Indigenous landowners can benefit from carbon project in Papua New Guinea

By BEATRICE BONAKOYA | THE NATIONAL (edited)

Customary Landowners (CLOs) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have to be considered in efforts by the Government and the United Nations to reduce gas emissions in the country, an official said.

Dr Justin Ondopa, a senior researcher with the National Research Institute (NRI) urged the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and the UN-REDD+ programme to include landowners as much as possible for the sustainability of the project.

“Resources are on the land and land is owned by the indigenous people. When we define carbon right, where does the carbon stay?” he asked.

He was speaking during the question-and-answer session at a one-day workshop that concentrated on information-sharing between stakeholders.

He challenged the participants to create more awareness in the communities. He said carbon right was an issue that very few people had knowledge of and more awareness was needed at the village level.

“When we talk about carbon emission, carbon is found in trees and trees are on the land owned by the people. We need to involve landowners as much as possible,” he said.

Trees help regulate carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as they help store carbon. When trees are cleared, the carbon stored is then released thereby increasing the level of greenhouse gases.

Policy analyst with the CCDA Danny Nekitel said: “It is important that landowner communities should not only be made aware of the benefits of the project, but also of any social, economic, political and environmental consequences that may result due to the establishment of the project … in their river, on their land and the community which they live in.” – via Garamut News.

Australia’s Macquarie Bank had pulled out of any potential carbon trading in PNG, citing a lack of market integrity as the main reason

Extracted from MASALAI BLOG | EDITED (with readers’ comments)

With the controversies surrounding the Office of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability (now Climate Change and Development Authority [CCDA]) and subsequent sidelining of the director Dr. Theo Yasause, new information is beginning to unfold as the Masalai Blog reports in July 2009.

The blog post with the title “Carbon Trading under More Scrutiny” attracted a massive 178 comments from PNG, Australia and the world over.

According to documents, the government has been pre-selling carbon credits for almost four years prior to 2009 without any proper legal policy documentation and framework in place.

Among the documents obtained was a certificate with serial numbers A1 to A33 and bearing the signature of former Minister for Trade and Industry, Paul Tiensten who signed on behalf of then Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare on the 26th of July, 2005 with Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd.

The certificate holds the common seal of Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd. It is understood the certificate in “A” Series specifies a monetary value of $20m with its maturity date set on the 1st January, 2008 but it is unclear whether actual monies have exchanged.

Former Prime Minister and the then Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta at the time in learning about this this commented “our carbon is being sold yet we don’t have legislations and policy in place.” “It is unbecoming of leaders travelling around the world selling behind our backs. This is a huge corruption.”

According to the Office of the Prime Minister there are also reports of carbon ‘conmen’ selling customary landowners permits to ‘bag’ carbon from the atmosphere to the Government carbon trading office.

It appears that publicity about these actions has been promoted by Governors in several provinces.

The reason for the Governors’ discontent is that there was no indication that revenue would accrue to them.

According to law, some export-orientated activities direct revenue to provincial administrations. The irregularities, snake-oil salesmen and administrative problems do not bode well for carbon trading in PNG.

According to one report, Macquarie Bank has already pulled out of any potential carbon trading in the country, citing a lack of market integrity as the main reason.

Development agencies have something to answer for here. The World Bank actively promoted the idea that carbon credits could be earned and traded in a global emissions trading scheme if deforestation was halted.

One World Bank report suggested that revenue from credits could greatly exceed revenue from forestry.

The Bank offered to provide seed finance for a fund to support development and trading of credits. A number of national aid agencies chipped in.

But it is abundantly clear that this clever financial engineering is too clever. The EU has said that it does not favour the sale of such large numbers of credits from developing countries into the EU trading scheme.

Greenpeace and WWF oppose creation of cheap credits like this, and it is now clear there will not be global agreement on an emissions trading scheme in the near future.

A reader on the Masalai blog comments, this just the tip of the iceberg. Australian company Carbon Planet has just completed a merger. CARBON Planet will merge with Melbourne-based telecommunications investor, m2m Corporation, in a deal expected to create a $117 million, stock market-listed carbon trading company.

In a presentation to m2m shareholders, Carbon Planet said it had 25 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) projects in Papua New Guinea expected to generate $1 billion annually, with another eight REDD MOUs in Indonesia.

“These are firm contracts on paper,” Mr Johnson said. The company said it had only two projects in PNG less than a month ago.

m2m, incorporating Carbon Planet, will be the first Australian-listed entity providing full services in carbon trading activities, the companies said yesterday.

25 REDD contracts Already signed in PNG with a value of $1 billion annually!!!

Someone is lying here – either Carbon Planet (unlikely as they have to answer to ASIC), or the PNG Government, according to Adelaide Advertiser news.

Another avid reader on the blog argues, foreigners and their Papua New Guinean cohorts have enriched themselves enough using PNG’s resources.

Both parties are telling lies. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there is currently NO law as yet to sanction the roll out of the whole REDD thing at a global level. So where does ASIC get its legal basis to recognize and validate Carbon Planet’s assertions?

This scheme unfortunately appears to be one trick too many for these raskols. I hope the Carbon Planet people with their PNG cohorts are arrested and charged for operating a scam.

A next reader also commented saying Ilya has more info about how Carbon Planet got’s its claws into this market and arranged a monopoly deal.

Check Cockfighting Carbon Trading Australian Horse Trainer in PNG
at http://aappng.blogspot.com/

Sounds like Ilya is being forced out for telling the truth? Wherever there is a buck to be made in PNG the rogues and scoundrels drop in like flies to suck up whatever they can. How do the local people benefit? It’s happened time and time again.

