Churches play neutral role in addressing sorcery

CHURCHES play a neutral role while addressing sorcery accusation related violence (Sarv), says Pamela Kamya, of the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC).
Kamya, who is the commission’s director of legal, research and publication, told the United Nations multi-sectoral services response to violence against women and girls in PNG workshop in Port Moresby yesterday, that churches were usually the first line of defence before police, family support centres and others.
“One of the recommendations that CLRC made to the government was to engage churches in addressing sorcery accusation related violence (Sarv),” Kamya said.
She said in 2016 with the support of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), CLRC hosted a church conference in Lae where church leaders form all churches attended.
“In the conference, churches were asked what they would do to address Sarv and 30 recommendations were made by them, however, the strongest was agreed upon to be used uniformly by them all.”
She said the churches were involved because they were always instrumental in changing the belief system of a community.
Kamya said in 2017 and 2018 they worked on introducing a national churches’ strategy in partnership with the Papua New Guinea Council of Churches to address sorcery accusation related violence which was launched in Enga earlier this year.
She said churches were based in the community and had a stronger influence over the community so they could play a greater role in terms of prevention.