Caption: Papua New Guinea during colonisation By FIDELIS SUKINA
Papua New Guinea is a country with diverse cultures and traditions.
To this day Papua New Guinea boasts a record of over 800 different languages
native to this land of almost 6million,
With 800 different languages than there would be more than
800 cultures and traditions as well.
Our difference in culture and traditions is unique, we were
found by explores to be spread across in small ethnic groupings, clans and
tribes,
We did not boast a
big political structure which governed the whole region like other ancient
civilizations; instead we were in our own clans, with our own politics in place
with systems which guided us.
Conflicts were over land or marriage but it was on mutual
understanding which they were resolved, people had surplus to share so they
traded and it was a measure of unity despite separation in ethnicity,
But look at
modernization, the superpowers back than had to expand their horizons,
So they came with their three G’s God, Gold and Glory to
bring fort what they called the right path to follow, Melanesia was one of the
last places in the pacific for missionaries to concur, because we were the most
aggressive,
We battled to protect our people and our way of life, but we
were over powered.
Just as that, we were converted into Christians, to work in
Plantations, under the rule of western capitalist democracy.
But what happened when we gained independence, did we
improve?
America during the 1850’s civil war and the great
immigration by the Irish in to America, there was a lot of conflict; because
people did not agree with each other, there was no equality.
The only way for them to create peace for themselves was to
get into power and improve their lives.
There was no peace, places like New York City was a diverse
area with, British, Irish, Chinese and Italians, all in gangs, with political
interests, to run for mayor or sheriff, they fought themselves for control of
the suburbs, their gangs were politically motivated and they vouched for their
candidates to gain political status.
We have our own
conflicts as well in PNG; our kinship ties are becoming like gangs, fighting
each other for power culminating in hate for our opposition candidates.
Unity is an important
part of nationalism, and the formation of peace.
In a peaceful society people greet each other regardless of race
or ethnicity,
We create divisions in Papua New Guinea, in ethnicity and
status levels, during election time we do block voting according to kinship in
rural areas, and in the urban we target the low income earners and the poor
suburbs, for votes.
Who are we voting in our wantok’s or our leaders, do we
consider the consequences before we cast our votes.
We continue to use democracy as a tool for self-gain for our
own little political systems, what about the bigger picture.
Multiple voting, hijacking of ballot boxes, bribing and
election related violence are some of the methods used to get into power.
Such techniques are
adding more to the peace problem, we still hold wantok system as a mutual
system of benefit.
Our people see the political arena as the control room for
their kinsmen, their supply of finance and their ticket to expanding business.
We stand proud among our kinsmen and we are applauded, but
did we fulfill our oats, for better roads, better rural hospitals better
opportunities for education and better conditions for public servants, in rural
areas.
Even the tag of a Christian country, is a contradiction to
our status quo, the talk of peace is being drowned by greed and individual
pride carrying on the weight of the tribe.
Harmony is the feeling you get after you are satisfied that
there is peace in your country.
If you as a leader
have done all you can to create better opportunities for your people, to
prosper away from crime, and to unite our nation than we will experience
harmony and peace.
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