18 years of fighting by 182 clans, 185 deaths, they now seek peace
News that matters in Papua New Guinea
18 years of fighting by 182 clans, 185 deaths, they now seek peace
PORT MORESBY: Tribal and sorcery-related violence and killings have gone unabated for decades in Papua New Guinea.
In Morobe’s Tewae-Siassi’s Sialum, 182 clans have been fighting for more than 18 years and the death toll to date is 185.
However, two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) - Candaian-based The Essence of Peace Foundation (TEOPF) and Life Altering Development (LAD-PNG) - have managed to convinjce the clans to lay down arms, sign peace treaties and get back to normalcy to start working for socio-economic progress.
But, at the height of the violence and killings in 2015, the Papua New Guinea Government developed a comprehensive Sorcery and Witchcraft Accusation Related Violence (SARV) National Action Plan.
What has happened to the plan?
The issues were highlighted by reports in The National:
What happened to Sorcery National Action Plan?
SORCERY-related violence and killings continue seemingly unabated in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Sorcery-related activities seem to have made a resurgence the past month – perhaps only because the incidents had been brought to the limelight by various quarters. The National’s reporter MARJORIE FINKEO and Lae bureau chief PISAI GUMAR report on the development of the decades of sorcery decadence.
ACCORDING to the Australian High Commission in PNG webpage, belief in sorcery or witchcraft is deeply entrenched and widely held in different forms across PNG, not only in remote and/or rural areas. Violence related to accusations of sorcery or witchcraft is a real problem.
Research conducted in two provinces between January 2016 and October 2017 found that one-third of almost 150 recorded cases of accusations of sorcery or witchcraft resulted in violence, and of these, almost three quarters involved torture of people accused of sorcery or witchcraft. More than one in 10 were killed and over one-third were permanently injured.
The PNG Government developed a comprehensive Sorcery and Witchcraft Accusation Related Violence (SARV) National Action Plan in 2015 to address the problem of sorcery accusation-related violence. The plan featured the following core areas: services (through counselling, health sector and child protection); prevention through advocacy and communications; legal protection and prosecution; and research.
The Australian Government is working in partnership with the PNG Government in all core areas through the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) and Justice Services and Stability for Development programmes.
On Oct 30, 2018, the Pacific Women programme brought together community-based organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), churches, the PNG National Research Institute and universities based in both PNG and Australia to conduct a workshop and a public forum.
The workshop aimed to bring together various stakeholders engaging in research work around sorcery accusation-related violence to improve the communication of activities by partners to the SARV committee and to ensure that stakeholders are aware of various activities, lessons learnt and key findings emerging from current project work.
On Nov 1, 2018, a public forum was hosted at the National Museum and Art Gallery, featuring human rights defenders who shared their experiences of prevention and mediation strategies that work best in their communities. Oxfam also shared its findings on a gender-based violence baseline survey with results on sorcery accusation-related violence.
The Queensland University of Technology also shared its experiences, using research to support the development of audio-visual materials such as digital stories and their impact on communities.
Together, these stakeholders also launched the Communicating the Law Toolkit, a resource that provided participatory strategies for engagement with community groups. Another stakeholder who participated in the form was Tribal Foundation who shared their experience on extensive advocacy and awareness through its Senisim Pasin Campaign.
Since then, has sorcery-related violence and killings in PNG eased? Has the PNG Government really taken concrete action and serious steps to address this uncivilised social woe in this 21st Century digital world?
Research conducted in two provinces between January 2016 and October 2017 found that one-third of almost 150 recorded cases of accusations of sorcery or witchcraft resulted in violence, and of these, almost three quarters involved torture of people accused of sorcery or witchcraft. More than one in 10 were killed and over one-third were permanently injured.
The PNG Government developed a comprehensive Sorcery and Witchcraft Accusation Related Violence (SARV) National Action Plan in 2015 to address the problem of sorcery accusation-related violence. The plan featured the following core areas: services (through counselling, health sector and child protection); prevention through advocacy and communications; legal protection and prosecution; and research.
