Robert@PNG

We head out to Wara-guma” for our monthly visit.

The thought of spending a couple of nights away from town and worries of it “all” is already giving me a sense of relief.

I had another tech mishap today and lost my hard drive yet again. In
laymen's terms it basically means that I have lost about one week's
worth of work. Emails intact! As annoying as this might seem - I am glad that my backup procedures are down pat, see here I am, still in a position to email you rather than in damage control.

Example of an invocation: tech talk… stop now!!!

Done!!

Magic is easy!!

Anyway… a weekend in the village as I was saying. It clears the mind, relaxes me and is good for the two of us (if you know what I mean).

There's a big meeting on the Sunday and we are expecting between 300 and 500 folks. The concept of a combined association is slowly taking shape and early next week the 1st lot of forms will be sent of to the Registrar of Companies in Moresby. Meaning that we are starting the registration process - offically.

This might seem like a small thing to most but believe you me it has not been. Six months of meetings, confusion and not knowing the formal processes involved. We have a structure and a constitution, we have voting slips and letterheads. But best of all we have the support of eight clans!

Eight Clans?

Yep… if you know PNG you will understand why it's hard enough to setup one of these entities for one clan, let alone eight. To complicate things, the eight clans cross two Provincial borders, three Council Wards and two language groups. All in all there would be a total of approximately 30 sub-clans.

On the Sunday we meet to sign some paper work and also do the “mumu” thing. There will be speeches and questions. I very excited over this project - most associations collapse within 12 months in PNG. The one that we are setting up here is being setup different to the others. The “Haus Man” is at the center! The association itself will act as a bridge between old and new but in effect the traditional model of governance (haus man) remains. It's this reason why I believe that we have half a chance of succeeding.

I live with the hope that an association for the locals will help them
better able to manage change as it sweeps through their lives. Change is coming at a rate of knots to the rural folks and unless they learn how to take responsibility and manage this change - I firmly believe that they will end up being bulldozed by progress. It's happening all over PNG - people rushing out for the “new” and deserting the “old” instead of finding a balance. The association's aim is to preserve the “old” whilst still moving forward.

I can hear coconuts being scraped… dinner! My crook gut has receded and I have a bunch of stuff to get ready for tomorrow's escape.

Kets.