Communicate measures effectively

The National Editorial

CONFUSION and disorder among the people happen mainly due to the lack of or breakdown in communication.
Communication is the act of transferring information from one place to another.
It may be vocally (using voices), written (using printed or digital media) or non-verbally (using body language or gestures).
When we think of communication, it is easy to focus on the shiny new technology and not on what it is used for.
Technology certainly does make a difference to the way we think and see our world.
In a world where nothing is written, the telling of stories in homes and villages, sometimes for hours on end, it is all important.
Through it, wisdom is passed down.
Changes in the way in which people communicate can have powerful effects and seem to be magical.
People who use new technologies can have enormous power over others.
Traditional methods of communication between villages included conch shells, drums, gongs, smoke signals and, across Highlands valleys, yodelling.
Objects sent over longer distances could carry particular meanings.
Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all life skills.
It is what enables us to pass information to other people and to understand what is said to us.
You only have a baby listening intently to its mother and trying to repeat the sounds that she makes to understand how fundamental is the urge to communicate.
In Papua New Guinea today, there is a huge challenge of getting all citizens to comply with the “Niupela pasin”, which is the “New normal”, as the world fight head on with the global pandemic – the coronavirus.
National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning asked all citizens not to be ignorant of the measures in the new normal.
The measures in the new normal are as follows:

  • CLEAN your hands often. Wash with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitiser;
  • KEEP a physical distance of at least 1.5 meters between yourself and others;
  • AVOID touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
  • GREET others with a smile, a nod or a simple hello – no handshakes, no fist bumps and no high fives;
  • COUGH and sneeze in your bent elbow and not your hands;
  • LIMIT social gathering and time spent in crowded places;
  • WEAR a face mask or face covering in all public places to protect yourself and others; and,
  • CLEAN and disinfect frequently touched objects and surface.

Wearing masks protect lives.
The call for compliance from Manning comes as the country recorded three deaths last week.
The country’s Covid-19 cases now stand at 13,707 with 136 known deaths.
While some are complying, many are still ignorant, especially in urban areas.
Lack of awareness is still a big problem in most rural areas.
For PNG to bring the numbers down, we should put communication as well as the technology and mediums at the forefront of bringing the message home.
Waigani must hear, see and properly understand what really the missing link is to getting the message down to the people.
Otherwise, the few of us who have the privilege to be exposed will keep questioning the misguided masses when the simple answer comes from our own tok bilas (mockery).
Communication is the key to all power and knowledge.
The proper and effective communication is an important tool to bring about overall change in our people to accept and respond positively.