Suppressing freedom of speech?

Posted by rait man of ACT NOW!

The article below, by Kenn Mondiai, Chair of the PNG Eco-Forestry Forum, is about the dangers of suppressing freedom of speech and the need to protect whistleblowers. It is a response to the news the Board of NASFUND has offered a K50,000 reward for information ‘leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution’ of the authors and publishers of ‘factually incorrect, malicious and defamatory’ statements on PNG Blogs.

Kenn Mondiai

In Papua New Guinea we are fortunate to have freedom of speech and the media is free to write and the commentaries also have that great flexibility to say what they think is not right and offer options and alternatives.

We at PNG Eco-forestry Forum have our own website (www.ecoforestry.org.pg) and we have been speaking out about illegal logging, unsustainable forest management, poor governance, abuse of human rights and other issues.

No-one including the government tried to stop us or suppress us directly, although we have recently heard about government plans to regulate NGO work in PNG; since we are genuine in what we do and say it’s unlikely an action will occur now, but in the future maybe if NGOs become unreasonable and driven by people with ulterior motives.

So far we have fully used the media well to do our work for the common good of our nation, our people and our natural resources and PNGEFF as a Papua New Guinean national umbrella NGO are proud of this media freedom.

We were challenged once in the Courts along with the Post Courier by  logging interests, that is Rimbunan Hijau, but the TRUTH remained and we still stand today doing our job to educate the people of PNG about what is RIGHT and what is WRONG by exposing WRONGS in an HONEST and TRUTHFULL way and then also providing alternatives as possible solutions.

So, whoever that brought out the message on NASFUND’s decision in whichever media that gave the message out is only trying to educate the public about what is NOT RIGHT and why it is WRONG, (I have not seen that messages), but is also true that no false information should be added and it should not in anyway be defamatory on persons related to that decision.

So don’t panic, just see how best your organisation (NASFUND in this case) can improve on it’s failures and address the concerns raised.

NASFUND recently, according to the newspapers, made some bad decisions about members money, we thought these issues were sorted out when the Govt ammended the Super Funds Acts, but it seems NOT, so they must fix it. I am not a member of NASFUND, but if I was, I will not hide my name under a Blog but will honestly speak my mind in the media or I can talk directly to Ian Tarutia and Rod Mitchell directly as I know both very well.

With this reward of K50,000 put up by NASFUND I think it is in a way or rather a step closer to Suppressing the Freedom of Speech, not by government but by the private sector, by the imposition of a monetary reward on peolple trying to express their rights on issues.

For the public and NGOs, whilst we have that freedom of speech, again we must take caution in what one says in the media, say the truth and provide options for a good outcome and don’t add salt or sugar to your stories.

Don’t be like the politicians trying to suppress media and freedom of speech in this country when their bad decisions and weaknesses are exposed and in reaction for their guilt they go to the media issuing all kinds of threats about controlling and regulating NGOs and the media.

Yupela yet skelim na tingim em tru o giaman !!!

 

The Cairns Declaration on SABLs

The Alarming Social and Environmental Impacts of Special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABLs) in Papua New Guinea

In March 2011, a large group of environmental and social scientists, natural-resource managers and nongovernmental-organization staff from Papua New Guinea and other nations met at James Cook University in Cairns, Queensland, Australia to discuss the future management and conservation of Papua New Guinea’s native forests. We reached a strong consensus on the need to halt the granting of Special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABLs).

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is among the most biologically and culturally diverse nations on Earth. PNG’s remarkable diversity of cultural groups rely intimately on their traditional lands and forests in order to meet their needs for farming plots, forest goods, wild game, traditional and religious sites, and many other goods and services. Nearly all of PNG’s land area is presently occupied or claimed by one or more of its traditional indigenous communities.

Papua New Guinea traditionally has had strong indigenous land ownership, which is enshrined in its national constitution. Over the past two decades, the country has experienced a dramatic increase in industrial logging, mining, natural-gas projects and other large-scale developments, and the formal permission of a majority of traditional local land-owners is required for such projects to proceed.