What gets me mad is that this is fools money. Western companies that produce carbon pollution can buy credits in other countries- basically bribes to stop them cutting down forests, so that they can “offset” this against their carbon emissions – that means they can just carry on producing as much carbon pollution as they want without a hefty tax burden.

It doesn’t reduce carbon emissions as there is no way of knowing whether the forests would have been cut down or not. So it’s a gigantic carbon tax avoidance scheme by western industry.

Of course now the middle men and rogues have jumped in for a piece of the action, obviously involving kick-backs and bribes to PNG officials.

If there is to be a carbon offset scheme, shouldn’t it be directly with the people that OWN the forests concerned?

Why should ‘brokers’ or Governments get the money? Plus it needs a proper regulatory and governance structure to make sure it is all above board – which isn’t in place yet ANYWHERE in the world, let alone PNG! Makes me sick to the stomach. – Via Garamut News.

PNG in excess of 860 different languages accounting for a third of the world’s indigenous tongues

By MICHAEL KUMAKA | COMMENTARY

The harsh and rugged landscape of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to the largest area of intact rainforest outside of the Amazon, steep mountain ranges, turbulent rivers, untouched beaches, unique flora and fauna, and active volcanoes.

PNG is also home to over 8 million people constituting more than 1,000 different indigenous cultural communities.

It is considered to be one of the most heterogeneous populations in the world, predominately living outside urban districts in rural areas, and differentiated by their own language, customs, and traditions

There are in excess of 860 indigenous languages (tok ples) accounting for a third of the world’s indigenous tongues.

The indigenous communities of PNG embrace the varying cultures through visual expressions, which are all integral to the ongoing way of life in PNG.

It is the rich and diverse cultural festivals, combined with a diverse population and some of the world’s most unique flora, fauna, and landscapes, that provide PNG with a unique selling proposition as an attractive adventure-driven tourism and event destination.

There are significant opportunities for the development of what can arguably be termed an “emergent” tourism and event industry.

For instance, PNG is arguably in the exploration stage of development as it is a relatively unexplored destination in which visitor numbers are small, and access, facilities, and local knowledge are limited. – Via Garamut News. 

Australian Carbon Trading companies ‘rush’ into PNG when the country was not ready with legal framework on REDD+ and carbon trading schemes

Extracted from MASALAI BLOG | EDITED (with readers’ comments)

With the controversies surrounding the Office of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability (now Climate Change and Development Authority [CCDA]) and subsequent sidelining of the director Dr. Theo Yasause, new information is beginning to unfold as the Masalai Blog reports in July 2009.

The blog post with the title “Carbon Trading under More Scrutiny” attracted a massive 178 comments from PNG, Australia and the world over.

According to documents, the government has been pre-selling carbon credits for almost four years prior to 2009 without any proper legal policy documentation and framework in place.

Among the documents obtained was a certificate with serial numbers A1 to A33 and bearing the signature of former Minister for Trade and Industry, Paul Tiensten who signed on behalf of then Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare on the 26th of July, 2005 with Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd.

The certificate holds the common seal of Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd. It is understood the certificate in “A” Series specifies a monetary value of $20m with its maturity date set on the 1st January, 2008 but it is unclear whether actual monies have exchanged.

Former Prime Minister and the then Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta at the time in learning about this this commented “our carbon is being sold yet we don’t have legislations and policy in place.” “It is unbecoming of leaders travelling around the world selling behind our backs. This is a huge corruption.”

According to the Office of the Prime Minister there are also reports of carbon ‘conmen’ selling customary landowners permits to ‘bag’ carbon from the atmosphere to the Government carbon trading office.

It appears that publicity about these actions has been promoted by Governors in several provinces.

The reason for the Governors’ discontent is that there was no indication that revenue would accrue to them.

According to law, some export-orientated activities direct revenue to provincial administrations. The irregularities, snake-oil salesmen and administrative problems do not bode well for carbon trading in PNG.

According to one report, Macquarie Bank has already pulled out of any potential carbon trading in the country, citing a lack of market integrity as the main reason.

Development agencies have something to answer for here. The World Bank actively promoted the idea that carbon credits could be earned and traded in a global emissions trading scheme if deforestation was halted.

One World Bank report suggested that revenue from credits could greatly exceed revenue from forestry.

The Bank offered to provide seed finance for a fund to support development and trading of credits. A number of national aid agencies chipped in.

But it is abundantly clear that this clever financial engineering is too clever. The EU has said that it does not favour the sale of such large numbers of credits from developing countries into the EU trading scheme.

Greenpeace and WWF oppose creation of cheap credits like this, and it is now clear there will not be global agreement on an emissions trading scheme in the near future.

A reader on the Masalai blog comments, this just the tip of the iceberg. Australian company Carbon Planet has just completed a merger. CARBON Planet will merge with Melbourne-based telecommunications investor, m2m Corporation, in a deal expected to create a $117 million, stock market-listed carbon trading company.

In a presentation to m2m shareholders, Carbon Planet said it had 25 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) projects in Papua New Guinea expected to generate $1 billion annually, with another eight REDD MOUs in Indonesia.

“These are firm contracts on paper,” Mr Johnson said. The company said it had only two projects in PNG less than a month ago.

m2m, incorporating Carbon Planet, will be the first Australian-listed entity providing full services in carbon trading activities, the companies said yesterday.

25 REDD contracts Already signed in PNG with a value of $1 billion annually!!!

Someone is lying here – either Carbon Planet (unlikely as they have to answer to ASIC), or the PNG Government, according to Adelaide Advertiser news.

Another avid reader on the blog argues, foreigners and their Papua New Guinean cohorts have enriched themselves enough using PNG’s resources.

Both parties are telling lies. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there is currently NO law as yet to sanction the roll out of the whole REDD thing at a global level. So where does ASIC get its legal basis to recognize and validate Carbon Planet’s assertions?

