Banning of nightclubs not in interest of all

THE call to ban nightclubs or any other such moral exhortations are indicators of moral fear, uncertainty and vigilantism and therefore, necessitates the need to deal with these social problems using objective, professional approaches.
On the one hand, there are liberalists and cosmopolitans who consciously or unconsciously propagate the ideals of a global culture where cultural practices and general ways of behaving, living and interacting with different races and groups of people within and outside of a nation is somewhat becoming homogenised in form and content and is inevitable.
What we are practising here is same or similar to what people in Australia, America or Africa are practising. Societies are defined by the type of ideology and common morality they hold as dear to their very existence.
At times, we hear of “Islamic fundamentalism” or Melanesian “kastom” and traditional culture. These are sources of ideology and common morality.
In an important way, common morality and ideology help to stabilise a society despite an influx of external influences and imperative. Perhaps this is where our moralists, in the form of political and religious speeches, have stood for in order to preserve common sense as we know it and a sane national mood.
An important consideration is that utterances by our political and community leaders on moral issues need to be carefully weighed before they are brought to the public’s attention.
Sometimes, these moral utterances can be biased, parochial and sound ridiculous and may go against our democratic principles of liberalism, social tolerance, respect for individual rights and freedom.
On one hand, we should understand that PNG is young, vibrant and rushing into the microchip age with very little care and responsibility (or lack of it). In a way, it is embracing the new world order by Papua New Guineans.
On the other hand, the degree of uncertainty and disillusionment with the new world order has prompted moralists to take a stand and embark on a campaign to exhort the nation to find strength and meaning in our indigenous culture and tumbuna pasin – not to mention our legacy of Christianity as a source of comfort in trying times. This is the crux of the matter now at hand.
Authorities should therefore deal with such issues in an objective manner while at the same time, accommodating all the parties’ views and arguments.
An important thing to remember is that PNG is a member of the global community and as such, there are many shared international expectations and values that we ought to observe and live by.
The call to ban nightclubs in PNG may be done with noble intent and conservatives are at liberty to drum up national opinion and mood in their favour.
I have no problem with that except that we may be likened to Islamic societies whereby religious fundamentalism has been used to restrict certain universal practices and ways of behaving.
Isn’t the call to ban nightclubs in PNG a form of religious and moral fundamentalism or extremism?
To drum up support to find a shortcut to deal with complex socioeconomic issues should not be pursued at all because the ramifications of such short-sightedness are greater and long-lasting.
Many factors need to be identified so the approach should not be simplistic. An important factor to consider is individual volition and freedom – a question of choice.
These are the basic elements of a democratic society. But we all agree too that the pressure to maintain our own unique identity and indigenous culture is just as great in the face of global homogenisation.
To find a lasting solution, if not an accommodating approach that caters for all the parties’ interests is our biggest hurdle. To say no to nightclubs is too extreme and overzealous and becomes somewhat ridiculous in the eyes of the international community.
To say that nightclubs promote promiscuity and cause serious social problems in society (including HIV/AIDS) is too simplistic and a threat to people who genuinely use those services as a means to enhance their quality of life – this is the age of globalisation, so moralists and conservatives need to wake up to this reality.
What would tourists and other international visitors – which we are so eager to attract – think when they cannot find a social setting like a nightclub to enhance their social interaction with the locals?

B.D. Kombako
Port Moresby