Pacific Peoples' Partnership

Connecting Indigenous and Pacific Peoples

Reflections on Potential Canada-Indonesia Economic Partnership

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Pacific Peoples’ Partnership along with its allies are deeply concerned with the possibility of a signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the nation of Indonesia.

PPP was alerted to this potential agreement by one of our allies. The Canadian Government made a call for consultations on a potential free trade agreement (also referred to as a CEPA but they are fundamentally very similar). PPP decided that we would send our reflections and critiques to the call, given our long relationship with the people of West Papua as well as our commitment to environmental stewardship and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

You can read our official letter here:

PPP CEPA Consultation Letter

Our letter highlights the need for the Canadian government to commit to fundamental environmental and human rights standards in all its foreign policy agreements, trade-related or otherwise. As our ally Dr. David Webster of Bishop’s University eloquently put it in his recent opinion piece:

…trade alone does not a relationship make. Canada will be better understood if it honestly and consistently advocates for human rights, including LGBTQ+ rights, religious freedoms, and improved treatment of Indigenous Peoples in West Papua and elsewhere.

We continue to monitor the situation in West Papua as well as the environmental and human rights implications of any trade or foreign policy agreements made by the Canadian Government and hope that policymakers ensure the respect of the environment and Indigenous Peoples comes first.

Pacific Pulse: World War II’s Ugly Legacy in the Solomon Islands

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Prepared by Arthur Holbrook, Member of PPP’s Board of Directors and Chair of the organization’s Communications Committee.

Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands was the site of the first major success of the Allies against the Japanese in World War II.  American, ANZAC, Fijian, Tongan and Solomon Island soldiers pushed the Japanese off the island and successfully fought off several attempts to retake the island and its strategic airfield.  The fierce fighting, which lasted from August 1942 into 1943, left an ugly legacy: unexploded munitions. To learn more, click here. 

More than 45,000 of these munitions, ranging from hand grenades, mortar rounds, rifle bullets to aerial bombs, have been removed since 2011 when police in the Solomons started keeping records.  A much higher number are assumed to have been discovered prior to that date. It is estimated that as many as 50,000 unexploded munitions remain on Guadalcanal.  These munitions have remained hidden in the soil for over 75 years and are dug up regularly by the people of the island, 75% of whom are agricultural workers.  It is estimated that every year about 20 local people are killed by these devices.  As John Rodsted, the lead researcher with SafeGround, an advocacy group for the removal of explosives left behind by war, explained, the unexploded munitions can make farming a fatal occupation.  “They are scared of their land.” (1) 

From Journal of Conventional Weapons Disposal:

Livingston is a constable with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force on New Georgia Island. When he receives a report of old ammunition and bombs, he investigates. “I find many old bombs. The farmers and fishermen report them to the police. They in turn report to Honiara (capital of the Solomon Island). The problem is distance, logistics, time and money. The distances are great in the Solomon Islands and it takes time and money for the EOD team to be able to respond to all reports…” Photo courtesy of John Rodsted

Meanwhile, local fishermen sometimes use explosives to fish.  This practice has depleted fish stocks and damaged coral reefs in some lagoons.  Because coral is reduced to rubble by this practice, it often will not regrow.  Dynamite fishing has left some areas in the Solomons with no reefs and no fish. (2)

A number of areas on Guadalcanal have not been used for generations because they are contaminated with the buried munitions.  Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), working closely with local police, has been attempting to remedy the situation.  They are developing a database of the locations of the munitions.  These operations recently came to an abrupt halt when two ordnance removal technicians, one British, one Australian, were killed in an explosion.

International efforts have focused on anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.  Since neither of these types of munitions is believed to have been used in the South Pacific, the region was not provided with international assistance for ordnance removal until recently.  Hence, organized efforts to deal with the unexploded munitions in the region only began in 2010 when Pacific Forum leaders called for assistance to address the problem.  The Forum’s Regional Security Committee’s strategy was put into place in 2012. Several countries have been selected as on-going priorities: Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, the Royal Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. (3)

Footnotes:

(1) New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/world/australia/solomon-slands-unexploded-ordnance.html

(2) Special Report: Solomon Islands’ Explosive Legacy, “Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 20, Iss. 3 [2016], 5. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2756&context=cisr-ournal&te=1&nl=at-war&emc=edit_war_20200925.

(3) Special Report, 3, 4.

Pasifik Pulse: Palm Oil and Food Insecurity in Papua

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Palm Oil and Food Insecurity in Papua

Prepared by Tana Thomas, PPP Arts and Culture Coordinator, who is also a Nuu-chah-nulth youth leader, canoe skipper, and healing advocate.

