My Land | My Country @scottwaide - Tumblr Blog

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Thirteen years ago, I started MY LAND | MY COUNTRY as a personal blog project. It was basically to store poetry and short stories. It has grown to include news, commentary and analysis on various PNG related issues. Over the last 10 years, it has become an extension of reporting and a platform for Papua New Guineans wishing to express opinions that don’t always make it to mainstream media.…

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Our silence is killing our nation

In 2020, we went to each of the 10 health centers in Lae City with forms on which the officers in charge would state what medicines were in short supply and what for how long the problem had existed. Each form was signed by the manager. A few months later, we travelled into the highlands and did the same with at least 10 other clinics and hospitals in Eastern Highlands, Simbu, Western Highlands…

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Alliance of Independent Journalists condemn attack on West Papuan journalist

The Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has condemned an anonymous attack on a prominent West Papuan journalist. Victor Mambor’s double cab ute was spray painted and its windscreen smashed in the early hours of Wednesday morning. In a statement, AJI said it strongly suspects that the attack was related to recently published which certain parties did not like. Victor…

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Note: The author of the blog (Scott) is ill with malaria and has not ben able to to write. He will be back soon to respond to queries.

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4 guiding principles written in 1973 for the management of Papua New Guinea’s natural resources and environment

1. Recognition that our people are part of the environment we depend on In considering the natural resources of Papua New Guinea, our human resources should be included. Our human talent should be directed to providing benefits to the majority of the people. 2. Today’s generation is only a custodian and holds in trust the environment for future generationsThe basic concept in our society with…

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Lt Col Geoffrey Key (ret) tribute to the Grand Chief

I first came in contact with the late grand chief sir Michael Thomas Somare in 1973 at Vanimo in west Sepik Province. I was a young Second Lieutenant and my company was on outstation duty in Vanimo. At that time, the Grand Chief was our Chief Minister visiting West Sepik Province to conduct his awareness. After conducting his awareness around the villages in West Sepik and Vanimo Township, he…

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Suli Suli, who nearly quit in 2019 due to financial difficulties, graduated today

In 2019, Suli Suli was going to quit half way through his Communications degree studies at Divine Word University. Suli is not one to ask for help. He had already made the decision to quit and had requested EMTV’s then Head of News Neville Choi, for full time employment. We asked him why he had made the decision. What came out of the conversation was that he was worried about the…

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10 things we wrote in 1973 as a guide for ourselves in in the future

In 1973, the Constitutional Planning Committee presented a report to the House of Assembly. They also wrote Papua New Guinea’s National Goals and Directive Principles. It remains a blueprint of how our country should be run. Below is a summarized 10 point version of one Goal – INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. 1. Human development is priority and is not the same as material progress We do not take…

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March 16th, Wewak | Pictures by Kalakai Photography

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Understanding the Somare vision - Equality and Participation

Understanding the Somare vision – Equality and Participation

33. As we have said in relation to the first goal – “Integral Human Development – Liberation and Fulfilment”, the kind of society which we believe our people want to build is one which is fundamentally based on the right of each one of our citizens, whether he or she lives in a village, a town, or a city, to fully develop himself or herself as a whole person. 34. We recognize…

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Somare vision - Education

Somare vision – Education

25. We are concerned by the way in which in the past development and modern institutions have alienated our people from one another. Our schools have tended to make children strangers to their parents and their villages. Universities have furthered this process of alienation. At least until recently the whole education process was leading towards social stratification, increased…

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Understanding the Somare vision - Integral human development, liberation and fulfillment

Understanding the Somare vision – Integral human development, liberation and fulfillment

We do not take development to be synonymous with material progress. For us the only authentic development is integral human development. This means that we use the term development to mean nothing less than the unending process of improvement of every man and woman as a whole person. We take our stand on the dignity and worth of each Papua New Guinean man, woman and child. In effect, this…

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The Grand Chief and the wisdom he left for everyone

I have not written anything on the blog since our arrival in Wewak the Sunday before last. In fact, it has been overwhelming. The demonstration of sorrow and the pride is something to behold here in Wewak and all over Papua New Guinea. I stayed away from the live stream that we produced out of Port Moresby. I did watch parts of it. But it has been hard to watch a full session without…

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Remembering the filmmaker who helped document PNG's history and independence

Remembering the filmmaker who helped document PNG’s history and independence

Chris Owen passed away on March 9, (2018) in Canberra, aged 73. He was born in 1944 in Birmingham, UK, and was educated in both the UK and Australia, in particular at the Birmingham College of Art and Design where he received a Graduate Diploma in Visual Communication. He moved to Papua New Guinea in 1973, initially employed as cinematographer by the Tourist Board, but joined the Institute of…

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In pictures: Maprik sends its most prized yams to Port Moresby for the haus krai

One of the the most highly prized crop in East Sepik, the yam, has taken center stage in expressions of gratitude by the Sepik Community to other provinces who attended the Grand Chief’s Haus Krai in Port Moresby. The yams brought in from Maprik will be flown to Port Moresby along with saksak and other foods as part of thank you gifts to other provinces. Some of the yams are over a meter long…

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In pictures: Somare tribute marches from the Hela, Western Highlands and Jiwaka people in Port Moresby

Hela Western Highlands and Jiwaka My sincere apologies, if I didn’t acknowledge you. There were too many images to caption.

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The gifts presented by Bougainvilleans to Sir Michael Somare's family and what they represent

The gifts presented by Bougainvilleans to Sir Michael Somare’s family and what they represent

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is a collection diverse cultures. The delegation led by President Ishmael Toroama, presented a set of gifts from various parts of Bougainville. Each has its own significance. Below is a list of gifts provided by members of the Bougainville Community. Paiou – The Paiou is made of a special red rope from the bark of a tree and shark teeth. It is the most…

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