BY LYDIA KAILAP

PROFESSOR JUDY ATKINSON is recognised as a world authority on trauma in indigenous cultures and in the healing process required to recover individuals, families and communities from a vicious cycle of violence and abuse.

Indigenous concepts of healing are based on addressing the relationship between the spiritual, emotional and physical. An essential element is recognising the interconnection between violence, social and economic disadvantage, racism, and dispossession from land and culture.

Violence and abuse have become a part of PNG families and communities. Men, women and children suffer from the effects of extreme violence and substance abuse.

At CUMA [the Children’s University of Music and Art] we were appalled at the number of children regularly abused in the home and on the street; and we desperately sought some sort of miracle to rid our community of violence - to save our kids.

Children cannot learn properly when they are victims of abuse; it lowers their self esteem and renders some almost incoherent. It is seen in the way the children interact.

We were so fortunate to meet Professor Judy because her daughter, Dr Carlie, was a friend to CUMA who helped us with many projects within the Kaugere Community.

In October 2009, Professor Judy and two facilitators from Southern Cross University (Carey and Judy K) arrived in Kaugere and conducted a five- day workshop with the CUMA children, parents, street boys and community leaders.

Judy uses the healing power of art (music, painting, writing) as a means of recreating spirit. It changed our community forever.

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KAUGERE’S NEW REVOLUTION by Sue Nosworthy

RECENTLY, in a dusty settlement in Port Moresby, a silent revolution took place. Over 80 residents of Kaugere, considered a notorious breeding ground for raskols, met daily to find ways to heal themselves after generations of trauma and abuse.

A group from Southern Cross University in New South Wales, led by Professor Judy Atkinson, conducted a five day Family Violence Community Recovery workshop with the men, women and children of the community. It was a painful yet uplifting journey as victims and perpetrators alike shared their stories of the past and dreams for the future.

The community asked to be taught about human rights, the rights of the child and the United Nations declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, relative to their lives. They placed human rights in the context of their own behaviour towards their children, violence against women and community violence.

Professor Atkinson said the workshop was highly successful and the community indicated that they would like access to further education to develop deeper skills in the area of family violence.

“I’ve never seen a group of men and women so committed to come together to talk about violence in their community. The community was not only committed to change their own circumstances, but circumstances like theirs across PNG,” she said.

The venue for this ‘revolution’ was the Children’s University of Music and Art, CUMA, a fee-free community school founded by Peter and Lydia Kailap at the beginning of this year. Perched near the top of the hill, commanding million dollar views, the school is for the most part a ramshackle structure of bush timber and tarps, reflecting the style of housing that surrounds it. The gem that stands out is the new, professionally built classroom of finished hewn timber and hardwood decking.

Peter, an accomplished musician and artist from the Gulf province, and Lydia, a former chef and accountant from Australia, have lived at Kaugere for the past five years. During that time they have seen the same traumas repeatedly occurring around them: neglected and abused children and women, maltreated at the hands of men, often victims themselves; disengagement from society; hopelessness. They saw a need and a way to help the children and improve their prospects, restore hope.

“This was a community on the edge of change. They grabbed hold of the opportunity to learn and grow with surprising outcomes,” Professor Atkinson said.

The journey of self-discovery that the people of Kaugere have taken this week will surely lead to positive changes in their self image and eventually how others see the people of Kaugere. This coupled with the self-driven community development plan they have implemented sets an example for all of Port Moresby and indeed PNG.

The author is the community liaison officer with the Australian High Commission, Port Moresby.

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The funds for this workshop were supplied by Southern Cross University at a budget of only $15,000. The professor and her team were housed and taken care of by Dr Carlie, and the ladies at CUMA did all of the catering, so costs were kept as low as possible.

The beauty of Professor Judy’s workshops is in the “total involvement with the community”. She does not walk in and identify problems and then tell everyone how to fix them.

The community is guided and educated and allowed to identify the problems for themselves, and are then allowed to formulate solutions that are workable and suit their community.

It was a beautiful experience to witness the change it made in the lives of people in our community and the lives of our precious children. Kaugere is now a safer place for men, women and children; a place where human rights are recognized and respected; a place where violence is not accepted as it once was.

It would be wonderful to see communities all across PNG benefit from this simple and effective response to the enormous problem of violence in families and communities.

If only eyes could see and ears could hear!