Papua New Guinea's dynamite women

Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman inspires Lutherans to challenge their cultures

Zau Rapa calls them “dynamite women.”Rapa, acting head bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea, was referring to the 1,500 women who gathered Sept. 13-19, 2008, at the Baitabag Lutheran girls’ school outside the northern village of Madang.Rapa saw God’s power as “dynamite” within them, which they took back to their villages after six days of worship, Bible study, singing and drama under the theme “Jesus Liberates Women in Papua New Guinea from Male-dominated Cultures.”

Above: Bonnie Arua and other women from the Papua District lead those attending a September conference of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea in song and dance at the closing night’s worship service.

Yes, that’s “cultures.” Plural. A Papua New Guinea folk saying puts it this way: “For each village, a different culture.” In a country the size of California, more than 850 languages are spoken. Many of its coastal and island villages are only accessible by boat, and many highlands villages only reachable by plane.

Such a diversity of cultures has bred a long history of intertribal conflict and violence.Some of the women traveled three days by cargo ship to join their Lutheran sisters. They ran out of food when the journey took longer than expected. Others traveled days by truck on overland roads full of potholes.

They represented 16 church districts and hundreds of traditional cultural practices. They united as Lutherans to confront a common challenge: the status of women in Papua New Guinea. Rapa believes they’ll be the dynamite to ignite change in their villages—their cultures—of which the U.S. State Department says “women generally are considered and treated as inferiors” and “gender violence is endemic.”

Pic and Story by Amber Leberman of The Lutheran

Papua New Guinea's dynamite women

Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman inspires Lutherans to challenge their cultures

Zau Rapa calls them “dynamite women.”Rapa, acting head bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea, was referring to the 1,500 women who gathered Sept. 13-19, 2008, at the Baitabag Lutheran girls’ school outside the northern village of Madang.Rapa saw God’s power as “dynamite” within them, which they took back to their villages after six days of worship, Bible study, singing and drama under the theme “Jesus Liberates Women in Papua New Guinea from Male-dominated Cultures.”

Above: Bonnie Arua and other women from the Papua District lead those attending a September conference of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea in song and dance at the closing night’s worship service.

Yes, that’s “cultures.” Plural. A Papua New Guinea folk saying puts it this way: “For each village, a different culture.” In a country the size of California, more than 850 languages are spoken. Many of its coastal and island villages are only accessible by boat, and many highlands villages only reachable by plane.

Such a diversity of cultures has bred a long history of intertribal conflict and violence.Some of the women traveled three days by cargo ship to join their Lutheran sisters. They ran out of food when the journey took longer than expected. Others traveled days by truck on overland roads full of potholes.

They represented 16 church districts and hundreds of traditional cultural practices. They united as Lutherans to confront a common challenge: the status of women in Papua New Guinea. Rapa believes they’ll be the dynamite to ignite change in their villages—their cultures—of which the U.S. State Department says “women generally are considered and treated as inferiors” and “gender violence is endemic.”

Pic and Story by Amber Leberman of The Lutheran

Papua New Guinea's dynamite women

Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman inspires Lutherans to challenge their cultures

Zau Rapa calls them “dynamite women.”Rapa, acting head bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea, was referring to the 1,500 women who gathered Sept. 13-19, 2008, at the Baitabag Lutheran girls’ school outside the northern village of Madang.Rapa saw God’s power as “dynamite” within them, which they took back to their villages after six days of worship, Bible study, singing and drama under the theme “Jesus Liberates Women in Papua New Guinea from Male-dominated Cultures.”

Above: Bonnie Arua and other women from the Papua District lead those attending a September conference of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea in song and dance at the closing night’s worship service.

Yes, that’s “cultures.” Plural. A Papua New Guinea folk saying puts it this way: “For each village, a different culture.” In a country the size of California, more than 850 languages are spoken. Many of its coastal and island villages are only accessible by boat, and many highlands villages only reachable by plane.

Such a diversity of cultures has bred a long history of intertribal conflict and violence.Some of the women traveled three days by cargo ship to join their Lutheran sisters. They ran out of food when the journey took longer than expected. Others traveled days by truck on overland roads full of potholes.

They represented 16 church districts and hundreds of traditional cultural practices. They united as Lutherans to confront a common challenge: the status of women in Papua New Guinea. Rapa believes they’ll be the dynamite to ignite change in their villages—their cultures—of which the U.S. State Department says “women generally are considered and treated as inferiors” and “gender violence is endemic.”

Pic and Story by Amber Leberman of The Lutheran

Papua New Guinea police brutality

(Above: PNG police parade at Kimininga, Mount Hagen, WHP)

Police brutality in Papua New Guinea is prevalent. We appreciate the tireless efforts shown by most policemen and women to contain law and order situations in the country. However, a few members of the police force are acting beyond their constitutional duties to harass innocent people among the general public.

