PNG PEACE & GUTPLA SINDAUN FOUNDATION

 “A call for peace in PNG communities for a prosperous society”

WK Kiddie PNG Peace and Gutpela Sindaun Foundation staff pose with the peace message campaign. Pics by Robert Apala

BY PATRICK TOM

Our country's most famous tourism marketing slogan has always been "Land of the unexpected.”

With over 800 different languages, rich with diverse cultures and nearly a 1000 different tribes, nothing can be further from the truth.

We are indeed a culturally rich and blessed nation among the nations of the earth enjoying a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth, green forests, deep blue seas full of marine live and coral reefs, unspoiled rivers that form great estuarine lakes which support exotic wildlife, cool high mountains peaks, misty valleys, rumbling fire breathing volcanoes and deep caves that are yet to be explored,

The country is united as one nation, one country under the Red, Black and Gold Kumul standard.

But into this cauldron of a thousand babbling tongues is a bubbly stir that threatens the very fabric of freedom guaranteed to every man, woman and child since independence from Australia in 1975.

It is without doubt a sad reality that PNG isbeing  besieged by tribal terrorism that threatens to derail the cohesion of the 1000 tribes in the Land of the Unexpected.

One Papua New Guinean who is working very hard to circumvent such a feared scenario of breakdown in moral and cultural values, avoid law and order situations fermenting tribal terrorism, and embracing a peaceful means for PNG to forge ahead in grace and unity is a humble concerned citizen named Watt Kiddie.

Watt is the founder of WK Kiddie PNG Peace and Gutpela Sindaun Foundation based out of Port Moresby.

Watt Kiddie is an Accountant by profession. Counting money is one thing. But counting the losses of humanity is something the seasoned accountant could not resist.

To him, it signalled a worrying trend. He decided something had to be done to tackle it. He saw the need for peace and harmony to be established in the communities so he set up this non-government PNG Peace Foundation to take the lead in driving peace into the communities and the nation at large.

Watt has a big heart for our country. He embraces anybody from all walks of life. He sees everybody as equal.

Recent events in PNG where ethnic killings are taking place and are occurring with impunity is a very worrying trend and a real threat to the unity of our nation.

Educating communities on the need to embrace peace, unity and harmony are crucial to change for positive mindsets.

“It is heartrending to live in our own community with fear. Papua New Guinea is no safer for our women and children including the elderly to live,” he said.

“What our society need is peace to be instilled in communities and our people need to change their behaviour or attitudes for making a better living,” he said.

For peace to come into our community here are some of the key expression that will help us call for peace into our society.

“Peace starts with a cool mind and body;   we need a recognized body in PNG for driving peace movement in the rural and urban communities."

He says that September 1, 2019 was declared the World Peace Day which the Watt Kiddie Foundation took the lead to celebrate and commemorate the day in Port Moresby.

“We declare peace on all communities in the PNG as peace is fundamental to prosperity.

“PNG needs peace for a prosperous society and the foundation for prosperity.

He said for Papua New Guinea to be independent as a peaceful and prosperous, the people needed to be obedient to the law and respect the Constitution.

“Let me make this call to all Papua New Guineans that let us be peaceful for prosperity.

“And he translated by quoting that Inap yumi stap wantaim belisi lo gutpela sindaun. 

 “There is much more work that needs to be done in the communities for peace to prevail so that we create a peaceful and healthy society and fulfill the Government vision of taking back PNG and making it a rich black Christian nation as alluded.”

“The big thing I can say is the government is giving less attention to the peace of this nation. The peace of this nation is required before earning prosperity,” he said.

The WK PNG Peace and Gutpela Sindaun Foundation thanks sponsors who supported their work on promoting peace in the communities such as National Insurance Brokers Ltd, Eda Ranu, Water PNG, TL Cooper Lawyers, Mi Bank, and PNG Air.

Post-Courier feature