Social media - my opinion

Earlier this month, I made a contribution to an article by Rachel Shisei, a journalist in PNG, when she posted about the impact of social media in the country on Thadreina Abady's blog.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Rachel for writing her views about social media and its use in PNG. Thankyou Rachel! We need more journalists to write and bring this issue into the mainstream media and encourage more young people to digest and construct ideas from this.
I would like to add on to Rachel’s article here that one of the positive things to come out from the use of social media in this country is that it allows mainstream media organizations to get stories, data, tips and views off other people and organizations online on social networks – something that was almost impossible just a decade ago. Lately on the local television station, EMTV and in the local newspaper, Post Courier, I have seen Facebook posts used as news items. This sort of interaction is what the news media in PNG needs – people using a social website to post items that are news worthy. You never know, sooner or later, we may even have a Papua New Guinea version of Julian Assange doing a PNG version of Wiki Leaks! Another positive outcome for the use of the social media for many organisations is that it is a cost effective way to bring your message to the mass media and also the general population. Its way cheaper and can be visibly informative.
Other the other hand, social media use has some issues that need careful thought. I will not highlight all these issues but point out a few that I believe, are important. Firstly, there is currently, in my opinion, a lack of legislation and regulation to guide its use and protect people. For instance, if online bullying occurs, defamation, use of profane language, trolling, inciting hatred, etc happens online in social media, who regulates this bad behaviour? Do we just let it by? Can people be held accountable for their actions? Is there even a need to regulate use of social media? Others will say that any kind of regulation reduces the right to free speech as guaranteed in the PNG constitution! Sure, social media is a positive outlet for free speech but on the other hand, when it is used for actions that are irresponsible, who accounts for their actions? For example, if a group is formed on Facebook and users, using false names, write untrue and baseless information about somebody or an organisation, and this information is read widely, people form opinions and construct ideas based on that information. Who comes in and says “okay what you are saying here is not correct and illegal. You need to be responsible for your actions here”?
My second observation, and again this is my own opinion, that even though the older methods of news collection (fronting up at a office and doing face to face interviews or doing telephone interviews) are still prominent, I feel that there is a shift towards this new method of collecting news as I highlighted earlier (using Facebook posts as news items). Sometimes i worry about the ethical issues behind this method and get uncomfortable when i read news collection methods today that have gone overboard – if you can remember the News of the World phone hacking scandal in Britain last year. When news collection methods shift, does this mean that news values change?
For me, the most interesting thing about the use of social media in PNG is that its’ cost effectiveness, simplicity of use, connectivity combined with our personal yearning for social interaction online will drive its use further more into the future. A decade ago, we knew very little about social media. Today, a friend, wanting to communicate with you will ask: “Yu stap lo facebook tu?” ( Are you on Facebook?)!

If I can do it, you can do it too: Mr Lala

The Acting Assistant Secretary –European Union (EU) / United Nation (UN) Branch in the Department of National Planning and Monitoring Papua New Guinea, Mr. Floyd Lala,  encouraged Health Management students to fully take part in their learning and make the best use of their time in Divine Word University.

Mr. Lala, a former Health Management student, who now works in Port Moresby, has encouraged the current crop of Health Management students for 2012 to not only make good use of their time here but to excel in community activities as well.

He said: “Apart from you academic activities, there are community events and processes such as the DWU cultural show, provincial nights, Students Representative Council, ecumenical church activities and many others are places where you can develop yourself better in leadership, communication, ethics,  spiritual growth and the ‘Diwai Spirit’.

“Many of the things you learn here in your classes are relevant and worthwhile in the workplace and are often seen by your future employers as valuable skills’.

He further said: “Nearly six years on and I’m glad to say I’m a graduate of Health Management at DWU. The subjects I learnt, the facilities I used and the culture that I was groomed at DWU, enabled me to find my place in the PNG workforce. 

"Health Management is a unique course in PNG and DWU is the only tertiary institution that is providing a tailored course to those who want professional training in management of public and private health organizations in this country. It provides a mix of business management, accounting, healthy policy, project planning and design and administration of health facilities and projects - these are right ingredients that have helped me to be a better manager of health services, policy and even organizational behavior.