This scheme unfortunately appears to be one trick too many for these raskols. I hope the Carbon Planet people with their PNG cohorts are arrested and charged for operating a scam.

A next reader also commented saying Ilya has more info about how Carbon Planet got’s its claws into this market and arranged a monopoly deal.

Check Cockfighting Carbon Trading Australian Horse Trainer in PNG
at http://aappng.blogspot.com/

Sounds like Ilya is being forced out for telling the truth? Wherever there is a buck to be made in PNG the rogues and scoundrels drop in like flies to suck up whatever they can. How do the local people benefit? It’s happened time and time again.

What gets me mad is that this is fools money. Western companies that produce carbon pollution can buy credits in other countries- basically bribes to stop them cutting down forests, so that they can “offset” this against their carbon emissions – that means they can just carry on producing as much carbon pollution as they want without a hefty tax burden.

It doesn’t reduce carbon emissions as there is no way of knowing whether the forests would have been cut down or not. So it’s a gigantic carbon tax avoidance scheme by western industry.

Of course now the middle men and rogues have jumped in for a piece of the action, obviously involving kick-backs and bribes to PNG officials.

If there is to be a carbon offset scheme, shouldn’t it be directly with the people that OWN the forests concerned?

Why should ‘brokers’ or Governments get the money? 

Plus it needs a proper regulatory and governance structure to make sure it is all above board – which isn’t in place yet ANYWHERE in the world, let alone PNG! Makes me sick to the stomach. – Via Garamut News.

Papua New Guinea is relatively an unexplored destination in the world

By MICHAEL KUMAKA | COMMENTARY

The harsh and rugged landscape of PNG is home to the largest area of intact rainforest outside of the Amazon, steep mountain ranges, turbulent rivers, untouched beaches, unique flora and fauna, and active volcanoes.

PNG is also home to over 8 million people constituting more than 1,000 different indigenous cultural communities.

It is considered to be one of the most heterogeneous populations in the world, predominately living outside urban districts in rural areas, and differentiated by their own language, customs, and traditions

There are in excess of 860 indigenous languages (tok ples) accounting for a third of the world’s indigenous tongues.

The indigenous communities of PNG embrace the varying cultures through visual expressions, which are all integral to the ongoing way of life in PNG.

It is the rich and diverse cultural festivals, combined with a diverse population and some of the world’s most unique flora, fauna, and landscapes, that provide PNG with a unique selling proposition as an attractive adventure-driven tourism and event destination.

There are significant opportunities for the development of what can arguably be termed an “emergent” tourism and event industry.

For instance, PNG is arguably in the exploration stage of development as it is a relatively unexplored destination in which visitor numbers are small, and access, facilities, and local knowledge are limited. – Via Garamut News.

A lot of middlemen and rogues people for carbon trade in PNG, obviously involving kick-backs and bribes to PNG officials

Extracted from MASALAI BLOG | EDITED (with readers’ comments)

With the controversies surrounding the Office of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability (now Climate Change and Development Authority [CCDA]) and subsequent sidelining of the director Dr. Theo Yasause, new information is beginning to unfold as the Masalai Blog reports in July 2009.

The blog post with the title “Carbon Trading under More Scrutiny” attracted a massive 178 comments from PNG, Australia and the world over.

According to documents, the government has been pre-selling carbon credits for almost four years prior to 2009 without any proper legal policy documentation and framework in place.

Among the documents obtained was a certificate with serial numbers A1 to A33 and bearing the signature of former Minister for Trade and Industry, Paul Tiensten who signed on behalf of then Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare on the 26th of July, 2005 with Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd.

The certificate holds the common seal of Climate Assist (PNG) Ltd. It is understood the certificate in “A” Series specifies a monetary value of $20m with its maturity date set on the 1st January, 2008 but it is unclear whether actual monies have exchanged.

Former Prime Minister and the then Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta at the time in learning about this this commented “our carbon is being sold yet we don’t have legislations and policy in place.” “It is unbecoming of leaders travelling around the world selling behind our backs. This is a huge corruption.”

According to the Office of the Prime Minister there are also reports of carbon ‘conmen’ selling customary landowners permits to ‘bag’ carbon from the atmosphere to the Government carbon trading office.

It appears that publicity about these actions has been promoted by Governors in several provinces.

The reason for the Governors’ discontent is that there was no indication that revenue would accrue to them.

According to law, some export-orientated activities direct revenue to provincial administrations. The irregularities, snake-oil salesmen and administrative problems do not bode well for carbon trading in PNG.

According to one report, Macquarie Bank has already pulled out of any potential carbon trading in the country, citing a lack of market integrity as the main reason.

Development agencies have something to answer for here. The World Bank actively promoted the idea that carbon credits could be earned and traded in a global emissions trading scheme if deforestation was halted.

One World Bank report suggested that revenue from credits could greatly exceed revenue from forestry.

The Bank offered to provide seed finance for a fund to support development and trading of credits. A number of national aid agencies chipped in.

But it is abundantly clear that this clever financial engineering is too clever. The EU has said that it does not favour the sale of such large numbers of credits from developing countries into the EU trading scheme.

Greenpeace and WWF oppose creation of cheap credits like this, and it is now clear there will not be global agreement on an emissions trading scheme in the near future.

A reader on the Masalai blog comments, this just the tip of the iceberg. Australian company Carbon Planet has just completed a merger. CARBON Planet will merge with Melbourne-based telecommunications investor, m2m Corporation, in a deal expected to create a $117 million, stock market-listed carbon trading company.

In a presentation to m2m shareholders, Carbon Planet said it had 25 Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) projects in Papua New Guinea expected to generate $1 billion annually, with another eight REDD MOUs in Indonesia.

