNGeans? Will killing political rivals improve our justice system? Will grand payouts to unscrupulous individuals improve our export capabilities? This is where the challenge for the pilots of the DC3. How do they dodge the rugged mountains of bribes, head winds of corruption, and the fogs of crime?

I don’t know wantoks but when I look outside the DC3 I see the descendents of men and women that sailed the 7 seas to reach our land, developed advanced irrigation techniques 6,000 years before the Mesopotamians, constructed towering six storey structures to accommodate produce and created many other great marvels. They instilled plans, regulations and systems of governance that have lasted thousands of years. From environment conservation, sustainable resource extractions, justice systems, trade, foreign relations and yes even economics.

Ok so it was done through the nations of Ipili, Baluan, Jimi, Koto, Kuanua, Erema, Kiriwina and many others but the point is this, they all were looking for a safe, secure and happy nation. Now more than ever, our community of nations must be united under the plums of the kumul. We need to value our identity as the people of Papua New Guinea because only then, we can collectively bring forth change. Together we can work on how to make 1 million PNGeans educated, have 10% growth, fight corruption, kill the bribes, protect the environment and even if the MDG, NSP 2050 Vision collapses, let us aspire to make PNG a prosperous, happy and safe nation.