“Of course, I did what many of you are doing now, that is enjoying the freedom, being away from the parents and guardians. But at the back of my mind, I always knew what my PRIORITY was and that was to get the best education that DWU has to offer. I made it my business to fore go some things which irritated some of my best friends”.

He said that he had traveled the world from Europe to Asia and to America and pointed out to the students they too would follow what he had done and even go further more.

He said: “I believe in you and know that it is not impossible to achieve your aspirations. If I can do it, you too can do it”

Many of the Health Management students who were present welcomed his comments and expressed their desire to hear more from former students as these former students’ journey after DWU would inspire and motive the current students to do well in their academic studies.

Mr. Lala also provided nine boxes of pizza after his talk and shared it to all the students present.  

Mr. Lala talking to the HM students in one of the HM classrooms.

Mr. Lala with the HM students after the talk

Mr. Lala provides some advice about career opportunities to students after his talk

Yaaay! Its pizza time!

The HM students after the talk

My very first journal article

Well I just received my own copy of the Contemporary PNG Studies DWU Research Journal, the May Issue and my article was published in it.The journal is published twice a year by DWU Press. The journal provides the means for staff, students and associated academics to publish research findings, personal perspectives, reports of projects or developments and reviews of recent books.

 My article is titled: "Strategies to discourage smoking among young people in PNG" is a literature review of smoking prevention and cessation programs in countries in the Asia Pacific Region. It is hoped that by looking at how other countries are tackling issues of smoking among young people that we, who are in PNG, might be in a better position to can reduce and stop it in PNG.

 

My article was one of eight (8) published in this issue.

 Well i hope I can do more research and publish in terms of public health issues in the country. We have so many health related problems and yet there is very little evidence driven research that will inform policy making at the national level.

If you wish to get a copy of the journal, current subscription rates are: PNG K60, US$60 and AuD$60 (includes airmail post)

I had a good laugh today

The second semester has started and everybody is gearing up to begin school for another 15 weeks. I was so busy writing up the unit outlines and dropped by the library to scan a news article for my students. I saw the 'Wantok' newspaper (PNG's only tokpisin newspaper) on the librarians desk and had a look through.
In that quiet room in the library, I laughed so loud and disturbed everybody when I read the 'komik' for Toro and Biabia....

Biabia and his supposed 'lus wait' strategy backfires...lol

A radio announcer plays songs from UB40, Elton John and Micheal Bolton and translates the song titles into 'tok pisin'...lol

Thankyou to the staff and Wantok Newspaper for continuing this local characters and their everyday situations...I still love these 'komiks'.

A different kind of campaigning

This month the election fever has gone up and on Saturday 23rd June, the voting begins. While the campaigning has began with stories of people attending rallies and candidates dishing out money, a different kind of campaigning is still part of everyday PNG life. Im talking about street preaching. Young people who pop up at at popular areas and began preaching about Christ. I think we Papua New Guineans are some of the most fortunate people around the world who hear or preach the Gospel without of being jailed or killed. I also think Papua New Guineans are very tolerant to street preachers even to the point of being respectful in the most awkward situations. A person can just sit up and preach wherever he or she feels the need to - in the bus, in front of shops, in the market, in shop corners, on the boat - and people will respect that person and do nothing to stop them..
Last week, I was at the back gate of DWU, next to the Lutheran Day Primary School buying betelnut when i saw two young men just in their teens, who just walked to the centre of the road. One removed his cap and reached into his bag. He took out a bible. I saw these two young men, who stood up at the Lutheran Day Primary School gate and preach about humbleness and obeying the word of God and children who had just finished school, buai sellers, DWU students and the public stood and listened as this two young men preached about God.They preached for about 30 minutes and when they asked people to raise their hands and pray with them, people actually raised their hands and bowed their heads.

In a way, I think most people appreciate street preachers as they get to hear the Word. I think it also is a brave thing when young people choose to do this 'work' and their act shows how much simple people are willing to listen to the Gospel. I think what I saw in front of the school is just a small picture of where our heart is - not in elections because for five years we dont see our 'leaders' on the streets. But our heart is on the hope for better things, a life free of disease and and a community free of corruption.What we seek and hope for in such events as this one described above, we do once every five years - we vote. But unlike parliamentarians, street preachers meet us on the streets and encourage us on themes of faithfulness, hope and love almost everyday for five years!