“These are firm contracts on paper,” Mr Johnson said. The company said it had only two projects in PNG less than a month ago.

m2m, incorporating Carbon Planet, will be the first Australian-listed entity providing full services in carbon trading activities, the companies said yesterday.

25 REDD contracts Already signed in PNG with a value of $1 billion annually!!!

Someone is lying here – either Carbon Planet (unlikely as they have to answer to ASIC), or the PNG Government, according to Adelaide Advertiser news.

Another avid reader on the blog argues, foreigners and their Papua New Guinean cohorts have enriched themselves enough using PNG’s resources.

Both parties are telling lies. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there is currently NO law as yet to sanction the roll out of the whole REDD thing at a global level. So where does ASIC get its legal basis to recognize and validate Carbon Planet’s assertions?

This scheme unfortunately appears to be one trick too many for these raskols. I hope the Carbon Planet people with their PNG cohorts are arrested and charged for operating a scam.

A next reader also commented saying Ilya has more info about how Carbon Planet got’s its claws into this market and arranged a monopoly deal.

Check Cockfighting Carbon Trading Australian Horse Trainer in PNG
at http://aappng.blogspot.com/

Sounds like Ilya is being forced out for telling the truth? Wherever there is a buck to be made in PNG the rogues and scoundrels drop in like flies to suck up whatever they can. How do the local people benefit? It’s happened time and time again.

What gets me mad is that this is fools money. Western companies that produce carbon pollution can buy credits in other countries- basically bribes to stop them cutting down forests, so that they can “offset” this against their carbon emissions – that means they can just carry on producing as much carbon pollution as they want without a hefty tax burden.

It doesn’t reduce carbon emissions as there is no way of knowing whether the forests would have been cut down or not. So it’s a gigantic carbon tax avoidance scheme by western industry.

Of course now the middle men and rogues have jumped in for a piece of the action, obviously involving kick-backs and bribes to PNG officials.

If there is to be a carbon offset scheme, shouldn’t it be directly with the people that OWN the forests concerned?

Why should ‘brokers’ or Governments get the money? 

Plus it needs a proper regulatory and governance structure to make sure it is all above board – which isn’t in place yet ANYWHERE in the world, let alone PNG! Makes me sick to the stomach. – Via Garamut News.

Papua New Guinea is home to the largest area of intact rainforest outside of the Amazon

By MICHAEL KUMAKA | COMMENTARY

The harsh and rugged landscape of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to the largest area of intact rainforest outside of the Amazon, steep mountain ranges, turbulent rivers, untouched beaches, unique flora and fauna, and active volcanoes.

PNG is also home to over 8 million people constituting more than 1,000 different indigenous cultural communities.

It is considered to be one of the most heterogeneous populations in the world, predominately living outside urban districts in rural areas, and differentiated by their own language, customs, and traditions

There are in excess of 860 indigenous languages (tok ples) accounting for a third of the world’s indigenous tongues.

The indigenous communities of PNG embrace the varying cultures through visual expressions, which are all integral to the ongoing way of life in PNG.

It is the rich and diverse cultural festivals, combined with a diverse population and some of the world’s most unique flora, fauna, and landscapes, that provide PNG with a unique selling proposition as an attractive adventure-driven tourism and event destination.

There are significant opportunities for the development of what can arguably be termed an “emergent” tourism and event industry.

For instance, PNG is arguably in the exploration stage of development as it is a relatively unexplored destination in which visitor numbers are small, and access, facilities, and local knowledge are limited. – Via Garamut News.

Mining companies must ‘give due care’ in dealing with social licensing: CLOs are important in mining operations, says Minister

Extracted from THE NATIONAL | EDITED

Mining Minister Johnson Tuke has urged all exploration and mining firms to conduct due diligence when it comes to affected customary landowners (CLOs) in project sites.

Tuke issued the warning following an incident at the Kainantu gold mine, Eastern Highlands, where one person was reported killed, 70 houses destroyed and 50 people injured following a conflict last week.

He told The National newspaper: “This is exactly what happens when certain exploration companies do not conduct due diligence when it comes to considering customary landowners.

“I am telling all companies to behave diligently, to accommodate customary landowners, communities.

“Companies should be the ones to conduct social mapping. They are required to do so under the license to operate.

[In PNG, every mining company has Lands and Community Affairs specialists who take charge of customary landowner grievances and concerns. Without which such can erupt and even cause major damages to the company as well. Land disputes are to be amicably addressed, not to prolonged and siding with other faction of the groups].

“This issue (Kainantu gold mine) was provoked by the K92 (K92 Mining Inc).

“There was one confirmed death, 60 to 70 houses burnt because of the involvement of the company to engage one faction of the landowner groups.

“The other faction put up an argument and eventually they ended up fighting.

“A similar case was earlier reported in Southern Highlands when an exploration company failed to address that.

“Now it has happened again in Kainantu. It’s not a good thing to see customary landowners fighting against each other.”

K92 Mining Inc is focused on advancing the Kainantu gold mine.

The Kainantu property covers a total area of approximately 410sqkm and was previously mined by Highlands Pacific and Barrick Gold from 2006-2009.

After being commissioned in 2006, the processing facilities operated for a cumulative total of approximately 7000 hours (292 days) before being put on care and maintenance by Barrick Gold.

Barrick continued this care and maintenance of the mill until the sale of the project to K92. – Via Garamut News.

CPI 2018 Report: PNG ranks most corrupted in the world – making the indigenous people poorest

By MICHAEL KUMAKA | NEWSFLASH

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government has no legal control of the customarily land, forest resources and carbon in PNG; and thus it tried to influence the customary landowners in a ‘bully manner” with great interest on the benefits which are duly for the indigenous people.