The Australian Government is working in partnership with the PNG Government in all core areas through the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) and Justice Services and Stability for Development programmes.
On Oct 30, 2018, the Pacific Women programme brought together community-based organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), churches, the PNG National Research Institute and universities based in both PNG and Australia to conduct a workshop and a public forum.
The workshop aimed to bring together various stakeholders engaging in research work around sorcery accusation-related violence to improve the communication of activities by partners to the SARV committee and to ensure that stakeholders are aware of various activities, lessons learnt and key findings emerging from current project work.
On Nov 1, 2018, a public forum was hosted at the National Museum and Art Gallery, featuring human rights defenders who shared their experiences of prevention and mediation strategies that work best in their communities. Oxfam also shared its findings on a gender-based violence baseline survey with results on sorcery accusation-related violence.
The Queensland University of Technology also shared its experiences, using research to support the development of audio-visual materials such as digital stories and their impact on communities.
Together, these stakeholders also launched the Communicating the Law Toolkit, a resource that provided participatory strategies for engagement with community groups. Another stakeholder who participated in the form was Tribal Foundation who shared their experience on extensive advocacy and awareness through its Senisim Pasin Campaign.
Since then, has sorcery-related violence and killings in PNG eased? Has the PNG Government really taken concrete action and serious steps to address this uncivilised social woe in this 21st Century digital world?
Gibbs … what happened to the Sorcery National Action Plan
Divine Word University Professor Philip Gibbs says witchcraft and sorcery are different but research shows Papua New Guineans tend to use both terms as the same, with many referring both to sanguma.
“Witchcraft and sorcery accusations occur nationwide but they are treated differently in different parts of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Around Miline Bay, people think of witchcraft. In Sepik it is both witchcraft and sanguma.
“In Bereina and Central, the sorcerer assists the chief to maintain law and order. In Bougainville it is usually men who are accused. The same happens in Madang. In parts of the Highlands they refer to sanguma. There, it is usually women, and sometimes they burn the accused alive,” he added.
Gibbs asked: “Why accuse others of witchcraft or sorcery? When there is a death or misfortune people like to ask a ‘who’ question instead of ‘what’ question. Who killed the man? Who caused the landslide? Who caused the car accident, and who made the house collapse? People ask who caused it instead of asking what caused it.”
In the last six years, Gibbs has met and interviewed at least six women from Southern Highlands, 10 women from Enga and two women from Western Highlands.
“All the women survivors were innocent. They had to endure accusations and tortures.
“Some of them confessed to being witches because they were tortured with hot iron shoved into their private parts. To them, it seemed the only way to stop the terrible torture was to say yes, that they had performed sorcery,” he added. Gibbs said one woman survivor told him that “I just made it up, I am really innocent”.
A woman from Enga who lived in Mt Hagen was raped and kidnapped but she fled and escaped in the dark and ended up in the cemetery at 2am.
Unfortunately, a group of men were guarding a new grave of their relative and when they saw the woman, they held her up and started torturing her because they thought she was a sorcerer. Fortunately, she was rescued by church members and taken to the hospital.
Why does society tend to blame someone for sorcery when a man has died in a village? The deceased may even be an old man yet they still believe he died from sorcery even after a doctor had diagnosed as sickness as cause of death but the accusers still say sanguma kilim em, poison bilong TB kilim em (sorcery killed him, TB virus killed him). Usually the accusations come when it is an unexpected death. People will ask who did it, who is behind his death husait i kros mas givim sanguma (whoever gets angry must be a sorcerer) his enemies might have killed him.
Gibbs said two weeks ago, a woman tortured to death in Kandep, Enga, because two people had died in their village. Sometimes a woman is tortured to death because she has no grown sons to look after the land and people will accuse her in order to take her land or her gardens.
He said statistics were very difficult to get because many sorcery-related incidents had gone reported. “Many cannot talk openly to others outside of the community because of fear for their own safety. We hear only of some in the media and on forum discussions.”