The fragile state of Wasu wharf

This picture appeared in the National newspaper on Tuesday 10th April, 2012. It shows the fragile state of the wharf at Wasu which is in the Morobe Province.
I dont really know why Iam putting this picture up here but I just feel that something is not right somewhere....

Egu: “If you have not done the HIV test, you are as positive as Iam"

You could have heard a pin drop at the crowded Sir Peter Barter Auditorium when Mr. Joe Egu talked about his life experiences to the Health Management students.
Joe is a Person Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and he related some stories about his life as a Person Living With HIV/AIDS to the Health Management Students and staff earlier this month.
His talk on HIV/AIDS is one part of the Health Managements Department multi-approach towards encouraging and motivating its students outside of their ‘normal’ academic studies to be better people.
In absolute silence, the Health Manage­ment students and staff listened as Joe recounted with passion and emotion his experiences and for many, it was their first time, they had heard from a PLWHA talk about HIV/AIDS.


Health Management students listen to Mr. Egu's talk. The meeting took place in the Sir Peter Barter Auditorium (SPBA)

He said that he had accepted his HIV status long ago and even though he faced discrimination in many situations, he used this as a stepping stone to share and talk about HIV/AIDS throughout the country. In 2008, he launched an organization called the ‘People Living with Higher Aims’ as a means to sup­port PLWHAs live positively in their communities. This organization also focused on providing home based care to PLWHAs and those terminally ill. He also showed examples of how posi­tive living with the help of Antiretro­viral medication could help a PLWHA live longer and support their families better.

He pointed out that he, himself, is an example of what positive living can do for PLWHAs. He said that with the help of Antiretroviral therapy, his im­munity was strengthened and he was able to have a child with his wife - who are both currently HIV negative.
Joe urged everyone in the SPBA room to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) to know their status.
He said: “If you have not done the HIV test, you are as HIV positive as Iam!
“The knowledge you learn through VCT gives you the power to change your life, your attitude and your sexual behavior.”
He reiterated that the current Health Man­agement students would one day be at the forefront of managing HIV/AIDS programs in the country especially in terms of manag­ing programs related to HIV/AIDS Preven­tion and Care & Counseling.

Picture above shows Mr Egu (standing) giving a powerpoint presentation of the work of People Living With Higher Aims in Madang. Picture below shows Mr.Egu (left) standing with one of the HM Tutors, Mr. Gigil Marme (right)

“You all HM students have a mammoth task ahead of you.
“Why I say a mammoth task is because you, as future health managers, will have to ensure that threefold objectives of the Vision 2050 concerning HIV/AIDS - Zero New Infection, Zero HIV related Deaths, Zero Stigma and Discrimina­tion – though difficult to achieve, would still fall in your hands as you would be managing public health institutions, and public health services in the country in the next two decades,” he said.
The Head Of Department for Health Management, Ms. Margareth Samei, thanked Mr. Joe Egu for his talk to the students and staff and pointed out that his experiences as a PLWHA highlight­ed the many issues facing PLWHAs in this country.

Its Friday in Red!

Each Friday of the week, the Health Management staff and students are asked to wear red to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in our country and promote a community that is free from HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.
Pictured here are second year Health Management students getting ready for their first class on a Friday morning.

Health Managers must work with the Media to improve health information

Health Managers can play a huge role in how people respond to public health issues in the media
This was the message from Ms. Rosalyn Albaniel Evara who is the Bureau Chief for the Madang Branch of the Post Courier when she talked to the Health Management Year four students.
Mrs. Evara said that many times people who are in charge of public health the provinces such as health managers and administrators have a role to play when it comes to relaying the correct information to people through the media.
She said: “Why is there now a resurgence of leprosy cases? We thought that we had done away with this disease but now it is creeping back into our society. Why is it that now we are seeing cases of deformi­ties presenting in our hospitals that our doctors are alarmed at?
“The reasons as to why such diseases and health problems are coming back must be researched and its findings presented to the media so that people are aware of this public health issue.
“ The media and health managers must work together to inform the public about what is happening in our communities.

