PNG University Students, Lead the Way With Greater Creativity and Persistence in Protesting For a Better PNG
By J Wampar
It was inspiring when I first read that UPNG students were finally waking up and getting involved. But so many ups and downs with UPNG protests and now even the brief boycott is over. All because the referendum of 2/3rds vote for boycott was narrowly defeated. That shows that the majority of our students want to do something. What is lacking is creativity in how to protest. PNG uni students seem to have only have one trick up their sleaves. It is boycott, boycott, boycott. Anti-corruption activists think only of marches, marches, marches. There is only 1 fighting tool in each of their toolboxes.
This gives the impression that today in PNG the most creative and innovative strategists are actually the ones stealing public monies and escaping justice, and they are successful in their crimes because their opponents seem to be dummies who show no creativity.
It does not have to be this way. There are many good ideas on the internet on alternative strategies, but obviously those opposing corruption don’t care to look or don’t know to look to find them.
So what if UPNG admin won’t allow boycotts and the police won’t allow anti-corruption marches. Why should this be an excuse to do nothing?
Getting around the obstacles the government is putting on us, we need to start with the fact that we only succeed in our protests if we can communicate in a powerful and inspirational way. That is how we educate effectively. Any actions that are more effective in reaching and educating more people will be more effective. The more educated a person becomes, the more likely they will take on a teacher role to educate others. As people learn more about the crimes being committed by our leaders, they will become angrier. Angry people don’t worry much about what the authorities tell them about marching or boycotting. They’ll do it anyway and take the risk.
Once there are enough risk takers starting to take action, things really move. Leaders will start getting worried and frightened about the people power they see and begin to respond to clean up corruption. Fewer leaders will want to risk stealing and being caught.
We will never go through the above process if we let prohibitions like no marches and no boycotts stop our action. We must get around these roadblocks. We do well at getting out messages on the social media, but we keep forgetting that most people in PNG don’t have internet access. We have no choice but to take our protest and education efforts to the streets. There are many ways to do this without marching or boycotting. I have been researching the internet to learn creative ways to get around government prohibitions and am sharing these through the photos you see here.
All who read this, could you please help me get these ideas to the Moresby students and activists who fight corruption? If you have some free time, could you help me by making photocopies of this article and distribute them to students and other right people? Your help could be the action that makes all the difference between success or failure for all of us who care.
It was inspiring when I first read that UPNG students were finally waking up and getting involved. But so many ups and downs with UPNG protests and now even the brief boycott is over. All because the referendum of 2/3rds vote for boycott was narrowly defeated. That shows that the majority of our students want to do something. What is lacking is creativity in how to protest. PNG uni students seem to have only have one trick up their sleaves. It is boycott, boycott, boycott. Anti-corruption activists think only of marches, marches, marches. There is only 1 fighting tool in each of their toolboxes.
This gives the impression that today in PNG the most creative and innovative strategists are actually the ones stealing public monies and escaping justice, and they are successful in their crimes because their opponents seem to be dummies who show no creativity.
It does not have to be this way. There are many good ideas on the internet on alternative strategies, but obviously those opposing corruption don’t care to look or don’t know to look to find them.
So what if UPNG admin won’t allow boycotts and the police won’t allow anti-corruption marches. Why should this be an excuse to do nothing?
Getting around the obstacles the government is putting on us, we need to start with the fact that we only succeed in our protests if we can communicate in a powerful and inspirational way. That is how we educate effectively. Any actions that are more effective in reaching and educating more people will be more effective. The more educated a person becomes, the more likely they will take on a teacher role to educate others. As people learn more about the crimes being committed by our leaders, they will become angrier. Angry people don’t worry much about what the authorities tell them about marching or boycotting. They’ll do it anyway and take the risk.
Once there are enough risk takers starting to take action, things really move. Leaders will start getting worried and frightened about the people power they see and begin to respond to clean up corruption. Fewer leaders will want to risk stealing and being caught.
We will never go through the above process if we let prohibitions like no marches and no boycotts stop our action. We must get around these roadblocks. We do well at getting out messages on the social media, but we keep forgetting that most people in PNG don’t have internet access. We have no choice but to take our protest and education efforts to the streets. There are many ways to do this without marching or boycotting. I have been researching the internet to learn creative ways to get around government prohibitions and am sharing these through the photos you see here.
All who read this, could you please help me get these ideas to the Moresby students and activists who fight corruption? If you have some free time, could you help me by making photocopies of this article and distribute them to students and other right people? Your help could be the action that makes all the difference between success or failure for all of us who care.
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| Hit and run quick political graffiti |
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| Stencil created so that many copies of the same political graffiti can be made |
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| Using sidewalks and roads, even potholes to write political statements |
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| Protest signs painted on Body cheaper and faster than creating political t-shirts |
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| Unattended signs on wall to educate everyone who walks past |
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| Standing and holding a sign, not marching |
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| Standing, not marching, not boycotting, only educating |
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| Not marching in a group but walking alone with protest sign |
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Protest signs on a hire PMV or bus that can drive all around town and educate thousands
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| Not marching. Street preaching is common and legal in PNG, why is it used only to preach the Bible |
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| Making rubber stamp to spread political messages quickly on money |
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| Political messages written on money can be read by many. |
