Building peace in Bougainville

Introduction Peace keeping Peace building Women as peace builders Children as peace builders   Introduction  Copper mining began on Bougainville in the mid-1960s and life for the local people began to change.  The mine created jobs for many Bougainvilleans and was a main source of income for the government of Papua New Guinea following independence in 1975. However the mining operation produced major environmental and social changes. Some groups felt they were missing out on the gains and losing their culture.  An armed pro-independence group, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), fought against the PNG government. An opposing group, the Bougainville Resistance Force (BRF) aligned itself with the PNG government. Civil war spread. Thousands of people died between 1989 and 1998 and much of Bougainville's infrastructure - health, water, sanitation, education, transport and communication - was destroyed. Many people were displaced and the majority of villagers lived in isolation and fear. Many people lost trust in each other and the economic impact was enormous. Peace making In 1997 the New Zealand government succeeded in facilitating a peace conference of all Bougainville leaders that led to the Burnham Declaration of ceasefire. This in turn lead to the Lincoln Agreement, extending the truce, the Arawa Resolution, involving ex-combatants in peace process and eventually on 30 August 2001, the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The peace agreement comprises three main parts: (a) Autonomy, (b) Referendum (to be held between five and fifteen years from the date of the Agreement) and (c) Weapons Disposal Plan. (http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/png/bougainville/) Peace keeping A multi-national unarmed Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) with members from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and comprising of a mix of military and civilian personnel operated in Bougainville at the invitation of the PNG government between December 1997 and June 2003. Their role was to: monitor and report on the compliance of the parties involved in the Bougainville peace process to all aspects of the ceasefire; promote and instil confidence in the peace process through its presence, good offices and interaction with people in Bougainville; provide people in Bougainville with information about the ceasefire and other aspects of the peace process. A strong desire for peace at the grassroots level on Bougainville and the presence of the PMG encouraged a greater sense of freedom of movement. Peace monitors were unarmed and did not take sides. They supported people to work together and own the peace process and see the benefits from it.         Peace monitors working with communities in Bougainville. Peace building People showed amazing resourcefulness during the blockade of the conflict period, using coconut oil to run cars, building solar lights and developing mini hydro schemes to generate electricity. This same level of resourcefulness and determination drives the current peace efforts. Australian aid is developing administration skills, supporting the delivery of essential services in education, health and law and order, supporting economic growth and rebuilding towns, roads, schools and health facilities. The reconstruction of the 300 kilometre trunk road and bridges between Arawa and Buka means that people can get their copra, cocoa and other goods to market. The two-day journey has been reduced to three hours. Ex-combatants, particularly young men, are integrated back into village life after their long years of combat through an innovative model of restorative justice which by-passes the court system and reunites disaffected young people with their village structures through a process of compensation and reconciliation. Women as peace builders It is when communities come together to plan their future that the real peace building takes place. Women have played a key role in supporting the Bougainville peace process and sustaining it. They came together initially at grassroots levels to demand and push for a ceasefire to stem the loss of their men dying from the civil war. After fleeing from her burning house during the conflict and witnessing the horrific crimes committed against women, Helen Hakena decided she didn’t want her children growing up in a violent society. She formed the Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency (LNWDA) to support women and help them work together for peace. Leitana Nehan, supported with grants from AusAID trained women to participate in the peace process and prepared them to function as single heads of households. It supported small income generating projects, such as sewing projects, bakeries and guesthouses, to enable women to provide their families with health care, food, education, shelter and clothing.  It ran workshops to promote non-violence, women’s rights and alcohol awareness. Workshops with people from both sides of the conflict helped the reconciliation process as participants realised they were all committed to building for the future.     Women are trained to run small businesses to assist in the economic recovery after the conflict. Developing communication through radio has also assisted the reconciliation process. The Australian government contributed to the refurbishment of Radio Bougainville and distribution of 1,000 solar-powered wind-up radios to primary schools across the island.  Helen broadcasts a weekly program discussing peace and encouraging others to share their experiences. Children as peace builders School children singing rhymes in Telatu, 20km from Buka, Bougainville. The children of Buin Community School (primary school) wrote about ‘What peace means to me’.  (www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/focus/focuspdfs/0301/p7_9_focus_0301.pdf) Oh Peace: the people of Bougainville need you. The people of Bougainville want fear to go and peace to remain. But will you become real in our hearts? People talk about peace, but people don’t know what peace is. That’s why people drink and fight, and hate one another. Peace please, speak, talk, to us. Tell us who you are. Oh, if people could only understand what peace is, Bougainville will be another Paradise. Oh Peace you will stay forever. You came and broke the darkness. Now the people of Bougainville live in one family. Oh peace, you lead us in the way to go. Oh Peace you are the only way to go. Roselyne Itanu, age 13 A river flows down its course washing always all kinds of rubbish as the white sands smile up into the sky enjoying the coolness of the water flowing over them. They enjoy the peaceful harmony below the water. As it brushes, then white as snow. Peace is like a river. To love is peace. To forgive is peace. To smile is peace. It comes from the heart. When we love someone as we love ourselves we live in peace. We love and make friends with our enemies — we live in peace. The peace flows over us and makes us look beautiful to one another and we live in harmony like the sands below the water. Severina Paru, age 15 I see people of different coloured skin, white, brown and black, live together. I see them work, play and eat together. And I know there is peace. I see people walk here and there. I see them greet each other with smiles and handshakes. And I know there is peace. I see people go to work. Doctors, teachers and other public servants. I see them work side by side and I know there is peace. I see vehicles travel far and near. I see them loaded with goods that I see sold in shops. And I know there is peace. Richard Patara, Age 10 Oh! My island Bougainville you make me very proud of this time that we are living in Peace. Because of you we are able to clean our homes and see other places. Because of you we are able to buy some new things in other places and in the store. Because of you we are able to talk to our friends. When there’s no peace we can’t see our friends and we can’t see other places. Oh! My island Bougainville you bring happiness to our mothers who have lost their children. They cried for a long time and tears ran out of their eyes. Oh! My island Bougainville today you look like a hibiscus flower when sun shone at last. What a lovely island you are. Adelbertha Luen, Age 14 The next stage While there is some good progress being made there is still much to be done in rebuilding the economy and helping people start new and peaceful lives.