THERE are many quiet people working in our country, people who silently contribute their time and their expertise to the betterment of Papua New Guinea and its people.
Occasionally these people move into the glare of the public spotlight.
When the glare passes, they return to their occupations, noticed only by those with whom they work and the recipients of the many benefits they create.
Most of them are thankful to be out of the public eye and prefer to work quietly on their projects and serve the people.
Some of these people are at universities in PNG and others work with various Christian denominations and church orders.
Still others are associated with non-government organisations and voluntary groups.
Some readers may know the media adviser to the PNG law and justice sector, journalist Joe Kanekane.
Mr Kanekane made a few simple remarks at the University of Technology in Lae on student orientation day a week ago today.
Simple remarks – but a profound message to his listeners; lack of respect is one of the biggest issues currently facing PNG.
Most of us claim to approve the concept of safeguarding both public and private property.
Most of us – but not all.
One of the most obvious developments in recent years has been a growing disrespect for private property, for public facilities and for the tangible fabric of the nation.
Graffiti is endemic in some of our cities and towns.
The condition of institutional housing is a sad comment on the attitudes of those who occupy the many houses and hostels owned by the State.
Lack of maintenance may account for termite infestation, rusted water tanks and guttering, but human lack of respect punched the holes in the fibro walls, and shattered the louvres in the windows.
The way we treat company or State provided accommodation is one issue; the lack of regard we have for multi-million kina facilities is another.
Our oldest universities were once showplaces with beautiful gardens and trees, shady walks and pleasant dormitories.
Today the gardens are often a shambles, the shady walks overgrown and the dormitories are frequently candidates for health inspection.
And a good deal of the destructive activity has been at the hands of students themselves, who have long ago abandoned any respect for these publicly-funded facilities.
That’s the state of some of our longest established university and tertiary college facilities.
Private enterprise suffers from this irresponsibility and lack of public respect in similar proportions.
Mr Kanekane noted that “every citizen in the country is paying the price for the lack of respect of property and other people’s assets”.
And respect is not limited to property but extends to people.
Senior members of our society have earned respect yet often they are treated with contempt or worse within both urban and rural settings.
Those who have laboured quietly to create worthwhile environments and services for all are often regarded disrespectfully.
They lack the fire and the dazzle and the glitter demanded by an increasingly superficial society as the only acceptable yardstick to measure “success”.
Mr Kanekane’s remarks must have been an eye-opener for those of his first year audience who paid him the respect of actually listening to what he said.
Respect relates to all sectors of our society.
We should respect property, both private and public and do what we can to preserve what are often very expensive investments.
We must respect each other, so that superficial differences such as place of origin or different language and customs are matters of interest and admiration, not contempt and derision.
And we are wise to respect the law, for it defines the parameters of acceptable behaviour; those who ridicule the law have little to put in its place except cries of “freedom!”
As Bobby Gentry once sang: “Freedom’s just another word for nothing else to do ...”
Freedom comes with obligations – the responsibility to respect our own society and those who people it and to respect the fabric and facilities of our nation.
To do less is to ignore the most important respect of all – self-respect, the personal standing and dignity that knows right from wrong.
We hope quiet achiever Joe Kanekane’s words will register throughout PNG.