AROB

They play a vital role in communities, supporting the most vulnerable, including survivors of Family and Sexual Violence (FSV) and people with disabilities.

In Haku Village in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a woman, clearly shaken, tells her story to Village Court Magistrate Anna Sapur and her colleagues.

The visually impaired woman fled her home seeking support on a domestic matter. She is accompanied by a relative and two workers from the nearby Hako Women’s Collective Seif Haus where she had taken refuge.

“It is very challenging to rebuild a society that was traumatised by civil war,” Donavan explains.

“We are faced with many behavioural issues that transpired from the crisis. Many of these issues are affecting the lives of families, children and women in Bougainville.”

Donovan Tami’s role is to prevent and respond to any abuse, violence, discrimination and exploitation of children or family members.

Dr. John Momis, Former Bougainville President and MP for the Bougainville Regional Seat in the PNG Parliament from 1972 to 2005, has expressed his disappointment at what he has described as bribery and money politics played in the 2022 elections in Bougainville.

Dr. Momis was saddened to see how corruption and bribery had destroyed the credibility and legitimacy of PNG national elections in other parts of PNG that eventually swept into Bougainville, ruining the reliability of the results of the just-completed elections there.

Results as if 5.16am this morning are as follows:
1. Timothy Masiu - Pangu Pati - 10, 938
2. Herman Michael - URP - 5323
3. Albert Punghau - PNC - 5242
4. Nehemiah Wesma - Independent - 2749
5. Robert Kebau - SDP - 1709

Updates to follow.

Speaking at the recent launch of the Bougainville Food Security Policy 2022-2035, Dovaro outlined that food is a fundamental need, adding that the policy is homegrown and in alignment with the National Food Security Policy 2000 – 2010.

“People of Bougainville own the policy and it is homegrown because the people in the region were consulted to gauge views to produce this policy to meet the needs of Bougainvilleans,” he stated.

ABG Minister for Primary Industries, Geraldine Paul, congratulated the Department for creating the policy as it is an important development tool.

Drawing on Papua New Guinea’s rich democratic tradition, the launch of UNDP’s Parliamentary Support Programme heralds a new partnership with the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville House of Representatives of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The package of assistance will work to strengthen collaboration between both parliaments.

It will support members of both legislatures in their efforts to debate matters of public interest as they steward Papua New Guinea’s national development.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop made these statements during the opening of the 3^rd Joint Post Referendum Consultation and Joint Supervisory meeting between the PNG Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government in Port Moresby recently.

Parkop has also reminded leaders from the PNG Government and the Autonomous Government that it has been a long painful journey for the country and even more so for Bougainville.

“If there is one region that has impacted our country most it has been Bougainville. Prior to independence claim for separation has been simmering.

This follows a five-day training program facilitated by Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) and supported through the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership.

The Active Civic Engagement (ACE) program is one of TIPNG’s flagship youth engagement programs designed to foster positive leadership and community values among young people in PNG. 

The program reintroduced participants to the devastating impacts of corruption at the community level and the effectiveness of positive leadership, unity and consultation in addressing corruption.

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) Education Minister, Thoenila Matbob, officiated the signing of the Arawa UOG IDFL campus last Friday, 3^rd December to celebrate the opening of the campus and first enrollment in 2022.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government Education Department Acting Secretary, Mary Remi also signed as witness from the Education authority on the ground.

The event was small but a very significant one as it was in line with the education department’s agenda towards getting full autonomy with an educated population at its helm.

The Minister was there to hand over all powers and functions for Land Administration from the National Government to the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

He said service delivery in Bougainville’s land sector has now been made easier.

ABG President Ishmael Toroama and Minister Rosso, signed the drawdown instrument.

In his address, President Toroama expressed his gratitude to the National Government, saying it allows them to independently mange its own land affairs ‘the Bougainville way’.