In Papua, Indonesia’s largest and easternmost province of Indonesia, large scale palm oil plantation developments are not only threatening animal and plant species, but also the caretakers that have sustained these species for thousands of years. Sophie Chao, an anthropologist at the University of Sydney, has spent years working with the Indigenous Marind people of southern Papua. In her powerful article, she sheds light on the severe impacts that new palm oil plantations are having on the region. What she has discovered in her in-community work is that the Marind people are increasingly unable to obtain their traditional foods and are suffering from malnutrition. 

Merauke and Boven Digoel, the districts in southern Papua where oil palm estates are concentrated.

The practice of harvesting their own food is one of the many factors that sustains holistic wellbeing in many Indigenous communities. Witnessing the loss of their traditional foods can bring overwhelming feelings of grief and shame stemming from not being able to provide for their families. The Marind children of the village have grown up learning to sustain and create abundance within their natural food systems when harvesting. Since time immemorial, Marind children have been firsthand witnesses to the generations before them, following protocols and enacting ceremonies passed on through generations in order to coexist with their relatives of the forest. 

Marind families are now fighting to sustain their customs, feed their families, and protect the natural forests that are their home, working from their deeply held belief that everyone and everything is interconnected. Exploitation of their forest food systems is destroying the spirit and wellbeing of their communities. The generational act of enculturation is being severed due to the detachment from teachings that stem from their environment. It’s an enforced act of assimilation into a system that bypasses the basic needs of humanity. Unfortunately, this is a common fight Indigenous people are facing throughout the world.

The Indonesian government continues to approve more palm oil projects with increasing impacts on Indigenous Papuans and their lands. Learn more about this important issue and catch a glimpse of the stories of Marind families in Chao’s article published by Mongabay and The Gecko Project.

People & Passages: Habitat House

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A New Home for a Local Pacific Family

Prepared by Jaimie Sumner, PPP Operations Coordinator, who is familiar with Habitat’s important work, having previously managed a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

We are thrilled to share the news that a local Indigenous / Pacific Islander family, Tina and Niu Savea and their 3 kids, is getting a new home!  The Savea family has Cree and Samoan roots and has been working toward a house of their own for years.  Earlier this year, they found out that their dream was to come true through a partnership program with Habitat for Humanity Victoria.

The Savea family in Victoria, B.C. is excited that Habitat for Humanity is helping them invest into their family’s future.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization focused on providing safe and stable homes for lower-income families in Canada and across the world.  Many people are familiar with Habitat’s international housing projects but are unaware that local chapters focus on building houses too. In Victoria, families apply to their local Habitat for Humanity to be considered for the local homeownership program.  If selected, each family invests 500 hours of their own labour into Habitat’s volunteer programs by helping out at builds, Habitat stores, and special events. Habitat homes are sold to qualified families at fair market value and are financed with affordable mortgages at no more than 30% of the family’s income. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund, which is used to build more homes.

Habitat for Humanity Victoria is building eleven new homes this year. Their work is supported by community donations and by two secondhand home & building supply outlets called ReStores.  Consider shopping or donating if you can.  And congratulations to the Savea family on qualifying for their new home!

Tina Savea shared:

“Now is the perfect time to let you all in on some exciting news for our family… We have been blessed to partner with Habitat for Humanity and to be able to purchase our very own home. We have always desired to buy a home… but the very expensive market in Victoria we would either have to leave the city we have grown to love or have to save for 100 years. LOL, We didn’t want to do either. 

We were told about this amazing organization that helps make buying a home possible for families like ours. AND they just happen to be doing a build 3 minutes away from the house we are in now & only STEPS away from the ocean!! We took the plunge and started the 6-month process of applying! Months later we got the phone call we were accepted. Now here we are, helping build our brand new home, connected to a great community of people & all extremely grateful to this amazing organization. Habitat for Humanity is helping us invest in our family’s future!”

Black Lives Matter: Local Focus

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Prepared by Zachary Fenn, Development Coordinator, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership

Pacific Peoples’ Partnerships (PPP) will not stay silent in the face of systemic injustice. We must act and speak in solidarity with the Black and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) communities. Our mission of supporting the aspirations of Canadian and South Pacific Indigenous peoples for peace, justice, and environmental sustainability includes speaking out against the unjust, racist, and systemic violence Black and Indigenous people face every day in Canada and worldwide.