Unfortunately, abuses of trust with local communities have occurred far too often, especially with respect to the SABLs. SABLs greatly diminish the rights of traditional owners for long periods of time while promoting industrial-scale logging, deforestation for oil palm plantations, or other extractive uses. Most of these industrial uses are dominated by foreign or multinational corporations.

In 2010 alone, 2.6 million hectares of SABLs were granted, all for protracted 99-year terms, bringing the area of land alienated from customary owners in PNG to over 5 million hectares. These Leases frequently appear to have been made without the prior knowledge and informed consent of the majority of customary owners, alienating for several generations the lands on which they depend and have long relied.

It is our understanding that government authorizations to clear native forests, known as Forest Clearing Authorities, have been issued for approximately 2 million hectares of forest in existing SABLs, much of which is of outstanding biological and cultural significance. We believe that these Authorities will promote the exploitation of native forest resources by foreign interests without requiring them to comply with existing forestry regulations in PNG. In this sense, SABLs are a clear effort to circumvent prevailing efforts to reform the forestry industry in PNG, which has long been plagued by allegations of mismanagement and corruption. They also are clearly designed to promote industrial developments on an unprecedented scale within PNG while diminishing the rights of traditional land-owners.

For these reasons, we urge the Government of Papua New Guinea to (1) declare and enforce an immediate moratorium on the creation of new SABLS, (2) halt the issuing of new Forest Clearing Authorities, and (3) declare a temporary moratorium on the implementation of existing Forest Clearing Authorities. These steps should commence immediately while a thorough, transparent and independent review of the legality and constitutionality of these Leases and Authorities is undertaken.

Raising the living standards of the people of Papua New Guinea is an urgent goal that will require the sustainable exploitation of the country’s natural resources and the development of viable domestic industries. However, development needs to be undertaken in sympathy with the customary landownership embodied in the PNG Constitution. It must also operate in concert with ongoing efforts to limit rampant and often predatory industrial exploitation of the country’s forests, lands and other natural resources, which far too often fail to yield fair or equitable benefits for the majority of PNG citizens. This is the interest not only of the majority of PNG nationals, but also of those businesspeople who are presently operating responsibly in PNG.

We agree with the need for sustainable economic development, and to achieve this a comprehensive land-use plan, based on participatory land-use agreements, is clearly needed. Only then can the sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits of Papua New Guinea’s enormous natural wealth be secured for its people.

• [Download a PDF of the Cairns Declaration here: The Cairns Declaration]

 

Respectfully endorsed by:

Damien Ase
Executive Director, Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR),
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

William F. Laurance, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor & Australian Laureate
Prince Bernhard Chair in International Nature Conservation
James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

Yati A. Bun
Executive Director, Foundation for People and Community Development in Papua New Guinea,
Boroko, Papua New Guinea

Kenn Mondiai
Executive Director, Partners with Melanesians,
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Vojtech Novotny, Ph.D.
Director, New Guinea Binatang Research Centre,
Madang, Papua New Guinea

Colin Filer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Australian National University,
Canberra, Australia

Rod Keenan, Ph.D.
Professor of Forestry, University of Melbourne,
Melbourne, Australia

Michael Bird, Ph.D., FRSE
Distinguished Professor and Federation Fellow, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Thomas Paka
Executive Director, PNG Ecoforestry Forum,
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Nigel Stork, Ph.D.
Professor and Head of School, University of Melbourne,
Melbourne, Australia

David Mitchell
Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

Zachary Wells
Tree Kangaroo Conservation Programme,
Lae, Papua New Guinea

Colin Hunt, Ph.D.
School of Economics, University of Queensland,
Brisbane, Australia

Francis Hurahura
The Nature Conservancy: PNG,
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Michael Wood, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Paul Winn
Greenpeace Australia Pacific,
Sydney, Australia

