We must act to salvage our country before it is too late
27 April 2016
JOHN K KAMASUA
ON A Tuesday night in January, I found it hard to sleep and stayed up late. It was strange. I felt very tired from the day’s work and had much to do the next day.
An sense of emptiness hovered in the air around me. The place was quiet and I could hear the call of dogs. I thought of what it meant to be a citizen of Papua New Guinea. My country.
How could I best describe my country? Many thoughts wandered through my mind.
The emptiness refused to go away. It lingered close.
The dogs barked again and there were distant sounds of traffic on the road and the emptiness hugged me.
My mind reflected on the corruption problem we face, and it stayed there.
Papua New Guinea is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. I know that many concerns have been raised and social media is very alive to this. But getting sentimental on social media does not help.
Talking does very little. Quality action is needed.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, the powerlessness and the pitiful feelings of being unable to do something.
One gets a feeling that it is possible to do something, yet it is just beyond the reach of many people.
Knowing the best action to take is difficult. Even working out the first steps is difficult.
Many of our friends and development partners have great concerns for this country. This is understandable and welcome.
I am living in a soulless country whose leaders over the years have done everything to do very little. But they have done much to destroy the institutions of state.
The culprits have been both politicians and bureaucrats. But the educated and ordinary people in the villages have also contributed their share.
To date, no leader, whether prime minister or politician, has constructively and effectively addressed corruption in the system. One government after another has done little but ensure their political survival.
This is the historical record and it is our legacy. Sad but true.
Educated Papua New Guineans should be ashamed of themselves for not doing enough. While the majority of the people who are not well informed - and remain voiceless, powerless and marginalised – stay at the periphery.
We give funds and material to people but we show few projects which the people themselves are driving.
Most times the machines and trucks are donated by MPs who have made sure their faces are on them. There is no ingenuity, creativity, or innovation, just the powerful and wealthy giving to the poor, needy, powerless and isolated.
There is no soul there.
No real values or principles are expounded when those items are handed over or when huge sums of money are quoted.
Yet despite all the gloom, I should be one of the people who are happy and contented. I have a secured and salaried job. My children go to school. My family and I have access to a fairly decent level of health, education and other services. Many thousands of Papua New Guineans would give much to be in my position.
Then it came to me and I felt empty again. The thought of so many people being left behind got to me. So many people not being able to meaningfully participate as citizens of this country. This is a national disgrace but often pushed under the carpet of project ground breaking ceremonies and million kina announcements.
How can one be expected to remain positive and upbeat when we can be so easily crushed under the weight of hopelessness and gloom? What is happening to the good intentions, policies and plans?
Our country is sick on many fronts.
I think for many educated and young Papua New Guineans, it is time to become restless and discontented. We must demand nothing less of ourselves than the best, and let nothing come between us and our dreams, and the realities we want for our nation and our people.
For Papua New Guinea to move forward and dig itself out of the quagmire, its young and educated people need to demand the best of ourselves. Settle for nothing less, and demand the best from others.
We must also be willing to take on the fight. Say no with such vigour to corruption, nepotism, convenience and expediency. This generation has work to do. It does not matter where we are from.
Stand for and with people who are giving their best for themselves and for others.
Give up some temporal comforts for the greater good in the long term. Be candid and honest with ourselves.
All of this and more.
Otherwise we will be part of the crowd that will destroy this country. When that happens, it will be too late. If this generation does not act to salvage what is left, it will be too late.
The signs of being too late are already on the wall.
"Talking does very little. Quality action is needed."
That sounds true but consider this; if all the 'talking' we did on social media was doing very little, then why does the government want to enact legislation to restrict internet discussion?
Why have they already gagged the mainstream media and even threatened a journalist?
Right thought - right speech - right path - right action.
It's a sequence. We have not been following through.
That can be remedied.
Posted by: Michael Dom | 28 April 2016 at 02:25 AM
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." Martin Luther King Jr.
John,I share your sentiment but don't lose hope. We have heros like Sam Koim and Damaru although are being shunned, they are not down and out or more importantly, dead and gone. They are still alive.
Look at our justice system. It stands solid and tall. The light is on the way and it's going to shine even if it takes more energy and vigor.
The balance of power in this country is used to be in the hands of students of our universities in times of crisis like this. But I have been refraining from mentioning them because they have made enough sacrifices for this country and a few even lost their lives in the hands of our corrupt and senseless police. I don't want to see another massaccre.
If the students are going to do anything, it should be peaceful and none confrontational with the police.
Posted by: Francis Nii | 27 April 2016 at 09:43 PM
Bro, there are so many PNGeans out there who have the same sentiments as you. Being out of our country for the first time (to Australia) I am deeply saddened by the way we live our daily lives.
We can do the "basics" right but we are full of negativity. We seem too much involved with big ideas but we cannot really do basic things like being responsible for our rubbish, not picking up a mobile phone in a bus that does not belong to us.
I was deep in thought about the conditions of our people, how our environment, the cities look, how people live and work and how our big men carried themselves around and
I deeply feel for my country. If there's gonna be a change and better things to come about in PNG, it needs a 'revolution' a mass movement by 'mutually intended intellectuals' - strong men and women who can stand up for our nation.
One most vital factor of change is 'education'. We need an education system that will develop humans to make meaning in life that is decent and make PNG a better place to live in.
We need to educate our people and ourselves to develop integrally.We need to understand ourselves, appreciate our cultures and our own ways of live and see what we can assimilate, accommodate or change.
Our government must invest more developing human resource and human mind - it is the biggest asset it has. If our government does exactly that, it won't be surprise to see its impacts.
Please readers, lets not place a lot of emphasis on our weaknesses, but see what we can do for our country. The writers are given credit for writing.
I am a teacher trainer and I will promote English Learning based on materials that are produced here to educate our children in schools.
Posted by: Huwe Kwadi Nuknuk | 27 April 2016 at 12:20 PM