Black Lives Matter Protest in Washington D.C, USA. May 31st, 2020. Photograph by Koshu Kunii

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has shed light on the ongoing violence and systemic racism that people in the black community have faced for generations. The death of George Floyd on May 25th has sparked a long-overdue conversation. Now we see perhaps the biggest movement in recent history, with as many as 15-26 million Americans – and many more in Canada and across the world – demanding system change. Systemic injustices, white supremacy, and police brutality are not new realities for black communities, and unrooting capitalist colonial systems is imperative for BIPOC communities.

The movement has made progress in beginning to address years of wrongdoings. George Floyd’s murderer was convicted of 2nd-degree murder, and the other officers present were charged with aiding and abetting the murder. Around the United States, numerous cities have defunded their police departments or are reviewing budget cuts and tearing down colonial statues. In Canada too there are pressures on cities to defund their police budgets; Surrey is being criticized for its superficial approach to police reform, and an open letter is circulating to the Vancouver police board and the provincial government to ban street checks, which have been shown to be harmful and discriminatory against Indigenous, Black, and low-income communities.

While focalizing Black lives and Black rights, the BLM movement in Canada has also seen Indigenous involvement and a broader focus on Indigenous rights and struggles. Many in the movement have pointed out the connections between Black and Indigenous experiences of systemic racism and violence and the intersectionality needed to fully dismantle the colonial racist structures that are still in place today. Canada has a long history of injustices toward Indigenous peoples, including colonization, residential schools, the sixties scoop, and police abuses such as the starlight tours. Often Canada prides itself on being a multicultural country while placing European settler culture at the centre and other cultures as an add on – including First Nations peoples. As Moussa Magassa, human rights educator at the University of Victoria, explained in an interview with Douglas Magazine, “Multiculturalism for many Canadians is white culture and its tolerance of other cultures, with the condition that the latter play by its rules and so-called Canadian values.”’

PPP President Mua Va’a and family on June 7 BLM rally. Photo by Johanna Buermans

Rallies in support of BLM are ongoing across Canada. PPP’s President Muavae Va’a was proud to stand in solidarity in one of the Victoria BLM rallies, where peaceful and powerful dialogue was established from Indigenous and black organizers to thousands of supporters. One of the organizers, Asiyah Robinson, shared the aim of the rally with Chek News: “We’re trying to bring people together. We’re trying to make sure our community knows that they have a platform and they have a voice. We’re trying to make sure that people try and see the varied ranges of ages, of direction, of just histories that all of our black people have and to just honour their voices, give them their space. And also talk to our allies about what we’re looking for and what our next steps will be because this is just the first.”

Black Lives Matter Protest in Washington D.C, USA. May 31st, 2020. Photograph by Koshu Kunii

Tackling systemic racism in our own communities is crucial. The BLM movement exhorts all of us to listen to people of colour and other marginalized communities. It demands that we do the work to learn about our histories of racism, recognize our own biases and privileges, examine ongoing systems of oppression, and demand change. For ways you can help support this work in Canada, please check out the resources below:

Ways to help In Canada

(from GreenPeace.org)

    • Justice For Regis Korchinski-Paquet: Get Mayor John Tory, MPP Bhutila Karpoche, and Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders to commit to a transparent investigation and to hold the officers involved accountable in the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet through firing and filing charges

Indigenous Businesses to support in Canada

You can search this database by location or type of business:

https://shopfirstnations.com/

Black-owned Businesses to support in Victoria 

(List from @urvoicematters_ on Instagram)

    • Blue Nile East African restaurant
    • Carribean Village Cafe 
    • Zucchini Wives Food & beverage 
    • House of Boateng cafe 
    • Le Petit Dakar 
    • Trini to D bone 
    • Nallaju Cuisine 
    • Messob Ethiopian Cuisine 
    • Stir It Up Victoria 
    • Lulu’s apron 
    • Elk & The Tide Catering 
    • C-lashes 
    • Lashes by Randeel 
    • MK- Beauty – Face, Beauty, & Hair 
    • Who Dyd your hair 
    • Now I look Good 
    • Kande Global Hair Couturiere
    • GX Barbers 
    • Status Barber Shop 
    • Mocutz 
    • Dre Searles tattoos and illustrations 
    • Strictly roots events 
    • N8 images
    • Victoria Africa fest 
    • Bask Arts Home Decor 
    • Udamma Fashion 
    • Tribe Asani Fashion 
    • Island afrikan supermarket 
    • Mount Tolmie market
    • Shea butter market 
    • CREAN Society Youth Empowerment 
    • Maureen Washington vocal coach 
    • Purity clean victoria 
    • SW creations 
    • I dream in decor 
    • Doula Jay Duncan 
    • Storm fit nation 
    • Merge combat and fitness 
    • Flight basketball 

