O’Neill outlines importance of history

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It is important that Australia and Papua New Guinea continue to engage and educate young generations about the shared history of the countries, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says.
O’Neill said at the Ralph Honner oration dinner in Sydney, Australia, on Friday that the event acknowledged one of the true heroes of the Kokoda Track campaign and commemorated the key battles fought in PNG during WWII.
“The Kokoda  Track Foundation (KTF) undertakes vital work in some of the remotest areas in PNG, through funding projects in education, healthcare and leadership development. You are helping people and communities around our country,” he said.
“We are very encouraged by this work in education and health in particular, and supporting the delivery of free education policy.
“This has enabled more than one million more young Papua New Guineans, who have never been to school. They were able to go to school for the first time over the last five years, 50 per cent of these new students are young Papua New Guinean girls.”
O’Neill thanked the Australian government for partnering the PNG government to improve facilities along the track.
“This work is also enhancing the healthcare and community projects for village communities along the track,” O’Neill said.
“This important work is further enabling a number of young Australians and young Papua New Guineans to walk the tracks in  future.”
He said PNG would continue to work with the Australian government, KTF, Returned Services League of Australia and local ex-service organisations to ensure the sacrifices would not be forgotten but acknowledged.