Peter Hitchcock, Ph.D.
Founding Director (Emeritus), Wet Tropics Management Authority,
Cairns, Australia

Andrew Krockenberger, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Quentin Reilly, M.D., DPH, MBBS
Specialist Health Consultant, Former District Health Officer,
Manus Province, Papua New Guinea

Susan Laurance, Ph.D.
Tropical Leader and Senior Lecturer, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Damien Settle
Faculty of Science and Engineering, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Mark Baumgarten
Conservation International: Asia-Pacific,
Cairns, Australia

Mark Ziembicki, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Ross Sinclair, Ph.D.
Director, Wildlife Conservation Society PNG Programme,
Goroka, Papua New Guinea

Lance Hill, Ph.D.
Professor, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

Michelle Venter, M.Sc.
Doctoral Candidate, James Cook University,
Cairns, Australia

…

 

Press Release: PWM lends support for Sam Basil stand

Press Release: Released at 10 AM, Thur 20/01/11, BTA Office, Waigani, NCD

NATIONAL Environment and community development NGO, Partners with Melanesians affirmed their support for Bulolo MP Sam Basil who took the court injunction against Morobe Mining Joint Venture for environmental pollution of the Watut River.

They follow in support of Basil’s call for people with personal and ulterior motives to cease from obstructing him in his constitutional right to speak up for the people that he has been mandated to represent. If more than 100 sensible and thinking leaders support Mr Basil’s move then those selfish and greedy leaders who are obstructing Mr Basil should be ashamed and refrain from obstructing Mr Basil and his lawyers.

What’s happening along the Watut River is a clear indication of the beginning of many big things to come. We do not have to look far to see evidence of such impacts on the natural environmental and its people. The most notable ones include Tolukuma, Ok Tedi and the Jaba River in Panguna, Bougainville.

After 27 years experience of working with the rural village communities of Papua New Guinea, PWM knows full well the impacts of such extractive industries on their livelihood, especially mining.

The more than 18000 people living in the Managalas Plateau within the Afore Sub-district of the Oro Province have strongly objected to logging, forestry, mining and oil palm extension. MRA and the Department of Mining and Petroleum have issued three (3) exploration licenses to an Australian mining company, Gold Minex for a mining lease covering the entire Managalas Plateau which was done without a proper consultation process. However the 152 clan groups of the Managalas Plateau stand firm objecting mining exploration on their land.

It is important that the land owners of PNG need to know about the negative impacts of such destructive activities, which among others include, soil and water pollution, loss of land and biodiversity, skin disease and other health related issues, as well as the deterioration of the social and cultural fabric of those societies living within the vicinity of mine sites throughout PNG.

Successive governments over the years have failed to not only educate these landowners but have denied them the right to a safer and healthier future through sustainable management and use of their natural resources.

Mr. Kenn Mondiai
Executive Director – Partners with Melanesians, Inc.
[ Partners with Melanesians is a member of The Papua New Guinea Eco-Forestry Forum www.ecoforestry.org.pg ]

…

If this is not pollution then what is, Mr Allen*?

photo courtesy of Hon Sam Basil 2010

• Download the pdf copy of the official press release from PWM here.
• Click here for more photos of the pollution of Watut River. Morobe Province

 *Mr Benny Allen is the Minister for Environment & Conservation (at the time of this post).

 

Shirts-forBooks Campaign to Support Hope Trek: “Kokoda – Yuat”

I don’t know if had mentioned this earlier but I was working on something crazy. Well not the diabolical kind but outrageous nonetheless. Well, now its here at long last in all its naked glory!

Hope Trek gives you the opportunity to participate in a worthy cause through the Shirts-for-Books campaign. This is a fundraiser exercise in which printed T-shirts are sold to raise funds in helping to freight library books to children in remote schools.

It is basically an awareness trekking initiative with its primary focus in providing library books to remote schools within PNG to help in the education and early development of children. As a demonstrative exercise, members of Hope Trek will take on the Kokoda Track on May 23rd 2010 to raise awareness – NOT funds – in promoting the reading of books as a fundamental cornerstone in education and literacy.