Papuan Lives Matter: Oppression in West Papua Continues

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Prepared by Peter Boldt, Multimedia Coordinator, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership

Just as the old proverb goes, history, unfortunately, tends to repeat itself. Corporate impunity, top-down development and violent dispossession are just but a few characteristics which describe everyday life for many Indigenous Peoples throughout the world who continue to fight for their survival. These painful realities have existed since the establishment of colonialism but oppression and systematic racism continue to occur on a global scale in the present. The Indigenous Peoples of West Papua who make up around 50% of the population of the region referred to in Indonesian as “Papua Barat”, are often victims of this continued oppression, and face acts of intense police brutality, land dispossession and persecution perpetrated by the Indonesian government.

Children in West Papua. (Photo by Leslie Butt, featured in Tok Blong Pasifik Vol. 55 No. 2)

The territory of West Papua is situated within an intersection of complex histories of colonization and competing geopolitical interests. Some 2 million Papuans call the land of West Papua their ancestral home and are ethnic Melanesians who share close connections with the peoples of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. West Papua had been under the colonial rule of the Dutch since the 16th century and was poised for independence in the mid-1960s. Unfortunately, at the behest of the United States, control over the territory was handed to Indonesia as part of the now-infamous New York Agreement. A few years later, in 1969, the “Act of Free Choice” would ostensibly provide West Papuans with an opportunity to vote for their independence. The referendum however was a sham, and would later be mockingly referred to as the “Act of no-choice”. Only 1,025 citizens participated in the vote and were hand-selected by the Indonesian military. Some were even allegedly forced to cast their ballot at gunpoint, resulting in an unsurprising unanimous vote in favour of Indonesian control. Countless advocacy groups and democratic organizations have since protested the results of the referendum and continue to call on the United Nations and the rest of the international community to support West Papuan independence.

Despite its large resource endowments including one of the largest gold mines in the world (Grasberg Mine) and recent focus of corporate development, West Papua possesses the lowest Human Development score (HDI) in Indonesia at 60.1 (compared to the Indonesian average of 70.1). Poverty affects around 25% of the population compounded by high rates of maternal mortality, illiteracy, unemployment and HIV. These issues have been exacerbated by indiscriminate discrimination, restrictions of political expression, and police violence. To illustrate, in February 2020 an investigation by the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission determined that a 2014 shooting committed by the military, which saw the death of four Papuan students and injured 21 others, was a gross violation of human rights. Sadly, just a few days after the judgement, another shooting transpired killing one Papuan and injuring several others.

(Source: Tok Blong Pasifik Archives)

These kinds of killings, beatings and torture are part of everyday life for many Papuans. It is unsurprising then that the murder of George Floyd in May of this year and the momentum of the #BlackLivesMatter movement resonated strongly with Papuans who also face similar injustices in their daily lives. In response, Papuans and allies rallied around the hashtag #PapuanLivesMatter in an effort to bring international attention to their struggle. Lamentably, foreign journalists are rarely permitted entry to West Papua and domestic journalists are tightly controlled through harsh anti-defamation laws. Because of this, the Indonesian military is rarely held accountable for their oppressive actions. In addition to militarization and land dispossession, Papuans who study and work elsewhere in Indonesia are often victims of racial abuse and discrimination. The Papuan identity is thus under a siege that spans economic, cultural, and social dimensions.

(Source: Tok Blong Pasifik Archives)

 History need not repeat itself and the #PapuanLivesMatter movement together with #BlackLivesMatter speaks to the critical juncture global society finds itself precariously situated within. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded on these tensions and injustices and exacerbated hardships for Papuans and African-Americans alike. Now is the time to act in favour of democracy, racial equality and human rights. Pacific Peoples’ Partnership continues to stand in solidarity with both the #PapuanLivesMatter and #BlackLivesMatter movements and in favour of decolonization, self-determination and social justice. 

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership has been involved in raising awareness about the West Papuan crisis for over 30 years. Through our Tok-Blong Journals and various advocacy campaigns, we have worked hard to shed light on the human rights and political abuses suffered to this day in West Papua. In October of last year (2019), amidst mounting state-led violence in West Papua, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership called on the Global Affairs Canada to pressure the Indonesian government to end the political and cultural persecution of West Papuans. Five months later, Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, returned correspondence indicating that Canada hoped for “a peaceful resolution to the ongoing situation in Papua…” whilst “recognizing and supporting the territorial integrity of Indonesia.” Pacific Peoples’ Partnerships was disappointed in the content of the response and hope Canada will take a stronger stance in favour of human rights and West Papuan independence.