Divine Word University Professor Philip Gibbs says witchcraft and sorcery are different but research shows Papua New Guineans tend to use both terms as the same, with many referring both to sanguma.
“Witchcraft and sorcery accusations occur nationwide but they are treated differently in different parts of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Around Miline Bay, people think of witchcraft. In Sepik it is both witchcraft and sanguma.
“In Bereina and Central, the sorcerer assists the chief to maintain law and order. In Bougainville it is usually men who are accused. The same happens in Madang. In parts of the Highlands they refer to sanguma. There, it is usually women, and sometimes they burn the accused alive,” he added.
Gibbs asked: “Why accuse others of witchcraft or sorcery? When there is a death or misfortune people like to ask a ‘who’ question instead of ‘what’ question. Who killed the man? Who caused the landslide? Who caused the car accident, and who made the house collapse? People ask who caused it instead of asking what caused it.”
In the last six years, Gibbs has met and interviewed at least six women from Southern Highlands, 10 women from Enga and two women from Western Highlands.
“All the women survivors were innocent. They had to endure accusations and tortures.
“Some of them confessed to being witches because they were tortured with hot iron shoved into their private parts. To them, it seemed the only way to stop the terrible torture was to say yes, that they had performed sorcery,” he added. Gibbs said one woman survivor told him that “I just made it up, I am really innocent”.
A woman from Enga who lived in Mt Hagen was raped and kidnapped but she fled and escaped in the dark and ended up in the cemetery at 2am.
Unfortunately, a group of men were guarding a new grave of their relative and when they saw the woman, they held her up and started torturing her because they thought she was a sorcerer. Fortunately, she was rescued by church members and taken to the hospital.
Why does society tend to blame someone for sorcery when a man has died in a village? The deceased may even be an old man yet they still believe he died from sorcery even after a doctor had diagnosed as sickness as cause of death but the accusers still say sanguma kilim em, poison bilong TB kilim em (sorcery killed him, TB virus killed him). Usually the accusations come when it is an unexpected death. People will ask who did it, who is behind his death husait i kros mas givim sanguma (whoever gets angry must be a sorcerer) his enemies might have killed him.
Gibbs said two weeks ago, a woman tortured to death in Kandep, Enga, because two people had died in their village. Sometimes a woman is tortured to death because she has no grown sons to look after the land and people will accuse her in order to take her land or her gardens.
He said statistics were very difficult to get because many sorcery-related incidents had gone reported. “Many cannot talk openly to others outside of the community because of fear for their own safety. We hear only of some in the media and on forum discussions.”
In some parts, statistics show that sorcery accusations are new. Only around 2010 sorcery was introduced in Enga, probably due to inter marriage from other provinces, and outsiders travelling into the province. Gibbs said that the government had given very little support on the cause and efforts to stop sorcery-related violence and killings. “What is being done is mostly with churches and NGOs. The government was supposed to fund the Sorcery National Action Plan, but that never happened.”
Gibbs said: “It would be a great relief if the Government funds safe houses.
We do have safe houses, usually run by NGO’s or churches, but their whereabouts are confidential because we need to keep them safe for women and children.”
He said several hundred years ago, the people in Europe used to kill those who were accused of being witches.
It took more than 300 years for that to stop. The situation in PNG is improving and it will not need 300 years to stop it, like in Europe.
All we need is the Government’s will to seriously act to stop such violence.”
Papua New Guinea Council of Churches (PNGCC) General Secretary Roger Joseph said it divides the coexistence and unity of families which results in dividing the faith of the people, prevents the development and growth of PNG, in all respects such as socially, economically, spiritually and politically.
“Sorcery refers to all occult rituals or processes designed to influence or control the cause of nature and to dominate men to use of supernatural powers,” he said.
PNG Tribal Foundation president Gary Bustin said many assisted victims of sorcery in many parts of the provinces had revealed that they were falsely accused by someone and tortured because of society’s beliefs.