In its pilot run, the initial books numbering to more than 2000 have been donated with the kind help of Hope Worldwide (PNG). Still more books are on their way from the Rotary Club of the rural township of Emerald in Queensland, Australia.

The initial target schools are Bukapena Top-Up in the Mul District of Western Highlands Province and Saluk Community School of remote Lembena, located in the border area of Enga Province (Kompiam District) and East Sepik Province (Angoram District). Bukapena, in a first of its kind, has erected a school library through local initiative and is in need of books to fill up its shelves, while Saluk, given its remoteness has only grades 1 – 4 and is in dire need of learning resources and books.

Further to its main purpose, this venture will also serve as a platform for raising awareness to certain key issues facing this country and its people. As such this initiative can be seen as a multipronged exercise aimed at bringing to light the following issues.

1. Environment and Conservation awareness – people need to be reminded of the importance of the natural environment. Scheduled to coincide with the World Environment Day (5 June 2010), this point will be highlighted in line with this year’s WED theme of ‘Protecting our Biodiversity’. Highlighted also will be The Managalas (Ijivitari district, Oro) people’s bid to get their area to attain Conservation Area status in August of 2010.
2. Climate Change awareness – related to the first point, this is a hot topic that is facing the wider global community including PNG who is already in the forefront of this agenda, with it having the first “refugees of climate change” in the world (Carteret Islands) . It is therefore imperative that our people are armed with this knowledge as this agenda requires affirmative action from one and all.
3. Eco-friendly Income Generating Ventures – there is commercial viability in the sustainable management and use of our rich natural resources and forests without the need to delve into more destructive land use practises. Trekking is one of the many eco-friendly tourist attractions that we all should look into for income generation. This will no doubt encourage the protection and preservation of our rich cultural and traditional heritage.
4. Responsibility and Self-reliance – as a demonstrative exercise, it is envisaged that this initiative will challenge people to be more proactive in their wish to see development within their area. That we as individual members of the community can participate meaningfully in the development process of our province and the nation as a whole instead of wasting our time and resources either waiting for services that never eventuate, or go chasing after claims and free hand-outs from the government, politicians and leaders. It is high time we eradicate the Cargo-Cult mentality from our mindset and set out to be more self-reliant and innovative in our thinking to see true progress.
5. Youth Mobilization – the participation of youths from Morata and Waigani in this exercise will no doubt be an eye-opening experience for them. By participating in a worthwhile cause, it will enable them to see themselves as more responsible citizens instead of just bums squandering their lives away in the city.
6. Books and Literacy – the primary focus of this initiative as outlined will be to challenge young children (and adults alike) to take up a book to read, thus helping to broaden their horizon, not only in the subjects taught in school but about the wider universe at large so that they can grow up to be better, more responsible citizens.

I therefore appeal to you and your organisation for your support in this worthy cause through the purchase of a few T-shirts. Proceeds from the sale of these T-shirts will be used to airlift these books to their intended destinations as well as to meet other necessary logistical expenses.

The T-shirt designs are attached herewith for your perusal. A detailed definition of this trekking venture can be made available upon request.

Nickson I. Piakal
Hope Trek Founder

For further information please contact me on the following.
B: 7695 1446    D: 7168 1837     E: niicaux@gmail.com     E(work): npiakal@pwmpng.org.pg

T-Shirt Designs

FRONT view: white t-shirt

FRONT view: black t-shirt

BACK view: standard white t-shirt

BACK view: standard black t-shirt

Back view: customised white t-shirt

Black print with orange and white texts: “05-06,`10”, “KOKODA to YUAT”, and “Powered by…” followed by YOUR company’s/ organisation’s LOGO.
Condition: Minimum purchase of 10 units.

Back view: customised black t-shirt

White print with orange and black texts: “05-06,`10”, “KOKODA to YUAT”, and “Powered by…” followed by YOUR company’s/ organisation’s LOGO.
Condition: Minimum purchase of 10 units.

