Three steps forward, two steps back – but still walking onwards

IWDA supports the face of courage: Kup Women for Peace

The Papua New Guinea of today is a country of great change and promise. Yet, as PNG’s Big Men make deals on their Blackberrys, and yesterday’s copra plantation workers train to be tomorrow’s heavy machine operators, the vast majority of Papua New Guinean women still find themselves not only responsible for primary food production, the provision of water and fuel, and the delivery of child and familial care, but also subject to widespread physical, sexual and emotional violence.

Against this backdrop, Mary Kini, Agnes Sil and Angela Apa of Kup Women for Peace (KWP) stand as passionate activists and development workers in PNG, committed to bringing safety and security to their communities. 

Based in Simbu Province, Mary, Agnes and Angela live in Kup, a community of some 18,000 people who have faced more than 30 years of tribal violence. Limited opportunities for young people and the amassing of firearms overlay traditional tribal conflicts. Kup Women for Peace was established in 2000 by these activists meeting in secret, determined to end tribal fighting and violence against women and children, and to build peace among clans and tribal groups. Despite the founders of KWP belonging to ‘enemy’ clans, they joined together – prompted by the killing of one woman’s son – and collectively said that violence must stop. 

Ten years later, these three women are still working together to combat tribal violence. From their small secret meetings stemmed a kind of voluntary hostage exchange program, with the respective women simultaneously offering themselves to their tribal enemies while calling for the violence to stop. Over the years, formalising as a community based organisation, with strong leadership of women and men, Kup developed workshops, training programs and education campaigns, with programs including community law and justice, youth mentoring, leadership, sustainable livelihoods, HIV care and counselling, curriculum development for schools and community health, including water and sanitation. 

My most recent visit with the women in PNG confirmed, sadly, that a prolonged outbreak of tribal violence - the first in almost nine years – has resulted in the death of tens of community members, including a member of the Kup Women for Peace community police corps, who was attempting to save roofing iron from the school building before it was burnt to the ground so that it might be rebuilt, only to be shot by enemy tribes people. 

There is no question that this violence has greatly affected the members of Kup, the work that they do, and the communities that they seek to support and serve. Because of their work, the women of Kup have been targets of aggression and together with many other families, they have fled their homes and are living in temporary shelters and tents in the mountains or along the Wahgi River while their homes have been burnt to the ground; food gardens and coffee plantations destroyed; pigs and livestock killed; and the Kup centre, schools and health centres severely damaged. 

In an era when public attention is often drawn to natural disasters as a result of climate change, it can be easy to forget the human disasters of conflict and violence. And while IWDA continues to work formally with Kup Women for Peace as project partners to rebuild their operational centre and to re-start operations slowly in the face of ongoing violence, IWDA is also calling on supporters to consider a personal contribution to the members of Kup Women for Peace. 

When I asked what Kup Women for Peace needed, they said: “your friendship, your prayers, for us and any money you can send to help our members rebuild their lives and pay for their kids go to other schools.” The women of Kup remain steadfast in the face of these challenges; they are continuing to work to secure peace, to see the maintenance of a ceasefire, and to re-build Kup Women for Peace. 

KWP hope to be able to get through the current crisis and plan to continue their peace building work.  To learn more about their personal appeal or to send messages of support, please use the form below, we will post them here on this page and make sure that they get through to Mary, Agnes, Angela and the Kup Women for Peace 

Eleanor Jackson
Program Manager – Pacific Programs (PNG) 

Kup Women for Peace Contact Form

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Tags: Kup Women for Peace, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Safety and Security

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 under Papua New Guinea, Recent, Safety and Security.