Coronavirus Impact on Pacific Island Nations and Territories

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Research and story compiled by Andy E. Nystrom, PPP Archivist & Research Assistant

The following information is accurate to April 15, 2020. For the most up-to-date information tracking the COVID-19 virus in South Pacific nations, we recommend Worldometer’s website which regularly updates cases, deaths, and testing. For most countries the information can be found here.  For those countries that are under control of the United States, as well as Hawaii, click on USA in the above link or click here. 

COVID-19 Info Poster in Papua New Guinea

According to The Guardian’s weekly briefing on the Pacific on April 15, infection figures for the Pacific, while still low, more than doubled from the previous week. While Fiji, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia cases levelled out after their initial rise, they could rise again rapidly should containment efforts fail. A virtual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum on April 7 led to the establishment of the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway for the Pacific (PHP-C), which “provides political commitment to the movement of humanitarian and medical assistance to countries affected by Covid-19, particularly where normal transport routes have been impeded by border closures.”

The following information from the above article on what the Pacific governments are doing as of mid-April is quoted verbatim, including the hyperlinks from the original article:

 Papua New Guinea: The government has opened a Covid-19 treatment centre in Port Moresby, which can cater for up to 76 patients. Traditional border crossings (into and from Indonesia, Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Solomon Islands) have been forbidden. The military has been deployed to patrol in some places, especially along the Indonesia border. More than 300 people have registered their interest in being repatriated from around the world.

 Fiji: Specialised military vehicles received from China will be used in the fight against Covid-19. The government has allowed for repatriation flights from the US and Australia. Returnees will be required to undergo 14 days of strict quarantine on arrival.

 Solomon Islands: Parliament has voted for a four-month state of emergency covering Honiara. Dr Claude Posala who is chair of the Solomon Islands Medical Association, was sacked after taking to Facebook to criticise the government response to Covid-19. The government has closed its maritime border with Bougainville and imposed a two-night curfew over the Easter weekend

 Vanuatu: Authorities are maintaining strict protocols for receipt of medical and other humanitarian assistance to minimize risks of introducing the virus. This includes sanitation of supplies received and keeping any accompanying personnel air side. The government has determined that no foreign personnel will be allowed to enter Vanuatu to assist with the humanitarian response to cyclone Harold.

 New Caledonia: Restrictions on travel and public gatherings have been extended until 19 April. The customary Senate has called for restrictions to be imposed for longer and wants all weddings this year cancelled. But the provincial president of the Loyalty Islands says the restrictions should be relaxed in his province. Repatriation flights continue, including from Japan and French Polynesia.

 Samoa: The prime minister has indicated he has no intention of re-opening borders. The government has announced an economic stimulus package with focus on supporting tourism. The Samoa Hotels Association says 50 hotels have closed and 500 workers have been laid off, with more job losses expected.

 Marshall Islands: The government has sought to quell community concerns about proposed and rumoured arrivals by sea and air. The Nitijela was reconvened for an emergency two-day session which included a lengthy briefing from the national disaster committee. An economic impact committee has been established to assess the impact of the shutdowns in various sectors including tourism, hospitality and aquaculture.

 Federated States of Micronesia: President David Panuelo has announced a $15m economic stimulus package, with a focus on wage subsidies.

 French Polynesia: President Édouard Fritch has advised citizens and residents who are stranded overseas, including in France, that there are no plans to facilitate their repatriation.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: The government has announced that the public service will be cut in half as a result of a Covid-19 related economic collapse.

Reports from other sources are presented below:

Palau’s President Tommy Remengsau is enforcing strict isolation steps in his country.  He has shut off the tourism-dependent nation and plans to continue the isolation until the rest of the world is over the worst of the virus, even if the cost to the government is 60% of tax revenue.

People breaking quarantines is an issue in the Pacific.  “One sailor in Guam was caught leaving his room while in quarantine. Meanwhile in Fiji, multiple people breaking the strict lockdown rules has led Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to state those who breach any such regulations should be ‘dismissed’.”