“The people who are being tortured are almost always vulnerable women, children and men, especially the sick and disabled,” he said.
“The victims were not people of strong influence, usually single women, widowers and those who had no one to stand up for them.
“They are accused because of a wide variety of reasons, but they usually have to do with someone wanting their land, someone wanting revenge or because they are a bit different or vulnerable,” he added.
Gibbs said: “It would be a great relief if the Government funds safe houses.
We do have safe houses, usually run by NGO’s or churches, but their whereabouts are confidential because we need to keep them safe for women and children.”
He said several hundred years ago, the people in Europe used to kill those who were accused of being witches.
It took more than 300 years for that to stop. The situation in PNG is improving and it will not need 300 years to stop it, like in Europe.
All we need is the Government’s will to seriously act to stop such violence.”
Papua New Guinea Council of Churches (PNGCC) General Secretary Roger Joseph said it divides the coexistence and unity of families which results in dividing the faith of the people, prevents the development and growth of PNG, in all respects such as socially, economically, spiritually and politically.
“Sorcery refers to all occult rituals or processes designed to influence or control the cause of nature and to dominate men to use of supernatural powers,” he said.
PNG Tribal Foundation president Gary Bustin said many assisted victims of sorcery in many parts of the provinces had revealed that they were falsely accused by someone and tortured because of society’s beliefs.
“The people who are being tortured are almost always vulnerable women, children and men, especially the sick and disabled,” he said.
“The victims were not people of strong influence, usually single women, widowers and those who had no one to stand up for them.
“They are accused because of a wide variety of reasons, but they usually have to do with someone wanting their land, someone wanting revenge or because they are a bit different or vulnerable,” he added.
18yrs, 185 deaths end in peace treaty for 182 clans
16 communities to sign peace agreement in March
By PISAI GUMARAFTER 18 years of fighting and slaughtering one another, 182 clans from 16 of 70 warring villages in Tewae-Siassi’s Sialum in Morobe are laying down arms to embrace peace.
Four Organic Treaties have been inked since the decision to lay down arms.
Each treaty is significant, starting with the Peace Declaration, Land Agreements and the End of the Spear Ceremony, where village and clan leaders agreed to end all corruption, fighting and criminal activities.
After which a partnership agreement is signed between Canadian-based Non-Governmental Organisation, The Essence of Peace Foundation TEOPF (www.essenceofpeace.org), Life Altering Development (LAD-PNG) and the people.
The Peace Treaty Package (Peace, Land and Partnership) has been signed by eight villages – Kanzarua, Sambe, Ririwo and Hudewa as of June 2, 2019, followed by Orarako, Rebafu, Zankoa and Zakubep on Oct 7, 2019.
Two other groups will be signing as soon as the Peace Treaty Package gets back to the village.
These include Group 3: Samep, Ga, Nanda and Kanome; and Group 4: Karako, Mineneko, Gerup and Mayawa.
To seal the deal, an official signing is scheduled for the March 14 weekend, where as many as 12,000 villagers may be attending the ceremonies.
The nearly two decades of fighting – party sparked by issues related to land, women and cult beliefs and (sorcery) practices – have resulted in an official death toll of 185 lives in Sialum, with many still missing and unaccounted.
It all started in 2007 over the land boundary and soon the southeasterly wind teed-off the bush fire along Sialum kunai grasses that flared into the hinterlands as things went out of hand.
Food gardens and coffee trees were destroyed, domesticated plants cut down, cattle and pigs butchered, people slaughtered and houses burnt to ashes leaving women and children scattering everywhere in fear of their lives, seeking refuge elsewhere.
“As the fighting and killings worsened, basic government services, health, education, roads and accessibility to and from markets deteriorated.
“Public servants fled in fear of their lives, leaving skeletal facilities welcoming zombies to reside,” villager Wallice Mollo said.
The Tewae-Siassi district treasury was relocated and operated in Gagidu, Finschhafen, for some time.
The people’s right to freedom of movement became scary and frightening when men armed with guns, knives, bows and arrows, keep hunting and killing each other.