In a sovereign nation one has to pay tax to the government for conducting commercial activities. Therefore, it would be better for the government to collect its 10% tax from the business activities the customary landowners (CLOs) engaged and not in some fraudulent manner, tapping into the coffers of the poor CLOs – what rightly belongs to them.

There have been some suspicious trustees and funds created by the Government for the people but most of them are corrupted and the money does not get right down to the people.

Some of which were created for the REDD+ funds are; Mama Graun Conservation Fund, PNG National Forest Fund (GreenPeace 2010) and the PES Fund (EcoForestry Forum 2010).

No one knows if any of these Government-created funds is functioning and/or operating to benefit the indigenous people on REDD+ options.

Timber Royalties for the indigenous people are managed and disbursed by the PNG Forestry Authority (PNGFA) and this is the only publicly known payments CLOs in the forestry sector receive to date.

Meanwhile, in a recent report presented by Transparency International PNG reveals PNG is one of the most corrupted nations in the world.

The 2018 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published PNG ranking 138 out of 180, making it one of the most corrupted countries in the region and in the world.

Most of the corruption activities or rather say corruption cases dealing with billions of dollars is to do with illegal land grabbing and forest resources deprivation from CLOs.

One of the world’s biggest illegal land grabs that adds PNG to the global corruption scale is the Special Agriculture and Business Leases (SABL).

It’s more than five years after the government promised to cancel the SABL (special agriculture and business) leases and return the land to its customary owners, the people of Papua New Guinea are still waiting to hear which, if any, leases have been cancelled.

Few months ago, the United Nations wrote to the government for a third-time, accusing ministers of racial discrimination against their own people for not implementing the recommendations of the 2013 Commission of Inquiry and cancelling the leases.

Meanwhile, through a recent media statement, a CLO from the PNG LNG project area Bobby Joseph Pari is calling on the Government to publish the long-awaited list of clan vetting for the impacted clans to receive their benefits.

He said before registering for clan vetting, the PNG Government through the Department of Lands must publish their clan and/or tribes names for a month or two for all CLOs to debate their validity.

“Clan vetting must be published before the department gazettes it and not after the department gazettes it,” he cautioned of the forthcoming irregularities.

“If we do not do this, we will be faced with an issue similar to the Bougainville issue,” he added.

The CLOs themselves must be aware of what is happening so that they are given the opportunity to validate the clans before registration. 

The Government must give time for the CLOS to validate themselves and correct any mistakes, errors and omissions in handling. – Via Garamut News.

‘Bilum’ from Papua New Guinea is a souvenir to promote its tourism industry, yet untapped

By PETER S. KINJAP I COMMENTARY

Women have been somewhat regarded as second class race in the male dominated world although some significance contributions have made by women in many facets of life. In traditional PNG, women’s primary role is bearing children, looking after domestic animals, making food gardens and household chores.

These responsibilities are tough especially when the mother is to feed a good number of domestic animals and many small children. In the midst of their daily struggles, they virtually constructed the concept and skillfully netted strings bags known as bilums which were used make their ease the loads in their chores.

To date no-one knows and can confidently explain how and why those ropes were twisted and looped to obtain a robust string bag which was very handy even today in the contemporary society.

Prominent British anthropologists and couple Marilyn strathern and Andrew Strathern whom spent years in the highlands of PNG have thought that bilum was made through ritual practices in spirit worships, and woman loop the ropes while singing ritual chants.

Moreover, Marilyn in her book titled The Gender of Gift never denied that Melanesian women were strong and equal to men, a point she compared with the European perspective on gender and feminist issues and later attracted a new dimension of perception on Melanesian women.

Many other articles written about bilum say PNG women first started to make bilum to relate to the womb, bilum is the ‘outer’ womb when a baby is born from the ‘inside’ womb. This conception is evident today in the Tok Pisin language when womb is described as “bilum blo pikinini”.

Having said all these one would wonder where would be the origin of making a bilum in PNG. Who was the first woman to have the idea and started to teach other women the knowledge and skills of looping and making patterns and passed on?

The origin of making the bilum remains mysterious and the first PNG woman to curve the knowledge into twisting the ropes is unknown.

Melanesian woman have been physically strong, jam-packed with courage to conquer and fearlessly contest in the male dominated world.

In some areas, they are unbeatable when it comes to label against menfolk. Such is the toughest job of caring and love giving in their homes. Not only they are hard at work but also unrecognizably acquired with special skills and knowledge. Sometimes, their creativity puts them in a special place within the society. Unarguably, this is where the creator placed and blessed them.

Turning their imagination into creativity is what makes them uniquely special. This is so, when it comes to looping and twisting the wool ropes into a cultural material, connoting their attributes of care and love. The aesthetic qualities of their bilum and its uniqueness have transformed greatly finding its way into the cash economy.

Undoubtedly, bilum resembles the courage and determination of PNG women. Pretentious and exceptional words to describe women are not easy to find on the Mothers’ Day or the International Women’s Day. But those are words they deserve every day.

In Goroka and Karkar Island in Madang, every year round bilum festivals are held. These events hosted not only to recognize the cash-value of their creativity but also acknowledging and displaying their adorable self-taught looping skills.

In Madang, festival chairman Pholas Yongole says activities include a bilum show and the process of how Karkar bilums are made. In Goroka, festival chairlady Florence Jaukae said the festival is staged to celebrate ancient skills and designs of bilums and also about preserving, protecting the skills and designs.

These annual events held respectively in Madang and Goroka not only to display the colorful woven bilums that attracts tourists and by passers but they hold the events hold the meaning of bilum making and creativity from womenfolk.