The Hill is critical about the lack of coverage of US territories that are not one of the 50 states, noting that while stats for them are being reported, they are generally left off of corona virus maps of the US. Most Americans know about the USS Roosevelt being docked in Guam but little about Guam itself. In Guam the military “controls nearly a third of Guam’s land. COVID-19 infected sailors from the USS Roosevelt are being moved to the Guam Naval Hospital. Sailors who test negative and are asymptomatic are being quarantined in hotels and kept under military surveillance. This latter move has local leaders and the general public worried that they could endanger the island’s overall health.” The article also notes the difficulties in assessing contagion in the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa (the latter thus far having no confirmed cases) because “they both lack testing capacity and must send their specimens to Guam.”

You can help by making a donations to PPP’s  Pacific Resilience Fund which will support COVID-19 relief efforts in the Pacific Islands region. For more information click here.

COVID-19 Impacts on the Informal Economy in Wewak, Papua New Guinea

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By Penial Kabilo, Project Lead, Vendors Collective Voices, HELP Resources

Quick statistics: With the markets closed since March 28 2020, 1400 vendors in the Wewak market could not earn a living for 4-5 weeks now. At least 500  street vendors sold outside the market. And at least another 500 had so called table markets around a small radius from the market. So approx 2500 had their livelihood greatly impacted. 

With most urban markets around the country temporarily closed due to the Corona virus threat, local informal economy workers are already

Empty Wewak Market

feeling the brunt of this global pandemic. Unlike workers in the formal systems who are guaranteed some social security during the lock-down, informal workers are not eligible for such social protection.

Social distancing and staying at home are death sentences for this group of workers that work in a grey area of the economy. Those in authority are of the perception that informal economy workers are involved in illegal activities, they are unimportant, that it is largely women’s work therefore is of no real significance and is less productive. However, these workers play a crucial role in the functioning of urban centres. Market vendors maintain urban food security, provide nutritious street food, reduce poverty by offering low cost food alternatives and other services.

Their absences on the streets and in markets around the country in the last one and half months is surely affecting the proper functioning of urban life. Urban food security is under threat during the lock-down, as not all urban residents

The same area before the lock down and State of emergency.

are able to stock up on store goods. Much needed cheap local organic food is not reaching consumers, the absence of this marginalized and vulnerable group is beginning to be noticed by the majority and those in authority.

If there was a time that those in authority can provide social assistance to informal workers, now is the time. But for a country like PNG where social security systems are almost non-existent, it is an impossible task.

However, such decisions are made to safeguard our health and minimize the spread of the Corona Virus. A sad fact that many informal economy workers and the general public must accept and live with.

Closure of Wewak Main Market and other privately run markets.

 The closure of the main market took effect on 28th March and has been so for more than 1 month now.  The Provincial Chairman for the COVID- 19 response team recently announced through a circular that the main market will still be closed until such time the threat from COVID-19 is neutralized, for time being designated areas for temporary markets are at Boram/Moem Junction, Kaindi and Yawasoro. Small suburban markets are encouraged with social distancing and good hygiene practices to be observed. Vendors at other districts are encouraged to trade in their respective districts.

 The Wewak Town Market on average has 1200 vendors and is one of the main revenue earners for Wewak Urban Local Level Government, with an estimated 1.4 million Kina (450 000 US Dollars) rolling into the Local Level Government’s account per year (HELP Resources Baseline report 2018). With its closure, revenue shortfall is imminent, according to the Wewak Urban LLG who went on the local news, casual staff will be laid off due to shortfall in revenue. They have since been pressuring the Provincial COVID-19 task-force chairman to reopen the market.

Vendors are also affected by the closure, in one of HELP Resources community outreach to Hawain, a village located outside of the urban boundaries, village women have expressed dissatisfaction at the current situation. They have no space to bring their produce to sell and the designated areas available for trading are not safe. They have made pleas to authorities to have some proper systems in place during this state of emergency.

This area is usually crowded during fortnights, not the case in this photo taken last week Friday (24th April).

Since then, pressure from vendors, the general public and the Wewak Urban Local Level Government has made the Provincial Covid-19 task-force to reconsider their decision. Just recently in our meeting with the Local Level Government Officials 28th April HELP Resources has been notified that a decision has been reached on the 22nd April to reopen the Town Market on the 5th of May. However other smaller suburban markets and the two privately run markets (Dagua and Kreer) will not be opened to the general public, a decision that will surely create some hot air. Scholar Sengi who is an urban reseller has already made an appeal to local authorities to reopen Dagua Market, she buys betel nut from rural vendors and resells this at Dagua Market. Since the closure of the market she and other urban resellers were forced to sell at their respective communities and other unfamiliar territories. She has since noticed a big decline in her revenue and cannot fully support her family.