In Morobe’s history, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) plane once landed at Gerup when wards 12 and 15 combined and fought with wards 10 and 11.
Wards 12 and 15 include Orarako, Rebafu, Zangkoa and Zakupep while wards 10 and 11 comprise Mineneko, Karako, Mayawa and Samep.
PNGDF facilitated the peace process in Gerup with rival clans surrendering their weapons which were destroyed. Soon after, the fighting and killing erupted again.
The difference between the treaties then and the treaties now is the partnership with TEOPF and LAD-PNG who are taking the Biblical approach to stop the violence and killings – replacing with Bible instruction and common ground development.
Mollo, a local, started buying coffee from village farmers in 2013 in the midst of the ongoing fighting and killing.
But Mollo hardly walked a mile further to reach his anticipation because:
Four Organic Treaties have been inked since the decision to lay down arms.
Each treaty is significant, starting with the Peace Declaration, Land Agreements and the End of the Spear Ceremony, where village and clan leaders agreed to end all corruption, fighting and criminal activities.
After which a partnership agreement is signed between Canadian-based Non-Governmental Organisation, The Essence of Peace Foundation TEOPF (www.essenceofpeace.org), Life Altering Development (LAD-PNG) and the people.
The Peace Treaty Package (Peace, Land and Partnership) has been signed by eight villages – Kanzarua, Sambe, Ririwo and Hudewa as of June 2, 2019, followed by Orarako, Rebafu, Zankoa and Zakubep on Oct 7, 2019.
Two other groups will be signing as soon as the Peace Treaty Package gets back to the village.
These include Group 3: Samep, Ga, Nanda and Kanome; and Group 4: Karako, Mineneko, Gerup and Mayawa.
To seal the deal, an official signing is scheduled for the March 14 weekend, where as many as 12,000 villagers may be attending the ceremonies.
The nearly two decades of fighting – party sparked by issues related to land, women and cult beliefs and (sorcery) practices – have resulted in an official death toll of 185 lives in Sialum, with many still missing and unaccounted.It all started in 2007 over the land boundary and soon the southeasterly wind teed-off the bush fire along Sialum kunai grasses that flared into the hinterlands as things went out of hand.
Food gardens and coffee trees were destroyed, domesticated plants cut down, cattle and pigs butchered, people slaughtered and houses burnt to ashes leaving women and children scattering everywhere in fear of their lives, seeking refuge elsewhere.
“As the fighting and killings worsened, basic government services, health, education, roads and accessibility to and from markets deteriorated.
“Public servants fled in fear of their lives, leaving skeletal facilities welcoming zombies to reside,” villager Wallice Mollo said.
The Tewae-Siassi district treasury was relocated and operated in Gagidu, Finschhafen, for some time.
The people’s right to freedom of movement became scary and frightening when men armed with guns, knives, bows and arrows, keep hunting and killing each other.
In Morobe’s history, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) plane once landed at Gerup when wards 12 and 15 combined and fought with wards 10 and 11.
Wards 12 and 15 include Orarako, Rebafu, Zangkoa and Zakupep while wards 10 and 11 comprise Mineneko, Karako, Mayawa and Samep.
PNGDF facilitated the peace process in Gerup with rival clans surrendering their weapons which were destroyed. Soon after, the fighting and killing erupted again.
The difference between the treaties then and the treaties now is the partnership with TEOPF and LAD-PNG who are taking the Biblical approach to stop the violence and killings – replacing with Bible instruction and common ground development.
Mollo, a local, started buying coffee from village farmers in 2013 in the midst of the ongoing fighting and killing.
But Mollo hardly walked a mile further to reach his anticipation because:
- FIGFHTING and killing were everywhere as he takes a step and risk his life;
- COFFEE gardens were destroyed;
- COFFEE farmers were unable to work the farms to produce quality beans in fear of their lives;
- FARMERS were also involved in the fights in support of their clans; and
- MARKET access became narrow, shallow and dried.