Rosalyn talking to the Helath Management Year four students.

Mrs. Evara, as part of her talk, outlined many aspects of the newspaper industry that she worked on.
She said that the most fulfilling part of her work was when she writes stories about health and because of the stories are high­lighted in the papers, help is immediate and forthcoming to those in need.
“I don’t have a vehicle to do my job. I travel by bus or on foot to court houses, tertiary institutions, police stations, companies, provincial governments and many other places to get news. The pay isn’t so good and the hours are long but I do it because I have a passion for this country. I want to write about things that change peoples lives for the better. If I can write a story and a mother in a remote Josephstal can have water piped to her village, that, for me, is the pinnacle of helping Papua New Guinea move forward.
Her session with the HM year four students is part of the ‘HM 403 Work­ing with the Media’ course to learn more about how newspaper in the country operate.

A letter to Teen Me

Recently while surfing the web I came across a website of a person who wrote a letter to herself as a teengaer and addressed her younger self as 'Teen Me'. I thought it was one of the coolest things I had seen so far as the lettter was addressed to her younger self in the third person.
So I've decied to write a letter to Teen Me. As a teenager, I got transferred to ECOM High School and started school in the beginning of 1995. Below is a letter to my self as a teenager in ECOM.

Dear Teen Me,
It’s the beginning of the year 1995 and you have entered a new school. I know when you first entered the brick building known as the boys dorm at the old site, you must have felt uneasy and confused about what to do. Your dorm was just a few steps from the practical skills building and the girls dorm was just across a few meters away. Don’t worry too much about making friends. For the next two years, you will learn to develop friendships with some unique people especially the students of 9B. Don’t worry about the setting of the school – classroom buildings made from sago leaves and cane sewn blinds and floor of sand– as many years from now you will say you came from a humble school; -).
I think one of the best people you will ever meet and enjoy his friendship the most will be Nick Paran from Kawaliap. He will be your desk mate and over the course of the next few months, you will grow to like his character. You and him will team up with Kilepak Kiliwi and Simon Kawetan, two guys from your mothers’s island, Mbuke, and at certain times during classes you will make all kinds of silly jokes concerning food and the way it is cooked. You will laugh so hard as you have never laughed before and there will be tears in your eyes. The other students will get angry at you guys for laughing yourselves silly and will want to stop you. Teen me, these times that you laughed with these four guys will be some of your best memories of high school ever!
Teen Me, you will be a coconut climber and climb so many coconut trees at the old site and in the bushes surrounding the school area. Once you leave ECOM, you will hardly ever climb coconuts again and these days will be only treasured memories. Why I say is because some 17 years from now, you will be overweight and wear thick glasses and coconut climbing will never be a part of your world...hahahaha.
I think one of the teachers that will ignite your passion for Maths and Science will be Mr. Basil Pere. You will be enthusiastic about learning Pythagoras theorems and Odds ratio – subjects that you have had a distaste for when you were in grade 8. Another teacher that will stand out will be Mr. Henry Apo, the guy who actually was Bundrahei High School’s first principle, I think. Yep, he will teach you English, Social Science and Religious studies? Well after all these years you will still remember one bible verse he talked about: 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil and he explained that it was not money but it was the love of money that was the root of all evil and for the first time you will know the difference. Another task master aka teacher of yours will be known as Mr. Saramasi, the guy from Mortlock who married a lady from Pere village and who 17 years from now will be the principle of Karkar High School. Yeah one thing that you will remember many years after your stay in ECOM will that you will learn the scientific names of vegetable from his classes and they will become like second nature to you. These scientific names will include Ipomea Batata (kaukau) cocos nucifera (coconut) and colocasia esculata (taro). Another of your teachers that will have an impact on your life – well your cooking and dining life – will be Mrs. Pokawin, yes the wife of then Premier of Manus or was it Open Member for Manus? Anyway, since ECOM is one of the very few schools where all students are taught Home Economics and Practical skills, you will actually learn how to cook in her classes! And I tell you that her lessons from your days in ECOM will always have an effect on the way you will prepare and cook food. Wow does that say too much about her? Yes Teen Me, all these teachers of yours will influence your decisions about life and later in life when you are in you 30s, you will appreciate these people in ECOM. Yes don’t woory about starting a life chapter of your life in this church run school because Teen Me, many many years from now, you will very much treasure your time in ECOM because it gave you some many good memories about life as a teenager. So don’t worry, get up and mingle with your class mates and get to know them well. They will be your friend and family over the next 24 months.
Well Teen Me, I have to leave you now and go attend to somebody special. You know what? One day you will have a special person in your life - a child! Yes a child, Teen Me. A lovely, lovely human being that will light up your life. I will tell you more about her...yes Teen Me, its a girl!...Maybe next time, I will write another letter to encourage you during your time in ECOM. I have so many good things to tell you about ECOM especially in grade 9 and then in grade 10. So catch later Teen Me.

