Despite crisis, vibrant Port Moresby hums along

BY CATHERINE WILSON *
Crikey.com.au

AS THE PMV (LOCAL MINIBUS) came to a grinding halt at an intersection in the centre of Port Moresby, I came eye to eye with a sign straddling the traffic light pole declaring “Treat our City as Your Pikinini”.

The city as “child” is an engaging new metaphor for metropolitan city space, but particularly apt for this organic, idiosyncratic and human-centred city.

It offers a clue as to why PNG’s capital, its functioning logic a mystery to many visitors, remains persistently calm through tempestuous and challenging political times.

The day a military mutiny occurred not far from our route, dominating the nightly television news, the city and its bus drivers didn’t miss a beat. From the north of town, our driver maintained his aloof attention to the road, roaring in and out of bus stops, disgorging dust and passengers in rapid succession. If you missed this bus, the next one would be along in two minutes.

Gordons Market was still full of peri-urban food gardeners intent on selling their produce, people were relaxing along Ela Beach in the heart of town and street vendors would not think of abandoning their roadside market tables and potential sales of betel nut, cordial and cigarettes.

The following morning my fellow PMV passengers were brandishing copies of The National and Post Courier newspapers, reading the latest accounts of the city’s dramatic events, but with detached demeanours, soon distracted by their need to get to work or complete their daily errands.

In a nation where 85% of the population support themselves through the informal economy, the reality is that, for most people here, the lives and exploits of the elite occur in a separate parallel universe.

They are not fazed. Governments and politicians come and go, while their lives remain, for the most part, unchanged.

Fifteen per cent are employed in the formal sector, but for the majority, a livelihood depends on self-generated microeconomic initiatives, many associated with cultivating food gardens on the city’s periphery and local market-based selling.

At Gordons fresh produce market, Bire, one of many vendors who works with his wantoks to grow, market and sell produce, is unhesitatingly proud of the fact that “we do all of this ourselves”.

The forthcoming 2012 national election will be an important opportunity for people to select their desired leader, but, in Port Moresby communities, it is not individual politicians’ personalities or parties, but the real issues affecting their lives that generate discussion.

Informal settlements on the outskirts of the capital are home to diverse communities from every province in the country. Residents include public servants, professionals, university lecturers and remarkable achievers, such as distinguished artists and decorated civic leaders, as much as those who are unemployed. Here there is no ambiguity about the real issues.

In 8 Mile Settlement in the city’s north, Mary said: “Some people have stayed in this settlement for maybe 10, 15, 20 years and there are no government services. We want power to be installed, we want water to be installed; we want this place to be developed.  We want to see this settlement here urbanised, developed and we want people to settle down and get things done.  And then we will see some changes.”

Enabling human talent and capacity is another priority. “Better training venues are required here,” claimed Luna, “Where our children, or ladies, or men who are sitting and doing nothing could train in means of agriculture, in means of setting up businesses, market set ups and other things.  There should be some kind of training continually going on.”

“We’ve got talented ladies here who can really do things,” Mary added, “We are really wishing that somebody from the government helping us out there could come and set up a market for us. Our Highlands ladies, they make bilums, they make crafts and they sell them. Now Sepik ladies, they make carvings, they make bilums, baskets, crocodiles, masks.

“The tourism office should come and see us. They should really see what we make here and set up a place for us. These talented ladies are sitting at home.  There is no market for them. They keep them in the house.  We want to sell them.”

Through their sheer energy, positive attitude and unfailing community co-operation, the ordinary people of this metropolis are doing it for themselves. And, in so doing, they ensure that Port Moresby, seen as the centre of a crisis by the world’s media, continues to function every day for themselves and others, no matter what the day brings.

* Catherine is a freelance journalist in Port Moresby

Comments

[Colin Huggins]

OMG David. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Greens

I am sure neither side of the ruling divide in PNG would want them. You have enough problems already. They live on some unfound planet!

Michael, Arthur and Betha would have fits. The other O'Neill group likewise.

I, on behalf of rural Australia and realistic urban based people, bequest them all to you. They wouldn't know the diffence between a cow and a bull. (You look underneath - slight differences in structures/physical appearances etc.)

I would be surprised if they could tell the difference between, sheep and cattle!

Now why didn't AusAID think of this? Then again you have enough problems at present without them.

[Paul Oates]

David, An outsider might well think PNG's political parties seem to only stand for how to achieve personal gain through access to public resources.

Are you possibly suggesting they don't or that there is more to them?

[David Kitchnoge]

Paul - I can understand voting along tribal lines. But certainly tribalism has nothing to do with seat swapping and party hopping which is the norm in PNG parliament. What do these guys (politicians) want and what do they stand for (if any)?