Sialum was known to produce 7,000-10,000 tonnes of coffee annually apart from grazing the best cattle in Morobe and vanilla farming.
Mollo, from the gains earned in selling coffee, started a small agriculture business called ASW Coffee Ltd.
He then used the profits to buy roofing irons and helped families whose homes were burnt during hostility and so far helped 17 families.
The programme includes helping families with roofing iron and the creation of a Facebook page, posted with articles and pictures of not only to keep villagers informed of the violence in Sialum but to create awareness for peace and appeals to seek outside help to settle the ongoing bloodshed.
Mollo then met TEOPF chief executive officer Joel Phinnemore in February last year.
“I told Phinnemore I wanted to export coffee but he said ‘your coffee has too much water content’. I understood that and took measures to meet the requirements of coffee buyers,” he added.
To do that, Mollo returned home to mediate warring clans lay down arms, reconcile and allow the peace restoration process to bring harmony and transformation to livelihoods.
Only then health, education, roads and marketing accessibility for coffee, cattle and vanilla including fish and cocoa will return to Sialum communities, enabling them to create wealth for themselves.
Phinnemore assigned Mollo on a peace restoration mission with documents translated from English into Tok Pisin to conduct awareness and that resulted in first treaty on June 2.
Through TEOPF, Phinnemore also located and linked Asi Marum with Mollo, and under TEOPF, the LAD-PNG group was established to work in partnership. LAD-PNG is made up of village leaders. For each treaty signed, one leader becomes part of LAD-PNG.
Marum and Mollo are both board of directors representing Sialum and Wasu respectively, facilitating the peace process on the ground. It is understood that after the peace accord, the 16 communities will work in partnership with LAD-PNG and TEOPF on a three-year pilot project that includes Bible instruction and poverty relief development.
A further two (2) years will see graduates from the programme who can then work in other villages to duplicate the programme.
The programme is aggressive and comprehensive., teaching:
THROUGH the forgive programme, the story of Joseph and why is taught. It is important to forgive without compensation;
IN the reconcile programme, the ministry of Jesus and why are taught. It is important to work together, work with each other and work for others; and
FOR the transformation programme, the wisdom of King Solomon and why are taught. It is important to put Jesus first in every part of our life.
As a part of the partnership agreement, each group of villages provide a space where, with sustainable resources, training centers will be constructed. The first such training center (an H90 model) had its ground breaking ceremony in Kanzarua on Thursday (Jan 23).
In addition, each village provides five mature trees. These trees will be used for major infrastructure projects in their area at a later date.
In exchange, TEOPF and LAD-PNG will help plant 960,000 more trees of varying species.
LAD-PNG and TEOPF only have a few conditions, if breached, they will leave:
NO tribal fighting. It is the responsibility of each leader to ensure that it stays safe for the two organisations as well as the volunteers who work with them;
NO crime. It is not cut and dry. However leaders have an obligation to bring in the proper authorities to take care of the person charged with the crime. If leaders do not take charge and call in the proper authorities, then the organization must leave; and
ZERO tolerance on corruption. This means that the villages, clans and leaders will not be a party to or of any corrupt scheme, and will inform the proper authorities if one such scheme is requested by any government official or offered by any person in the village.
For the peace treaties to move forward, the treaties had to be organic and organised by the people. No livestock, women, children, land or any other form of appeasement were used in the organic peace treaties. No monies were exchanged either.
Instead, it was the conviction that manifested deep within the hearts and minds of every person in respective of warring clans to give away arms and quit evil deeds that imprisoned them in exile for 18 years.
Their aim is to see a new hope and dawn rise up from the horizons of Vitiaz Strait and inspire their souls with a new mindset and thinking.
In March, all 16 communities will sign a legal binding agreement that will encourage reconciliation, peace and transformation.
The agreement will also set the basis for the people to work in partnership with TEOPF and LAD-PNG to ensure formal operations in humanitarian programmes to begin in Sialum as the pilot project area.
