BAKA BARAKOVE BINA

‘Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanise. While stories can break the dignity of a people, they can also repair that broken dignity” –  famed Nigerian writer Ngozi Adichie

LAE – I’m currently out of Port Moresby and, opening my laptop with Hot Spot at 10.00 pm, was pleasantly surprised to see all three of my present books on the First Nations Writers Festival website. Thank you FNWF.

This means that all three books in my Farmer Brings on a Wife trilogy are now in circulation and available for you to buy!

EDITED BY KEITH JACKSON

The  United States Coast Guard Cutter Hazard arrives in Port Moresby at the invitation of the PNG government in August 2023 (US Coast Guard Forces Pacific)

Matupit islanders rile Trumpy bigly
| Thanks to Rod Pearce and Rob Parer

RABAUL - The US Coast Guard has been in town with quite a large vessel. Half a dozen of the crew decided to climb the Matupit volcano, as you do.

Unfortunately they got the ‘Hands Up!’ by local rascals who stole everything the matelots had on them – backpacks, bugs, plugs, cell phones and ‘Make Matupit Great Again’ caps.

KEITH JACKSON
| With great assistance from AI Claude

Australian Indigenous smoking ceremony (City of Mandurah)

NOOSA - There is a document circulating on social media and by email that purports to be from the controversial Indigenous Australian political figure Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who is Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians and, most recently, also Shadow Minister for Government Efficiency (terminology with thanks to Elon Musk).

The document contains a number of assertions claiming that a number of well-known Aboriginal cultural practices are modern inventions and not of traditional origin. In this article, with AI Claude's help, we contest the truthfulness of each claim.

BAKA B BINA

“A Farmer Brings On a Wife is perfectly structured for a television series. Imagine a village in PNG, a son needs a wife and the whole village is involved. PNG’s 860 languages means 860 customs and in PNG this is just one of 860 ways to be wed. Multiple characters, well defined, and familiar. A fast paced and episodic read with lots of relevant side stories: laugh out loud, be a little shocked at the racy moments, cry a little, and ultimately….. well, buy the trilogy. It will be available online soon. The book award judges still speak of it. Every corner filled with ancient wisdom and culture. It is a readers ‘find’. Cannot be put down. Congratulations Bina Baka. A triumph!” - First Nation Writers Festival

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

PORT MORESBY - I’m working on a paper looking at possible explanations of how Papua New Guinea has survived as a democracy despite lacking strong democratic principles.

I am reminded of the introduction in Ron May’s book on the first 25 years of PNG’s independence, State and Society in Papua New Guinea: The First Twenty-Five Years.

HERVEY FORSYTHE

Keith Jackson at 80, January 2025

RICHMOND VA, USA – For those just tuning in: PNG Attitude is a blog covering Papua New Guinea affairs. It was founded and is run by Keith Jackson AM, a notable Australian journalist with deep ties to PNG.

This blog serves as a hub for news, opinion pieces and cultural discussions about PNG, featuring contributions from both PNG citizens and international writers, mostly Australians, with an interest in PNG.

DDA WATCH
| A branch of the Act Now! civic advocacy group

PORT MORESBY – The new corruption perceptions index (CPI) figures, released on 11 February by Transparency International, highlight Papua New Guinea’s failure to deal with widespread corruption.

PNG is classified as having a ‘high perceived risk of corruption’ which has shown ‘no meaningful progress’ in anti-corruption efforts. It is the worst ranked country in the Pacific Islands region and ranks 127th out of 180 countries globally.

KEITH JACKSON
| With thanks to Oceanic Arts Society

NOOSA – In late March, Scene Theatre in Sydney will present Worlds Alive, public readings of plays never seen before in Australia including one by Papua New Guinean playwright, the late Nora Vagi Brash.

Event organisers secured permission from the Vagi family to include in the event Which Way, Big Man?, a comedy about PNG’s transition to independence, and The Amazing Adventures of Omai.

KEITH JACKSON
| With thanks to Lindsay F Bond

NOOSA – I don’t know if you’re on to this but Earth may have a visitor on the way that will cause a bigger bang even than the Trump- Musk combination.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered just last December and has become a major focus for astronomers due to its potential collision risk with Earth in 2032.