Would Whitlam have run back to the Liberals if he had been rejected by the ALP on the other hand? I don't know.

But we have seen PNG politicians leaving their original parties only to come back after they'd had an argument with their new found friends in the recipient party over some pretty girl in a night club or something trivial of that sort.

As ridiculous at it may seem, at least the Greens in Aussie stand for something. I wonder what is it that political parties in PNG stand for.

[Colin Huggins]

Well said Paul - I couldn't agree more.Here also and in the US, I believe PMs and Presidents appoint former political opponents to high positions within their respective administrations.

Kevin Rudd appointed a previous leader of the Liberals, Brendan Nelson, to become our Ambassador to the EU, Belgium, Luxembourg and Special Representative to WHO and NATO.

Also Amanda Vanstone, a cabinet member of the Howard Government, as Ambassador to Italy and Tim Fischer, at one time Coalition Deputy PM, as our first Ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican).

John Howard and previous Australian PMs and previous US Presidents have done the same. All based on merit and respect.

Somehow this seems to be lacking in PNG politics. You work for your country, not for your bank accounts.
Someone else, might have a better solution?

[Paul Oates]

The difference between political persuasions and personal ethics could well be in the eye of the beholder.

Gough Whitlam, that doyen of the ALP, started out by trying to become a Liberal politician but as he was rejected, he joined the Labor Party ranks.

Political spin in so called developed countries often tries to claim ownership of a particular class. Possibly this is a throwback to our tribal origins. For example, the Labor Party tries to gain appeal from ‘the workers’ by claiming it represents them.

The Conservatives (Liberals) infer they represent the middle class with their appeal to homeowners and subsidised school fees etc.

The Nationals, (read the old Country Party) are supposed to represent farmers and the strugglers in the bush.

The so called Greens, seem to depend on a younger, disaffected minority that lives in the cities and apparently believe we can do without the traditional ways of producing power and food and save the planet by allowing so called developing countries like China to produce all the pollution (read greenhouse gases) we would normally have produced if we hadn’t sold our industries (e.g. read coal, gas and solar panel production) to off shore entities like China. Never mind, the Greens feel better and they get that warm inner glow of having achieved a difference.

All these parties and factions are colour coded. Labor has chosen red as their colour. Liberals use blue. Nationals use dark green and gold and the Greens chose a shade not far off an elegant chartreuse.

There is absolutely no difference to the political processes in ancient Rome when the Chariot races were run between different coloured teams and elections decided by tribal voting.

In fact, most elections in Australia are actually won by the so called ‘swinging voters’ who oscillate between one faction’s offers and another depending on their whim at election time.

PNG has yet to develop a largish middle class and at the moment, educated, white collar employees and business owners are referred to in a slightly derogatory way as ‘elites’. Tribalism is still the most powerful political force to be reckoned with at election times however PNG has at the moment far too many different ethnic groupings to assist solidarity of purpose.

Most countries have had a civil war (e.g. the UK and the US) or a threat of invasion (Australia) to create a national identity and commonality of purpose. Warfare allows a leader or leaders to emerge and give a sense on national pride and objectivity.

The problem is then about how to ensure any emerging leader doesn’t become a dictator and tyrant. Humankind hasn’t worked that one out yet. It might take another few thousand years of evolution or it may never happen unless we as a species actually evolve. That is if ever we give ourselves the chance to evolve.

[David Kitchnoge]

Icarus – Sure principles will make a difference. But is PNG politics firmly embedded in any real principle or set of principles?

Why would anyone desert a principle-based political party simply on the basis that they don't like certain individuals/personalities in that party?

Regardless of how hard it was for Kevin Rudd to be pushed out of the PM's post, he would never join the Liberals and sit in the opposition benches in the Aussie parliament. He is still a Labor man.

Same with H Clinton and president Obama in the last US presidential race. And this trend will repeat in the current race when the Republicans pick their nominee and the dust settles.

Regardless of how badly Mitt Romney and his co-runners rubbish each other in the race for nomination, they are still Republicans and will hold hands and go in as one to challenge Obama and the Democrats when presidential elections roll around.

If it was in PNG, it’s a safe bet that Kevin Rudd and Hillary Clinton would be heading up their own little political parties by now and looking for ways to bring down Gillard and Obama.

Personality clashes are inevitable in any human relations. But unless we stand for something, we will fall for nothing.

[Icarus]

David - The con our politicians ply is very thin, every good Pngian knows. Ignorance is no excuse.