After three years, based on the outcome achieved in Sialum, the programme will expand to Wasu and Siassi Island.
Mollo, from the gains earned in selling coffee, started a small agriculture business called ASW Coffee Ltd.
He then used the profits to buy roofing irons and helped families whose homes were burnt during hostility and so far helped 17 families.
The programme includes helping families with roofing iron and the creation of a Facebook page, posted with articles and pictures of not only to keep villagers informed of the violence in Sialum but to create awareness for peace and appeals to seek outside help to settle the ongoing bloodshed.
Mollo then met TEOPF chief executive officer Joel Phinnemore in February last year.
“I told Phinnemore I wanted to export coffee but he said ‘your coffee has too much water content’. I understood that and took measures to meet the requirements of coffee buyers,” he added.
To do that, Mollo returned home to mediate warring clans lay down arms, reconcile and allow the peace restoration process to bring harmony and transformation to livelihoods.
Only then health, education, roads and marketing accessibility for coffee, cattle and vanilla including fish and cocoa will return to Sialum communities, enabling them to create wealth for themselves.
Phinnemore assigned Mollo on a peace restoration mission with documents translated from English into Tok Pisin to conduct awareness and that resulted in first treaty on June 2.
Through TEOPF, Phinnemore also located and linked Asi Marum with Mollo, and under TEOPF, the LAD-PNG group was established to work in partnership. LAD-PNG is made up of village leaders. For each treaty signed, one leader becomes part of LAD-PNG.
Marum and Mollo are both board of directors representing Sialum and Wasu respectively, facilitating the peace process on the ground. It is understood that after the peace accord, the 16 communities will work in partnership with LAD-PNG and TEOPF on a three-year pilot project that includes Bible instruction and poverty relief development.
A further two (2) years will see graduates from the programme who can then work in other villages to duplicate the programme.
The programme is aggressive and comprehensive., teaching:
THROUGH the forgive programme, the story of Joseph and why is taught. It is important to forgive without compensation;
IN the reconcile programme, the ministry of Jesus and why are taught. It is important to work together, work with each other and work for others; and
FOR the transformation programme, the wisdom of King Solomon and why are taught. It is important to put Jesus first in every part of our life.
As a part of the partnership agreement, each group of villages provide a space where, with sustainable resources, training centers will be constructed. The first such training center (an H90 model) had its ground breaking ceremony in Kanzarua on Thursday (Jan 23).
In addition, each village provides five mature trees. These trees will be used for major infrastructure projects in their area at a later date.
In exchange, TEOPF and LAD-PNG will help plant 960,000 more trees of varying species.
LAD-PNG and TEOPF only have a few conditions, if breached, they will leave:
NO tribal fighting. It is the responsibility of each leader to ensure that it stays safe for the two organisations as well as the volunteers who work with them;
NO crime. It is not cut and dry. However leaders have an obligation to bring in the proper authorities to take care of the person charged with the crime. If leaders do not take charge and call in the proper authorities, then the organization must leave; and
ZERO tolerance on corruption. This means that the villages, clans and leaders will not be a party to or of any corrupt scheme, and will inform the proper authorities if one such scheme is requested by any government official or offered by any person in the village.
For the peace treaties to move forward, the treaties had to be organic and organised by the people. No livestock, women, children, land or any other form of appeasement were used in the organic peace treaties. No monies were exchanged either.
Instead, it was the conviction that manifested deep within the hearts and minds of every person in respective of warring clans to give away arms and quit evil deeds that imprisoned them in exile for 18 years.
Their aim is to see a new hope and dawn rise up from the horizons of Vitiaz Strait and inspire their souls with a new mindset and thinking.
In March, all 16 communities will sign a legal binding agreement that will encourage reconciliation, peace and transformation.
The agreement will also set the basis for the people to work in partnership with TEOPF and LAD-PNG to ensure formal operations in humanitarian programmes to begin in Sialum as the pilot project area.
After three years, based on the outcome achieved in Sialum, the programme will expand to Wasu and Siassi Island.
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