Changes can inevitably occurred in any given society and in PNG society development took place since the island was first discovered in 1526-27. Bilum is believed to be centuries old from then on until it was formerly first recorded by G. Landtmann in 1933, a record found in the Museum of Finland.

From traditional to contemporary, the patterns, designs and selection of colours to make bilum by women have changed. Today it is a souvenir serving as a national identify to the international community.

In 2005, supported by the Australian government, an association known as PNG Bilum Export and Promotion was created to help PNG women export the bilum product. This organization is helping PNG women to export bilum products to Australia and other parts of the world. The bilum has also find its way into the fashion world.

Today the weaving of a bilum is a skill that is commonly shared by women across the country; a skill or traditional knowledge that is passed from one generation to the next generation. It is knowledge that is learnt from Grandmothers, Aunts, Mothers and friends.

Bilum designs vary from one to the next – no two bilums are identical. They can be seen on the streets of Sydney, New York, London, Suva, Apia or anywhere in the world – just a simple indication of how far this unique product travels.

In all these places, they still remain as a PNG souvenir and a national identify. To the PNG Government, this is only a cultural material but it plays a greater role in the arena of tourism promotion with its aesthetic qualities and uniqueness to the outside world that needed to be emphasized. - Via Garamut News.

The Sepik River vital for people living along the river system

By NIGEL KAUA | VIEWPOINT

THE villages along the mighty Sepik River in Papua New Guinea depend heavily on the main Sepik River system for sago production.

Sago, a species of the palm tree, is a stable diet for the Sepik River villagers who process through different production stages to get the starch out of the sago palm. The final product of sago is then cooked in many different methods and is the staple food for the entire Sepik river people.

One of the main stages of sago production is to mix the meshed sago stem with water and extract the sago starch out by squeezing with water, and for the Sepik river villages they depend heavily on the main Sepik river system for that sago production stage.

As such it is very important that the river system stay out of contamination from mining activities.

If mining activities polluted the river system then the entire people living around the river system will be affected the most and their livelihood in great danger. - Via Garamut News.

Pacific’s youngest talented artist to showcase at Paris Arts Exhibition

By NIGEL KAUA | NEWS

LESLEY Wengembo is the Pacific’s youngest natural talented Artist at the age of only 17 year when he won second place in the 2014 Port Moresby Arts Exhibition. He was also recognized with a merit award for the exhibition’s theme Meri (Woman). After receiving local media coverage, Wengembo has been able to cultivate new cultural exchanges through art, including participating in the Deutsche 1914 project.

Lesley is now 18 and attending Gerehu Secondary School in Port Moresby, he hails from Pangia in the Southern Highlands Province, and is the third born of the four boys.

Lesley, like many boys at his age, has dreams and goals for which he strives to accomplish. For the young lad, he hopes to one day be a professional painter, a dream he says grew from his love of drawing.

His mother, Josephine Gundu, sells beautifully woven bilums and sewn meri blouses that she makes herself. Her creativity and fashion-sense enabling her to design her bilums and blouses and through her sales, earns income to support the family. Lesley’s father, Alex Wengembo, is an administration driver employed with Coral Sea Hotel in Port Moresby.

Lesley’s passion for the arts began as a student in grade seven. He fondly recalls a talent show staged at the Assemblies of God (AOG) church at Morata in the North-west electorate of Port Moresby. It was during the talent show that Lesley surprised the audience with his drawing. He drew a sketch of a human figure, and painted it on stage; an amazing show of raw talent for a boy of his age which surprised everyone, especially his parents.

Seeing the talent and potential that young lad had, the AOG Morata church asked Lesley to paint the church with beautiful Christian images; this offer he accepted and took the opportunity presented to him, painting the church with Christian murals.

Lesley’s passion for drawing and painting grew and he’s spent more time sketching and painting; through time, his work has grown from strength to strength. Through the many opportunities given, he has successfully been able to display his work through various forms. This was the initially the start of his journey to selling his artwork.

He has been chosen for an Arts Exhibition in Paris. France next month and he will be leaving to showcase PNG artwork on a global scene.-Via Garamut News. 

Whilst the concept of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency is new to the world, PNG already has it.

Extracted from VICE ASIA | EDITED

Before the island of New Guinea was discovered by colonial powers, the indigenous people have been using traditional money to trade. Kina Shell, Tabu and Bagi are some of the names for traditional PNG money used for trade.

Photo: The Tolai people continue to hold on dearly to their traditions and culture. Image: Claudio Sieber.

The people lived an organized way of life with cultured agricultural skills to make gardens and used fallow land cultivation techniques.

When the Western colonial powers arrived on the island, they described the usage of traditional money system as barter system. When the Australian dollar was introduced for circulation on the island under their administration, it was so easily adapted for trade of goods and services. But along with the dollar, traditional money was still used.

Photo: Steven, a Tolai man, dives for mud shells, hoping to collect enough to afford a bride. Image: Claudio Sieber

PNG’s modern official currency Kina and Toea were introduced in 1975, with the Australian dollar being taken out from the circulation. This had not taken away or replaced the traditional money; it was still used for trade.

Today, a tribe in East New Britain, PNG still uses kina shell money – traditional money. The fascinating thing is they even used the kina shell money to buy everyday basic goods like rice, tinned fish, soap and cooking oil.

Photo: A Tolai man uses Tabu shell money to buy soda. Image: Claudio Sieber

While the modern world is talking about the adaption of blockchain technology and is shifting to cryptocurrencies and financial technology, the remote province of East New Britain in Papua New Guinea continues to engage in financial transactions with Tabu shell money – a PNG traditional money apart from its fiat currency officially known as Kina and Toea.

It's been exactly 43 years since Papua New Guinea got its independence from Australia. But even today, shell money or tabu is deeply anchored in the indigenous Tolai society which numbers roughly 120,000 people.