Other vendors who depend mostly on informal economy have all expressed similar sentiments. Not only does the market closures affect their daily income but also the lack of customers. The travel restrictions and the general panic of contracting the virus has caused people to stay at home. Maria, 70-year-old woman who sells

Maria selling next to her house at Sepik Timber

home baked scones in front of her house is one such vendor who is finding it very hard to make ends meet due to this situation. Her husband is unemployed, and their only source of income is from her daily sales.

Food security in Wewak

The closure of the Main market and two privately run markets has affected the food security of urban residents. These markets supply fresh vegetables and other local spices as well as fresh fish and other sea foods. Market closure means no supply. Not all urban residents in Wewak can afford to relay on store goods for two weeks, markets complement their meals.  Nutritious organic foods from the rural areas are in demand at these times. The designated markets in operation are operating on ad hoc, no regulations on prices and no form of management. Their operations are based on mutual understanding between vendors and customers, security is also a concern as these markets are pushed to the fringes of the town.

HELP Responses to this crisis

Rural vendors selling at one of the designated areas, (Kaindi).

The State of Emergency and COVID-19 threat has not deterred the team from HELP Resources from going ahead with our project activities, however on a lesser scale than was expected. The team has realised that informal economy vendors are the most affected group within our societies at this very challenging time, hence the office must operate to serve, protect and represent their interests.  The Project, Vendors Voice shaping Informal Economy’s main activity for this year, the informal economy community information sessions will be used as a forum to encourage, communicate and strengthen vendor’s spirits at this dark period. Moreover, HELP Resources is also in dialogue with Local Government and other partners to assist with the reopening of the main market. The office is also assisting women who cannot sell their handicraft by advertising on social media.  All our field activities are strictly planned with close observations to State of Emergency rules and COVID-19 Health requirements.

Penial Kabilo, Project Lead, Vendors Voice Shaping Informal Economy Development.  Penial’s main role is to provide leadership in the projects operations that includes leading a cadre of community based IE advocates, provide advice to existing vendor’s association and guide formations of new associations, providing training to local government officials, vendors and other stakeholders on Informal economy development and also liaise between HELP Resources and local government on the projects development. Plus maintain and provide updates on the project development on social media.

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HELP Resources meets with Wewak Town Authorities April 28, 2020

Amid the doom and gloom of COVID-19, some positives are slowly emerging for informal economy workers, especially the market vendors and the residents of Wewak town. A brief brainstorming meeting was held today with partners from Wewak Urban Local Level Government and Wewak Town Commission. The main agenda was on the effects of COVID-19 on the informal economy in Wewak and how best HELP Resources can assist with the reopening of Wewak Town Market with respect to current SOE rules and COVID-19 health measures. We have been assured by Mr. Kabaru and the Deputy Mayor that the Town Market will reopen on May 5th. Unfortunately, all other roadside markets will remain closed. Other designated markets at Boram Junction, Old Airstrip, Kaindi and Yawasoro will remain open for the time being.

HELP Resources informal market meetings about COVID

Information Session at Tui village, Hawain by HELP Resources on the Informal Economy and the importance of vendor’s voice. With the current (COVID) restrictions and closure on Wewak’s main market, rural vendors are finding it very tough, the importance of having a united voice at these uncertain times is vital in bringing rural vendors concerns to relevant authorities.

Reviewing and Enriching PPP’s Essential “Community Toolkit”

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By Cedar Luke, PPP Intercultural Research Associate

Cedar Luke

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) has inspired me to cultivate my abilities to serve something greater. My name is Cedar Luke, I began to work with PPP in the first weeks of 2020 as an intern by means of a continuing studies program in Intercultural Education at the University of Victoria. PPP seemed to align well with my previous engagement in Indigenous Studies, Social Justice and Latin American Studies which I pursued throughout my undergraduate degree.

My work with PPP has allowed me to synthesize years of research and academic pursuits by bridging the university with a larger community vision. April Ingham, the executive director of PPP, has been an incredible guide, focusing my efforts to the benefit of the organization as well as the greater movement towards equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Through my internship, I had the honour to review a program developed by a previous Indigenous Governance intern, Russ Johnston, titled the “Community Toolkit.” This program is designed as a workshop to explore the importance of our own history and perspective in working cross-culturally as an ally for social justice. This program recognizes the unjust history of colonization and searches to define and practice decolonization as a tool to envision positive pathways to healthy and reciprocal relationships between people, place, and culture.

This program defines six specific steps to accomplish this: an introduction aligned with local Indigenous protocols, the exploration of self-location and accountability, developing definitions of decolonization and allyship, and the creative aspect of envisioning positive, cross-cultural relationships and a future which we can work towards together.