Many may vote according to tribal lines. Not much we can do there.

Two actions: awareness on issues of policy and advocate good leadership.

Also don't lose hope, because you are a leader too.

Policy is one aspect, personality is another. Leaders need both for good or bad. Contrast Hitler and Ghandi.

It is principles that make the difference in a person.

[David Kitchnoge]

Colin - it is confusing, I know. No one in PNG really knows what they are voting for and why. In most cases, it usually comes down to whichever of the umpteenth number of candidates is the best orator regardless as judged by the voters.

And believe it or not, none of the candidates really know what they stand for other than fame, glory and the money that comes with it.

Icarus – I agree democratic elections is our chance to get involved in something bigger than ourselves.

But what really is that “something bigger than ourselves”? How do we define it? To me, it means the difference between a Democrat and a Republican in the US and likewise with the Labour and Liberals in Aussie.

Ours is still very much a personalities and circumstances driven brand of politics. There are no real principles behind all of the political parties in PNG and I think this will continue for sometime yet.

A lack of principle based politics is the reason why Paias Wingti broke from PANGU, Somare broke from PANGU, Morauta broke from PDM, Polye broke from NA and so on and so forth.

Not to mention the endless seat hopping and side swapping which has been the order of the day in parliament since independence. No one knows what they stand for.

Only a principle-based political system will end political instability in our country and set the foundations for economic prosperity and social advancement of our people.

In the meantime, prepare yourselves for more cutting, chopping, swapping and jumping in the next parliament regardless of how we vote at the polls.

But coming back to the point of this article, people don’t have time to think about and even resist being educated about principles when they are still aspiring to better themselves at a very basic level. It is a hopeless situation.

[Icarus]

David- Democratic elections are fundamentally important because they allow us, collectively, to be directly involved in something bigger than ourselves, individually. When we realise that PNG will progress.

[Colin Huggins]

David - Well that is the best analysis that I have heard. Mate you have talent. Great response; but like Sir Humphrey Appleby in Yes Prime Minister, to me a bit confusing.

[David Kitchnoge]

Colin - Of course I care about my country. I was merely trying to point out the general attitude prevalent in the PNG society in recent times.

Many politicians have tried to get proactive and developed policies but have failed to deliver anything. The reasons, in my view, are two fold;
(1) Those policies are not grounded in any real ideal so as to withstand the test of all bad things PNG politics, and
(2) PNG people don’t understand what they vote for and, as a result, don’t vote for a policy. So it is quite a waste of time to develop and sell a policy to the voters apart from benevolent schemes such as free education.

In any case, who would vote for a policy that will only change mid stream with minor personality clashes among the owners of those policies?

[Colin Huggins]

David - That is a strange attitude to take. If this "impasse" continues any longer, the country that you call yours will slide in an abyss of God only knows what.

I hate bringing the subject, but just look at Mugabe's Zimbabwe! Where is the "bread basket" of Africa that was - in Swiss Bank accounts?

As "Icarus" has wisely counselled - be proactive. Form a reform party and have policies to assist, promote and the list goes on.... Politicans are there to serve their country - not rape it for self glory.

[David Kitchnoge]

Unfortunately I don't think we can change things in this election alone.

People are still too busy fending for their basic needs, they don't have time to sit down and reflect on things that are bigger than themselves and those immediately around them.

No wonder PNG politics (or at least the voting behaviour) is still very much tribal in character with no principles behind it.

[Icarus]

Good read. Resonates.
Keyword: proactive.
Truly? 'I don't care...'
How disturbing!
Is integrity an exclusive principle of the so called elite pool, from which we have drawn our leaders?
We're not getting anywhere with that attitude.
We need to change it this election or things will get worse.

[David Kitchnoge]

I think the article is an accurate analysis of why no one cares anymore whether it’s Somare, O’Neill or Joe Bloggs at the helm. No one cares whether the military is out threatening the “leaders” (what an appropriate adjective).

Politics is a game of principles which is right at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

I don’t care about the rest of the layers up the hierarchy if my basic needs (food, water & shelter) are not adequately met. I am too busy chasing these necessities I don’t have time to even think about abstract nouns such as principles.

[Mrs Barbara Short]

Isn't it wonderful! The ordinary people aren't interested in all the news of "military takeovers' etc. they just get on with their job of living.

My PNG friends in Moresby seems quite happy and undisturbed by all the political goings-on. My Sepik friends say "Somare has had his day and needs to move on."

If the PNG Parliament has little influence on Moresby, I hope some of the Councils of the Port Moresby area can start to be proactive and do things that will improve business for these talented ladies, mentioned in the article.