Not only these cowards are using the police uniforms to quench their lustful hidden agendas but also making a mockery out of the police force in Papua New Guinea.
The constant harassment of these irritate policemen on the general public is causing the people to loose their trust, confidence, and hope on these very police force in Papua New Guinea who suppose to enforce the laws of Papua New Guinea and nothing else. Some of these policemen get drunk even though they know that they were going to work the next day. Others get drunk during the day when driving police vehicles or attending complaints lodged by the people.

Before the situation gets out of hand, the police hierarchy should install some discipline within the police force so that the people of Papua New Guinea can have full confidence, trust, and hope in the police force. On the same token, bribery and back-door-deals are on the rise within the police force. I was in Mount Hagen last year to lodge a complaint so I asked one of the policeman on duty but he refused to attend to my request. After I gave him a K50, he told me to return after couple of hours and hear from him.

The impression that I got from all these is that, services are provided free of charge but you got to pay for what you ask when the very people who are paid either by the government or companies to do their jobs turn around and ask you to pay/buy them cigarettes, bettlenuts, etc... before they can attend to your request/need. This is a dangerous trend in Papua New Guinea. Another classic example is, the foreign affairs department. If you want your passport within a day, you got to get through the back door to give some Tom, Dick, and Harry some cash. Otherwise, you got to wait for decades. Fellow Papua New Guineans, lets speak up and get rid of this 'pay me or else you'll not get it' mentality.


God bless PNG.

Papua New Guinea police brutality

(Above: PNG police parade at Kimininga, Mount Hagen, WHP)

Police brutality in Papua New Guinea is prevalent. We appreciate the tireless efforts shown by most policemen and women to contain law and order situations in the country. However, a few members of the police force are acting beyond their constitutional duties to harass innocent people among the general public.

Not only these cowards are using the police uniforms to quench their lustful hidden agendas but also making a mockery out of the police force in Papua New Guinea.
The constant harassment of these irritate policemen on the general public is causing the people to loose their trust, confidence, and hope on these very police force in Papua New Guinea who suppose to enforce the laws of Papua New Guinea and nothing else. Some of these policemen get drunk even though they know that they were going to work the next day. Others get drunk during the day when driving police vehicles or attending complaints lodged by the people.

Before the situation gets out of hand, the police hierarchy should install some discipline within the police force so that the people of Papua New Guinea can have full confidence, trust, and hope in the police force. On the same token, bribery and back-door-deals are on the rise within the police force. I was in Mount Hagen last year to lodge a complaint so I asked one of the policeman on duty but he refused to attend to my request. After I gave him a K50, he told me to return after couple of hours and hear from him.

The impression that I got from all these is that, services are provided free of charge but you got to pay for what you ask when the very people who are paid either by the government or companies to do their jobs turn around and ask you to pay/buy them cigarettes, bettlenuts, etc... before they can attend to your request/need. This is a dangerous trend in Papua New Guinea. Another classic example is, the foreign affairs department. If you want your passport within a day, you got to get through the back door to give some Tom, Dick, and Harry some cash. Otherwise, you got to wait for decades. Fellow Papua New Guineans, lets speak up and get rid of this 'pay me or else you'll not get it' mentality.


God bless PNG.

Papua New Guinea police brutality

(Above: PNG police parade at Kimininga, Mount Hagen, WHP)

Police brutality in Papua New Guinea is prevalent. We appreciate the tireless efforts shown by most policemen and women to contain law and order situations in the country. However, a few members of the police force are acting beyond their constitutional duties to harass innocent people among the general public.

Not only these cowards are using the police uniforms to quench their lustful hidden agendas but also making a mockery out of the police force in Papua New Guinea.
The constant harassment of these irritate policemen on the general public is causing the people to loose their trust, confidence, and hope on these very police force in Papua New Guinea who suppose to enforce the laws of Papua New Guinea and nothing else. Some of these policemen get drunk even though they know that they were going to work the next day. Others get drunk during the day when driving police vehicles or attending complaints lodged by the people.

Before the situation gets out of hand, the police hierarchy should install some discipline within the police force so that the people of Papua New Guinea can have full confidence, trust, and hope in the police force. On the same token, bribery and back-door-deals are on the rise within the police force. I was in Mount Hagen last year to lodge a complaint so I asked one of the policeman on duty but he refused to attend to my request. After I gave him a K50, he told me to return after couple of hours and hear from him.

The impression that I got from all these is that, services are provided free of charge but you got to pay for what you ask when the very people who are paid either by the government or companies to do their jobs turn around and ask you to pay/buy them cigarettes, bettlenuts, etc... before they can attend to your request/need. This is a dangerous trend in Papua New Guinea. Another classic example is, the foreign affairs department. If you want your passport within a day, you got to get through the back door to give some Tom, Dick, and Harry some cash. Otherwise, you got to wait for decades. Fellow Papua New Guineans, lets speak up and get rid of this 'pay me or else you'll not get it' mentality.


God bless PNG.