Through my conversations with community, I realized just how important it is to know where one is coming from and what influences our perspective. In the step on self-location, we ask participants to identify their birthplace, their ancestry and their relationship to different natural environments in order to welcome their stories into the space. As Russ says, the work of this workshop needs to matter to each participant and is only meaningful if we know who we are in relation to it. In the next step, we explore different levels of accountability experienced in each aspect of our self-location and explore why we have chosen to participate in this workshop and the service of solidarity.

Harsha Walia, a Vancouver based activist and writer, defines decolonization as “a dramatic re-imagining of relationships with land, people and the state. Much of this requires study. It requires conversation. It is a practice; it is an unlearning.” We intentionally avoid giving a static definition for decolonization because it is a concept and practice which is constantly evolving. Decolonization is critical of imperialism and colonialism and thus works to advance the interests of Indigenous peoples by re-centering Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. The values derived from colonization continue to be upheld in many societal norms and institutions, intimately interwoven into social structures that perpetuate inequality and discrimination. For this reason, decolonization has deep implications for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens who wish for a more equitable and just society.

Two Canoes seminar – an allyship program from our friends at Fair Mining Collaborative. Photo by A Holbrook

Exploring colonization and decolonization can bring up many deep feelings of sadness, confusion anger, guilt, denial, etc. Many individuals who are privileged by the structures of inequality can choose not to engage and for this reason it is important we call people into the conversation rather than calling people out. To become an ally through grounded relationships is a great honor and gift. In working cross-culturally we learn about ourselves, we learn how to respectfully and curiously learn from others, and have the opportunity to be part of beautiful collaborations. This willingness to connect with what is unknown expands our sense of community, our sense of purpose and sense of belonging.

This program will be primarily used as an introductory workshop within the orientation process for new PPP interns and volunteers. This is to assure the heart of our operations are aligned with critical inquiry and the most effective positive change for the individual as well as the collective. As this program continues to develop, we are open to cultivating a several session seminar which would be open to the public for community engagement. I am currently refining a final draft of recommendations which I have generated over the past four months. I look forward to seeing how this program will grow into the future.

Although my work with the Community Toolkit is coming to a close, I am continuing to work with PPP as a research associate. In the coming months, I will focus on the development of a handbook to enshrine wise practices and policies for working with youth. I hope this handbook will assure PPP’s work is forever a safe and inspiring space for youth to learn and grow.

As we move forward together, may we remember that we are all historically Indigenous to somewhere. We all need the same vital nutrients of this Earth to nourish life, and through the act of giving we truly do receive.

Cedar Luke has lived, studied and worked in Latin America for five years and is graduating in Latin American Studies and Intercultural Education from the University of Victoria. Over the years, he has built relationships with Indigenous traditions of the Amazon as well as with the Annishnaabe community where he was raised in Duluth, Minnesota in the United States.

Chinese Resort Development Stopped in Fiji

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On 06 March 2020, Al Jazeera’s TV network aired a 25-minute documentary in its ongoing program, 101 East, that investigates a Chinese developer, Freesoul Real Estate, accused of ruining land and intimidating locals as it builds Fiji’s biggest resort, a 350 bure resort on Malolo Island near a world-famous surf break. This tourism development was being promoted as part of the Chinese government’s Belt and Road policy. Malolo is a tiny volcanic island in the Mamanuca Island chain off the west coast of Viti Levu.

Landowners claim that without any permits or permission, the company has ripped up 5,000 square metres (53,820 square feet) of the ancient reef, ploughed through a mangrove forest used by locals to source food, and illegally encroached on their property. The story unfolds as a grim struggle of wills between the local landowners and the developer until Al Jazeera’s documentary team comes to the attention of the Prime Minister of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama. He has recently gone on record as a champion of Fiji’s environment saying that any developer who destroys its nation’s environment is not welcome. Legislation is on the books for violators with large fines and even jail time up to 10 years in prison.

The good news is that the government has now cancelled all that developer’s building permits and decreed that it must return the land to its original condition which many express doubts will actually be able to happen. While this story is ongoing, it offers hopeful signs that developers should beware of thinking they can do as they please with even the smallest islands that the Fijians call their paradise. This documentary is well worth watching.

 Prepared by Alison Gardner, Editor, Pasifik Currents

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For 45 years, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership has supported the aspirations of South Pacific Islanders and Indigenous peoples for peace, environmental sustainability, social justice and community development.

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