Your older self from 2012

Automatic reply from student emails

What a year it has been! It wasnt the best but hey it wasnt the worst either. There were some things that made the dull days much better. One of these things was 'automatic replys'. Sometimes, when i send emails to students I immediately receive thier automatic reply message that is programed in their email system. While most are formal and straight forward, some are just plain hilarious. Here are some of the auto replies that i got this year:

• your message has reached its destination. THIS JOURNO WILL ATTEND TO IT WHEN VIEWED. thank you ,YAWO as in bye.


• Hey thanks alot for the message n guess what you the best n will always remain the best......


• Thanks buddy ....you relaxing hey!...Unavailable @ this instant but will read up ASAP!...Geeeee..,..!


• Please Call Me!!!


• Oh its you again! Dont worry I'll get back to you pronto.


• Is somewhere on campus doing something very important so will get back to you asap


• Thanks for the email. Much luv!


• Iam currently unavailable so i will come to you right on the line later!


• If I do not respond to this email in the next hour, that means Iam on a news hunting trip...I'll get back to you asap!

I hope i can get to some original and innovative one liners next year!

See you then....

Message in a bottle: From the Bismarck Sea to the Solomon Sea!

Around this time sometime in December 2004, I had boarded a Lutheran Shipping vessel from Lae and travelled to Manus. Iam not sure which ship is was but it definately was either MV Manemba or MV Umboi which Iam sure many people who travel by ship know. From Lae it takes one full day and two nights on the open sea before we land in Loregnau town. As is the custom when travelling on long trip over the sea, we have lots of fresh fruits, home cooked meals and lots of water to keep stay on these cargo ships as homely as possible.

Anyway, we left the Lae port at around 5pm and began the journey. By 10pm people like myself were already sound asleep. I woke up at 5pm to the sound of the sailors pulling in yellow fin tuna and mackeral. During the day I had nothing to do but play cards and tell stories with however i met on the ship. Besides, the majority on the ship were Manusians so it wasnt hard finding people who told stories..lol

At around midday, we were heading full steam ahead, the sea was calm, the wind was slight and as far as the eye could see, there was no sign of land in all directions. After I had eaten salty biscuits and drunk a 500ml coca cola, I decided to try sending a letter in a bottle. I think i was inspired by a story that in the 1700s, a Japanese crew of 44, were shipwrecked and marooned on a small Island in the South Pacific. The captain scratched details of their story and fate onto chips of wood and put them into a bottle. The bottle was found 150 years later on the shoreline of Japan, reportedly, close to where the sailors had grew up.

Well i wrote i my name and postal address on the white inside part of the cocacola label and said that whoever found it should write to me. In the middle of the Bismarck Sea, I threw the bottle

I went home for the holidays then came back to Lae. It was the year 2005 now. I was working away when early in March that year, I received a letter. Here is the letter below:

And here is the exact letter that was written....

The coke plastic bottle with my note inside had reached Poroporo village at the tip of the Choiseul Province in the Solomon Islands. It had gone international! WOW!!!!

It was picked up by a Mr. Andrew Silukana of poroporo village just across the Papua New Guinea border! It had taken almost two months from when I first threw the bottle in the middle of the Bismarck to when Andrew picked it up in his village. I dont know how it travelled there but my assumption is that it must have travelled past the gap between Manus and New Ireland and then the strong tides of the Pacific Ocean travelling south must have pushed it down past Bouganville right through to the tip of Choiseul province where Poroporo village is.
On that same day I quickly wrote a letter back to him on the address he had provided. But sadly, to this day I havent received a reply. If anyone in Solomon Islands knows Andrew Silukana, please let me know!

