PNGBLOGS

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI ‘I did all that I can to develop Papua New Guinea. It was very difficult in those days when teaching and learning materials did not reach us. One thing, for sure, I will remember is the little contribution I did to Madang province’, says Moses Gabuogi, the head teacher of Holy Spirit Primary School. Holy Spirit Primary School is a Catholic Agency school with over 1,129 students and 29 teachers (7 male staff, 22 female staff). It is ideally situated along Modilon Drive, right in the heart of Madang town. Next to the school ground are the Madang Catholic Cathedral, Sisters Convent and Community Hall, which therefore, makes it the biggest primary schools in the province. It is better, bigger and the learning environment is best with its spectacular aerial view that has a long profound history since 1964. Mr. Moses Gabuogi, is leaving teaching and administration career that spans more than 36 years, spending many painful hours in the classroom and attending to studen

By CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI ‘I did all that I can to develop Papua New Guinea. It was very difficult in those days when teaching and learning materials did not reach us. One thing, for sure, I will remember is the little contribution I did to Madang province’, says Moses Gabuogi, the head teacher of Holy Spirit Primary School. Holy Spirit Primary School is a Catholic Agency school with over 1,129 students and 29 teachers (7 male staff, 22 female staff). It is ideally situated along Modilon Drive, right in the heart of Madang town. Next to the school ground are the Madang Catholic Cathedral, Sisters Convent and Community Hall, which therefore, makes it the biggest primary schools in the province. It is better, bigger and the learning environment is best with its spectacular aerial view that has a long profound history since 1964. Mr. Moses Gabuogi, is leaving teaching and administration career that spans more than 36 years, spending many painful hours in the classroom and attending to st

After decades of maintaining a relatively neutral stance, the Papua New Guinea government will finally make a strong representation to Indonesia to raise concerns over alleged human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian military in the West Papua region. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in an interview with EMTV on Friday that the Foreign Affairs Department will deliver a diplomatic note expressing the concerns of Papua New Guinea citizens over the two Melanesian provinces of Papua and West Papua to the Indonesian government. The response comes days after representatives of more than 4000 Lutheran women called on Peter O’Neill to look into the difficulties faced by West Papuans. The public appeal for government attention to the West Papuan cause was made by Rose Muingepe, a Lutheran Women’s representative who was attending a conference in Mumeng outside of Lae City. “We are asking the government to raise the plight of the West Papuans on the floor of Parliament.  We know that wom

After decades of maintaining a relatively neutral stance, the Papua New Guinea government will finally make a strong representation to Indonesia to raise concerns over alleged human rights abuses committed by the Indonesian military in the West Papua region. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in an interview with EMTV on Friday that the Foreign Affairs Department will deliver a diplomatic note expressing the concerns of Papua New Guinea citizens over the two Melanesian provinces of Papua and West Papua to the Indonesian government. The response comes days after representatives of more than 4000 Lutheran women called on Peter O’Neill to look into the difficulties faced by West Papuans. The public appeal for government attention to the West Papuan cause was made by Rose Muingepe, a Lutheran Women’s representative who was attending a conference in Mumeng outside of Lae City. “We are asking the government to raise the plight of the West Papuans on the floor of Parliament.  We know that wo

By JOSH FRYDENBERG JULIA Gillard was in New York last week on a much hyped UN Security Council campaign. Multilateralism is the dominant theme. But, closer to home, key bilateral relationships have been left to languish. While it is now well known that Indonesia, China and India have all been left off the Prime Minister's itinerary, there is another important country that receives scant attention. Papua New Guinea is our most immediate neighbour, one of great strategic importance. Since becoming PM, Gillard has not visited PNG, while her Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, clumsily created a diplomatic incident with his condescending language over a potential delay to PNG's local elections. Carr threatened that should there be any delay Australia would have "no alternative but to organise the world to condemn and isolate Papua New Guinea". Such a heavy-handed approach was not only disproportionate, but was severely damaging to the relationship we must seek to build with PNG a

By JOSH FRYDENBERG JULIA Gillard was in New York last week on a much hyped UN Security Council campaign. Multilateralism is the dominant theme. But, closer to home, key bilateral relationships have been left to languish. While it is now well known that Indonesia, China and India have all been left off the Prime Minister's itinerary, there is another important country that receives scant attention. Papua New Guinea is our most immediate neighbour, one of great strategic importance. Since becoming PM, Gillard has not visited PNG, while her Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, clumsily created a diplomatic incident with his condescending language over a potential delay to PNG's local elections. Carr threatened that should there be any delay Australia would have "no alternative but to organise the world to condemn and isolate Papua New Guinea". Such a heavy-handed approach was not only disproportionate, but was severely damaging to the relationship we must seek to

Image Caption: Enga tribal village court magistrates are shown here after returning from negotiating a cease-fire to a tribal war in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. In a new study of war and peace among the Enga, University of Utah anthropologist Polly Wiessner examined how an indigenous village court justice system, sanctioned by the state, sharply reduced wars among the Enga after 20 years of fighting killed 4,816 people during 1990-2010. Credit: Polly Wiessner, University of Utah. Traditions stem gunfire after 4,800 die in Enga, Papua New Guinea  Mostly isolated from outsiders until the 1950s, Papua New Guinea’s Enga tribes fought with bows and arrows until 1990, when their young people and mercenary “Rambos” began using shotguns and semiautomatic rifles, igniting 20 years of warfare that killed 4,816 people. Wars diminished among some 110 Enga tribes when they tired of bloodshed and economic chaos. Clan and church leaders restored peace using traditional indigenous institut