 

Vision Pasifika Media Award Launched

A media award to celebrate the climate change reporting by our Pacific journalists has been launched by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with WWF.

The Vision Pasifika Media Award on Climate Change is to commemorate the efforts of Pacific journalists as they strive to raise climate change awareness throughout local communities.

“Pacific media are recognised as a powerful messenger for the climate change cause and during the Pacific year of climate change, it is their efforts that SPREP would like to applaud during the 2009 Pacific Year of Climate change, “ said Nanette Woonton SPREP’s Associate Media and Publications Officer.

There are 4 categories for this award: print, television, radio and journalism students. The winner of each category will receive a cash prize of 500USD. There is also a further 500USD for the best news item overall.

“This is to encourage, motivate and inspire Pacific reporters to write on climate change, as well as reward their efforts for taking the time to write such important stories,” said Taito John Roache, the Corporate Services Manager of SPREP.

Taito John Roache launching the Vision Pasifika Media Award

In 2006 SPREP had its first Environment Media Award in partnership with the Pacific Islands News Association, for which dozens of entries were received. A strong response is also expected this year for the Vision Pasifika Media Award which ends 1 November 2009.

Submissions for climate change news reports that have been published or broadcast in SPREP member countries and territories since 1 January, 2009 are eligible for entry.

For more details on the Vision Pasifika Media Award: Climate Change, please visit – http://www.sprep.org/climate_change/PYCC/index.asp.
You could also contact SPREP’s Associate Media and Publications Officer Nanette Woonton on E: nanettew@sprep.org T: (685) 21929 F: (685) 20231 W: http://www.sprep.org

Download the Flyer here::

Download the application form here::

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The Sepik River Crocodile Festival 09

REMOTE SEPIK VILLAGES PREPARE FOR ANNUAL SEPIK CROCODILE FESTIVAL, AUGUST 11-12, AMBUNTI, EAST SEPIK PROVINCE 

The central role of the crocodile in the lives of the people of the Sepik will be celebrated at the third Sepik Crocodile Festival, in remote Ambunti, from August 11-12. 

Dancers and traditional performers from communities across the region will meet in Ambunti for two days of celebrations. The festival aims to protect the crocodiles and their habitat. 

Background:

Communities are also spreading the message that they must start working now to keep the Sepik pristine and safeguard it for the future. 

The Sepik Crocodile Festival, to be held on August 11-12 in Ambunti, is an opportunity to link culture with conservation. 

This year’s event theme “Kirapim wok bilong turis wantaim bus, wara na pasin tumbuna bilong Sepik,”  is a call to recognize and promote ecotourism through conserving natural habitats and encouraging sustainable use of the river. 

The mighty Sepik River is still one of the most pristine rivers in Asia Pacific, but it is faces threats from development and climate change. 

Through a partnership programme with community-based organizations such as the Sepik Wetland Management Initiative and Help Resources – the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation and local-level governments are working with local clans and villages to build a secure future for the Sepik. 

The unique cultures of the Sepik are world-renowned. The river is essential for these local communities; it defines their spiritual and physical world. The river is the basis of myths and legends as well as providing food, shelter, building and carving materials, and medicines.

 As part of its support for the festival, WWF will highlight the importance of freshwater biodiversity. It is important to protect and restore freshwater and forest ecosystems to meet future challenges from climate change and to ensure people have access to safe water and food sources. 

WWF’s work in the Sepik basin includes helping communities build and strengthen ecotourism as a source of alternative income. 

WWF has been working in PNG since 1995. It focuses on linking community action, science and effective policy to ensure the protection and sustainable use of forests, freshwater and marine resources across the island of New Guinea. 

For further information, contact: 

Lydia Kaia
Communications Officer
Tel:             + 675 320 0149
Email:         lkaia@wwfpacific.org.pg

 Download the Sepik River Crocodile Festival Flyer >> A4SRCF_Flyr09

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