Leaving this place as a student...

Well its October now. The school year has ended. Well for the students that is. Many have already left the campus and many will continue to leave the campus in the coming days. Then the campus will be quiet - too quiet for my liking...hahahaha.

The bad thing about leaving DWU for holidays is that if you are in fourth year - it will be very hard to say goodbye to your friends. It will be painful alright. The other day I was walking past the boys dorm area and I could see a young men hug a group of his friends -his bags on their shoulders and the PMV bus waiting by ready to go. I could see that a few were wiping tears from their eyes and then the other one walked up to bus, waved goodbye and the bus took off.

This made me remember two incidents that I experienced just before i was to leave DWU at the end of the school year in 2003. Now I may see them in a funny light but back then, it was no laughing matter.

My room mate or what was commoly known then as 'roomsie' was a tall higherlander by the name of David Gera. He was the typical Highlander, physcially strong, intelligence and a down to earth person. He took PNG studies and I took CA. We were both in 4th year and we had been roomsies at Cottage A room 5 for two semesters and had shared loads of laughter and good times. On the day he was to leave, his 'hauslain' had come to pick him up. There were about five or six of them sitting in the back of the care. They had come in a Toyata Landcruiser. He had already packed the night before. I stepped out of the room and let him take his things to the car - an open back landcruizer. Once he had packed all his things, he quickly walked passed said 'goodby mate', put up the last things on the car and they drove off. That was all he said. I think its a thing among us the male species - we dont like to show our emtions especially the going away type ones.
Well I stood on the cottage steps and with the other residents of cottage A waved good bye and wished them well. We watched them drive off.
Along the way past the timber workshop and student mess, all of a sudden I heard some of the passengers sitting at the back of the cruizer fired some wild words loudly and shouted something in their language to the driver. The car stopped. Then I saw it reversed back to the cottage area. As I stood I saw my roomsie jump down from the back of the car and run towards us. He came and grabbed me in a bear hug and together we cried like somebody had died! We let the tears flow freely for a good 15 minutes until his father started blaring the horn of the car and telling us to break it up. It sounded funny as Iam writing this but back then it was one truly a sad moment! To this day, I have not seen my roomsie. I hear that he is with the Royal PNG Constabulary but have never actually seen him yet.


A few days later I was again involved in another incident that I also clearly remember to the day as I was leaving on the bus to go to to Lae. The 15 seater bus had picked me and some other boys at the cottage area. In the bus too was the then DWU SRC President David Kitchnoge. As we drove slowly past the timber workshop and student mess, I could sense that many of the boys were tearing up inside knowing they would never set foot on this place again. You know we often say that PNG is a small country but when you depart from school, you know in your heart of hearts that you will never see some of your brothers again. So the last time you see them, there are bound to be strong emtotions all around.

Anyway, we were feeling the hurt and David was by the window of the bus looked out and said in a sad way: 'Displa em last time blo mi na mi wari ya' and then as we came to the junior dorm and some of the boys came over to the bus to say goodbye. The bus driver seeing the boys approach the care, stopped. David, while sitting in the bus, shook their hands and tried to hugg them but it was when he saw this young West Papuan student -Nelson, he could not hold himself and burst into tears. The boys inside and outside the bus were also choking up. The realisation had hit home: We were never going to be students again and we were going to leave this place and friendships behind.

One of the boys shouted to the driver, as if angrily: "Draiva yu take off nau ya! Em ol mangi ya bai nonap stop sopos yu stap yet." and the driver kind of revved the car to let us know and then slowly pulled to the road and we left.


There will only one time that you will ever be a student and share such fun and excitment with your friends. Once you leave DWU, you may never come back to visit or even see the place again. Even if you did come back, there will be the possibility that no-one here will recognise you and also the physical setting will have changed.

So sapos em last taim blong yu long DWU, orait pinisim olgeta aiwara na pinis ok yu ken go!