Having worked in various volunteer capacities over the years, it is my observation that all such bodies rely mostly upon the commitment, energy and drive of a comparative handful of enthusiasts.

Basically, many people are willing to devote a relatively small amount of their time and resources to a particular cause, while very few are willing to give it their maximum effort.

It takes a very determined and single minded person to create and drive a whole organisation to mobilise public support and achieve a defined goal. Such champions are as rare as hen's teeth.

In the case of PNG Attitude, it is largely Keith's creation and he is pivotal to its existence and success. It appears to be largely the same for the Crocodile Prize, with a few notable supporters like Phil and some folk in PNG too.

I can sympathise with the folk in PNG in so far as they are trying to create some sort of literary capacity in a country with no tradition of using the written word. They will need to undertake a very long and arduous process if they are to breath self sustaining life into the embryonic PNG literary scene.

The bottom line is that people like Keith and Phil will not be around forever. Someone in PNG has to step up and take on the role of champion in their place. It will probably be a largely thankless task, but it has to be done if even the idea of PNG literature is to survive, let alone thrive.

I think that it is no accident that no country lacking a thriving indigenous literature has ever made a truly successful transition to modernity. The written word is inextricably linked with a successful, modern civilisation.

So, the challenge is before PNG. The question is, can anyone rise to it?

I can see clearly now why Jimmy Drekore did not want to take on the leadership role for the 2016 Crocodile Prize organisation. He refused it point blank when I recommended him at the Kundiawa presentations in 2015.

Mathias Kin talked about having a permanent home for the Crocodile Prize. But nothing we said in Kundiawa was permanent.

Baka Bina volunteered and selected a couple of us to assist him organise the 2016 Crocodile Prize. But a lack of communication, a lack of interest, the need to raise the necessary funds and a drive to get the prize going involves a lot of hard work. That has put us all down.

It is my experience that organising the Enga Writers Association is a lot of work. I have yet to find sponsors, patrons and writers who are interested to contribute something towards literary development in PNG.

But at least I have started somewhere, even if its working with only a few interested individuals.

If what Baka Bina says here holds water, credit will have to go to Emmanuel Peni when he announces winners, reveals who the sponsors are and produces an anthology for 2016.

Phil, if the Crocodile Prize is floundering, it would be a pity to see it die on the vine after all the work you and Keith have done with it.

Why don't we continue with it, as an on-line production only, until local writers are ready to resume management of it. You could continue to edit the stories, I could edit the poetry, Keith could continue with on-line publication, and Bob could scrounge prize money from wherever, until local counterparts are ready to take over from us.

This would mean that without hard-copy printing and distribution, the prize would be confined to the computer elite and would not reach village level.

But an on-line production of the Crocodile Prize would be better than no production at all, and we could keep it going until local writers are ready to take it over from us.

I think I'm angry on Manu's behalf Baka. He has put a huge effort into keeping the prize going but he has been doing it largely by himself. Everyone seems to have let him down. People whinging from the sidelines about the delay haven't offered to help.

I'm fairly confident that he will pull it all together in the next month or so with Jordan and your help but it doesn't look good for the future.

As I say above, it's not rocket science. The idea is fairly simple. All it requires is a bit of effort and a modicum of commitment.

If anyone has read Manu's book, 'Sibona' they will realise that he is a very talented writer. If there had been a book category in the 2016 competition he would have won it easily.

He is a writer and he is committed to PNG literature.

I'm not sure about PNG's other writers.

When I took on that lead role in Kundiawa, it was well and with much enthusiasm from all. Unfortunately it died down immediately thereafter as the committee were long distance and could not communicate effectively at times or were incommunicado for a duration or our ideas did not gel.

It was then down to a few doing what could be done well by a group of enthusiasts.

It was bad timing for me to get some acting postings going into the end of 2015 and into the whole of 2016. I was left in a position to impress at these acting postings to warrant holding down these positions so could not rally the time needed for the Crocodile cause.

Mid year Emmanuel Peni came voluntarily to the rescue to assist the COG. We swapped roles, he taking over the leadership, me part time committee member. It was one person - Peni and with some assistance to progress the Crocodile Prize.

You can already see the Simbu SWA experience where you 'walk and do things' is not the same in Port Moresby where you 'bus to keep appointments and wait' for the mundane of things.

Time is a luxury unless your employer is generous. Thanks Phil you did the edits for the Anthology then.

I do not have the grace to easily converse to get people to the cause - Peni can but he came late. Wish we had the likes of Phil here. It could have be marvellous to have a bit more of Phil and Peni but it is not good in retrospect, is it.

Some things are not clicking into place yet. Mr Peni has some organisational glitches that will be ironed out.

He sent an email for a 19 January date for the presentation of prizes but that has since been changed by the venue donors. I'm sure Peni is trying to tidy things up before he can make the announcements, that's his call.

In case there is a misconceived thinking, there were funds to operate with, Peni is running the Crocodile Prize on air and will still be doing so going forward in 2017.

A few of us coins-coins-ed together to pay for the registration fees with IPA. All prize monies donated by the sponsors, I hear is the fixed amount of the prize monies and that would surely mean no trophies unless Peni has a bag of miracles to even pay for the tickets of the winners to the awards night.

We are in dire need for like people in Port Moresby to come around and forward to assist, we'd like that going forward in 2017.

Port Moresby contributors to the PNG Attitude have not put their hands up nor are they voicing concern here on this blog.

It is a pity that conversation cannot happen on this crucial thing. This conversation will die a natural death like the previously time Phil raised the crocodile tears herein.

Having said all that I'm sure that the two things that Peni will want to see happen are the awards night and the publication of the anthology.

I suspect there are too many people in PNG capable of organising and facilitating said events that are, nonetheless, overwhelmed by a state of near penury that dominates thinking, and dispels abilities.

Even if they were paid something for their efforts; unless it was more than a nominal amount, the vice-like grip of circumstance remains to bedevil good intentions.
The fact remains that the task, about which the Croc' Prize is a crowning feature, is of a degree of importance to PNG social equity that demands measures and manpower to help maintain the initiative and momentum already achieved but threatened to be lost.

Perhaps some degree of subsidy is required to enable a facilitator in PNG to attend needed tasks of mobilising and executing without the burden of circumstances hindering the effort. Ting ting, tasol.