Photo: At this mourning ceremony after the death of Lua Akuila of the Tolai clan, his Tabu, as is tradition, is broken up and distributed among his clan and all mourners present. Imagine: Claudio Sieber

The age-old practice has successfully overcome the long-lasting occupations of Germany and Australia, the strong influence of the Catholic education system, and broad economic development and globalization.

For the Tolai, these marine treasures are used in an everyday basis to barter essential goods in the villages. It also plays a significant role during all cultural activities.

Photo: Charles Zale, a Tolai groom-to-be, carries shell money over to his future bride's parents, to pay a deposit for her worth 50 Kina or $15 in shell money. Image: Claudio Sieber

Shell money is at the center of initiations, weddings, funeral ceremonies; pig feasts, and dictates the rigid hierarchy within the Tolai society. Because they are laborious to make, tabu shows great respect to a payee.

To create tabu, Nassariidae shells or Nassa mud snails, are first harvested by community members who handpick them from the shore or dive under the sea to collect them. They are then dried under the sun until the snails dry out.

Photo: The Tolai people pick Nassariidae snails from the slit of a muddy shoreline. Image: Claudio Sieber

Next, they are transported to Rabul's port where they are treated for pest control, and later, detergent to rid of the smell.

Then the top of each shell is individually removed with the use of pliers. Finally, it is strung together in circles, which is what they look like when they are stored and used for trade.

Tabu can be used in Tolai society either directly or indirectly. Directly, it is used for daily barter in villages for essentials and treats like rice, ice cream, cooking oil, sausage, beetle nuts, cigarettes, peanuts and more. It is used in bridal ceremonies, with men paying a woman’s parents to take their daughter as a bride. 

Photo: At Kokopo Market, women sell Tabu shell money in exchange for Kina, since only Tabu are accepted in funerals, mourning ceremonies, bridal ceremonies, birthdays and pig feasts. Image: Claudio Sieber.

It is used in initiation ceremonies for young boys, as well as funeral and mourning ceremonies where there is shell breaking or inheritance gifting among clans. It is also used as birthday gifts, in pig feasts where the community contributes tabu for a share of the pig, and as compensation, or for community members to settle a dispute.

Tabu can also be exchanged to Kina, the official Papua New Guinea currency, so the Tolai can use tabu to indirectly pay for school fees, taxes, hospital fees, loans, or to purchase equipment, cars or household goods.

Photo: Several Tolai clans from different villages re-enact the arrival of the Christian missionaries and the Bible, before sharing shell money with the crowd which children use to buy goods like ice cream. Imagine: Claudio Sieber

On East New Britain’s Gazelle Peninsula alone, the estimated circulation of shell money is between six to eight million Kina or about $2.3 million, crowning the region as the world’s hotspot for old-fashioned bartering. But this comes with problems.

Because of the increasing demand for Nassariidae shells, mostly caused by the growth of the Tolai population, East New Britain’s shores which were once considered a limitless source of oceanic currency, have been emptied in an unsustainable manner.

Photo: To process the shells, the Tolai first drill the shells with pliers, and then thread them onto a string of cane. Image: Claudio Sieber

These circumstances leave the Tolai society no option but to import new shell money from nearby PNG provinces or even neighboring Solomon Islands.

Decades after the introduction of Papua New Guinea's new cash system, as well as ATMs and loan firms, the Tolai society continues to be driven by shell money and have a long way to go to adjust from a self-sufficient lifestyle to a money-driven economy. For now, they work hard to juggle both - the Kina notes and Toea coins, as well as their beloved tabu.-Via Garamut News.

Photo: Despite the existence of ATMs and loan firms, the Tolai people still prefer the use of Tabu shell money. Imagine: Claudio Sieber

Lihir customary landowners describe mining agreement review as “ethical genocide” - giving notice of intention to sue Newcrest Mine

By CYRIL GARE l NEWS

THE Lihir gold mine is imposing “ethnical genocide” on the island by its “divide and rule” techniques over landowner groups through the Lihir Agreement Review (LAR) process which is currently taking place on the island into its third week. 

Ms. Roselyne Arau, Londolovit Sagomana Association (LSA) chairlady showing the new proposed terms document by Newcrest Mine to her people during a community meeting at Londolovit village last Tuesday – Jan 15, 2019. Image: CYRIL GARE.

Disgruntled, the water resource owners through their Londolovit Sagomana Association (LSA) Chairlady, Ms. Roselyne Arau said what the mining giant, Newcrest is doing is “divide and rule” over tribal groups by removing umbrella customary landowner (CLO) structures with “deal direct” arrangements with individual clans.

Ms. Arau said while the Ministry and the Department of Mining through Mineral Resources Development Authority (MRA) remain tight-lipped over the situation, Newcrest is “dictating” over the LAR process.

“Newcrest hired consultant firms like Tanoroma and Deloitte which have been visiting individual” landowner groups under the various 14 tenements to have them sign new agreements or “proposed terms” against their consciences”.

The “new proposed terms” – among others - seek to:

- avoid umbrella structure of LMALA;

- put in place “direct relationship” with tenement holders (CLO’s);

- establish a new “Foundation” in place of LMALA to “ensure effective operational governance, discipline, and accountability” of all parties;

- remove the current 5 year cycle of review, agreements under the new “proposed terms” will now extend to the entire “life of the operation” of the Lihir gold mine; and

- Others.

“The frightening part is that the new “agreements will be for the life of the operation” meaning that there shall be no more reviews after this one for the entire lifetime of the mine.

“This will remove landowners’ right to arbitration and dispute resolution guaranteed in our Constitution and democracy.

