Dabaris join fight against violence

By PATRICIA KEAMO
CENTRAL Dabaris have partnered Child Fund Papau New Guinea in using rugby league to advocate against violence during the International Day of Peace from Sept 21-22.
Child Fund is leading a peace festival, which will be staged in Sogeri, Central, in collaboration with World Vision, PNG Tribal Foundation and Equal Playing Field.
The partnership will see the Dabaris using tag rugby league to help deliver messages of gender equality and child protection.
Equal Playing Field facilitated a session yesterday with the Dabaris and its university action group to prepare and equip them with approaches in delivering the messages during the festival.
The Dabaris players will be running mixed gender tag rugby league during the festival to raise awareness on respectful relationships and gender equality among Sogeri youths. Equal Playing Field programme manager Alicia Sion said their involvement in the festival was to use rugby league as a tool to deliver the messages.
“The Dabaris will pair well with our action group as the players are seen as role models in the community,” she told The National yesterday.
“People are more likely going to listen to them.
“We have partnered Netball Australia and Netball PNG (in the past) to use netball to drive the same message.
“But under Equal Playing Field, the Dabaris are the first rugby league team we’re partnering with.”
Meanwhile, Dabaris executive director Hubert Warupi told his players that they had a responsibility to their families and communities.
“Violence occurs in every part of our lifestyle, it’s a pandemic and it’s becoming a part of our culture,” he said.