Fifty-three leaders from Wafi-Golpu Project’s proposed Special Mining Lease 10 (SML10), and the proposed Lease for Mining Purpose (LMP) area at Wagang Village, attended a two-day ‘Leadership and Governance and Communication Training’.
The leaders from Hengambu, Yanta and Babuaf were told to lead by example.
The training, facilitated by Tanorama, took participants through sessions on understanding processes involved in preparing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) during the development forum, becoming a better leader, practicing good governance and to be articulate in communication.
The training is part of a series of WGJV’s community engagement programs to help prepare these communities for the mining development forum once it is announced by the Mining Minister.
WGJV head of external relations, David Wissink, said WGJV would like to see all stakeholders ready.
“We will run this cycle of leadership training and community feedback sessions as long as it takes to ensure everyone is ready before, during and after the development forum so everyone understands what is going on.
“People must have their voices heard and everyone in the community needs to be involved,” he said.
President of Hengambu Landowners Association, Paul Yanam, said the training has given them a clear understanding of the process leading to the development forum.
Babuaf tribe women’s leader, Linda Ipang, said leaders needed to have good communication skills.
“If we are to be able to listen to the cries of our people in the village, we have to have good communication skills. This is something that I see is lacking in us leaders and the training is very useful. We have to communicate in ways where we can get accurate information from our communities,” she said.
Facilitator Martin Brash said the leadership demonstration during the two-day training was exceptional.
“Everyone stayed and contributed and I noticed that leaders thought about the village and brought their discussions into the meeting. Training is an exercise; the real thing will come and there will be challenges.
“No matter what happens, as long as good leaders do their best a good agreement will come about,” Brash said.