It is ethnical genocide… it is “divide and rule” technique by a multi-national corporation such as Newcrest who employs such techniques when faced with standoffs by landowners and governments of resource-rich third world countries”.

“We will fight it tooth and nail and will not bow down. Our heritage, our traditional rights to property ownership is guaranteed in the National Constitution and Customary Law of PNG, we will not comprise this because our children will curse us for our inaction,” Ms. Arau said.

Currently, LAR is a five year cycle process. Since 2017 there was no LAR because of the grievances and discernments by landowner factions.

The water resource CLOs of Londolovit categorically had refused to become a party in the LAR by way of a letter dated March 14, 2016 after having receiving unsatisfactory responses from both the PNG Government and Newcrest Mine over its outstanding water issues.

With the suspension of LMALA “gold” resource owners in 2017 by IPA and refusal by Londolovit “water” resources to participate, the entire LAR process is already affected by meaning of law under the “Lihir Agreement”.

LAR Independent Chairman, Sir Paul Bengo is on the island hosting various CLO meetings and receiving submissions from them could not immediately comment on the situation.

In a letter dated Jan 14, 2019 to Mr. Craig Jetson, Newcrest Mine Executive General Manager – Cadia and Lihir Operations, the association has given notice of its intention to sue Newcrest for “interfering” with its affairs which comprise the “common collective interests” of the 14 clans of Londolovit.

Nonetheless, Newcrest is not backing down. In an email dated Jan 15 to the Association’s Roselyne Arau, Mr. Jetson stated: “Acknowledged. A response will be forthcoming but our position remains unchanged from all other correspondence on this matter, replying to email.”

Mountain myths from Mount Giluwe and Mount Ialibu

Mount Giluwe plateau. Image: Jonathan Wanzil  

In Papua New Guinea, in traditional societies, mountains animate a sense of awe and malevolence. And they are also recognized as a source of life, spirituality and identity.

Where gods and goddesses reside in mountains in ancient Greek mythologies, ancestral spirits and masalai reside in mountains in PNG mythologies. 

In PNG, creation stories are augmented by origin and genealogy stories of an ancestor evolving or coming from the mountain.

In August 2008, I spent six weeks practice teaching at Pangia government station in the Southern Highlands. One of my lessons was a task directing students to write a traditional story.

Among the submissions were two mountain myths from the Ialibu-Pangia and Imbonggu. The main characters were Mount Ialibu and Mount Giluwe.

 Both tales were based on the premise of nature versus man. How Ialibu and Giluwe were able to influence and direct the lives of the people around them.

In their anthropomorphised state, these mountains displayed the characters and qualities akin to the gods and goddesses of ancient Western mythologies. They were able to talk, squabble, move and think like people.

The mountains felt that it was their right and in their powers to decide on the fate of the people around them. The people in turn accepted their fate and feared the mountains.

HOW MOUNT GILUWE SHARED ITS FOOD

Mount Giluwe. Image: Dika Alkena

This is a tale from the Imbonggu District which is located at the foot of Mount Giluwe. The soil in Imbonngu is not very fertile and there aren’t many crops grown there because all the food has been shared out to other places by the mountain.

Once the mountain came up with an idea and said, “Tomorrow, early in the morning, I’ll share all my food so all the people nearby must come and get a share each.”

Early the next morning while the Imbonngu people who live right at the foot of the mountain were still sleeping, the people from far away were already at the mountain. The mountain was pleased with them and gave them all the best food.

After the people from the distant areas were gone, the Imbonggu people arrived late with their big string bags and bilum. But, the mountain said, “Sorry, because you are late, all the best food was taken away by other people.”

Today, you will see that the soil in Imbonggu is still dry and you cannot grow the best crops there.

So if you are invited to an occasion, you must be the first person there because the first person gets the best treatment.

HOW MOUNT IALIBU AND MOUNT GILUWE SEPARATED

Mount Ialibu. Image: Kalakai Photography. 

A long, long time ago, there were two big mountains named Ialibu and Giluwe. They were good friends and lived together. During that time Mount Giluwe existed where Mount Korome is.

One day, Mount Giluwe said, “There are too many people and animals around us, we must kill them all.” Mount Ialibu just listened and did not respond to what Mount Giluwe suggested.

Sometime later, Mount Ialibu got up and said, “We must have a meeting.”

They mumued greens and the two of them had their meeting after the mumu.

Mount Ialibu began by saying, “I do not like the way you talk. Please, can you change your mind. I want to live in front of people and I do not want to kill them. You must go and stay in the middle of the bush where there are no people.”

Mount Giluwe became angry and took the mumued greens and threw them on Mount Ialibu’s face. Mount Ialibu then took a stick and broke Mount Giluwe’s teeth.

Today if you travel from Ialibu Station to Wagum Junction, you can see Mount Giluwe with broken teeth. And when you go to Mount Giluwe, it is not safe to use the bush, cut down trees or do according to your own will. It will kill you when you do wrong things.

Even though these two tales are basic in form and composition like all Papua New Guinea myths, legends and fables, they describe well the geography of the region and the natural formation of the mountains as seen by the local people.

During the six weeks I was in this part of PNG, I noticed that some crops did not grow well because of the poor quality of the land. And while Mount Ialibu has a nice crown of green forest, at its summit Mount Giluwe has rows of jagged volcanic rocks.

These natural features are visible when you are on the road to Ialibu-Pangia or to Mendi. And these features are visible and captured well in these two simple tales.

I would like to acknowledge George Pope of 9C2 and Samson Tirick of 9C1 for the above stories, as well as, the 2008 Grade 9 students of Pangia High School (now secondary school).

Source: RAYMOND SIGIMET - Mountain myths from Papua New Guinea on
Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG ATTITUDE