This election, Papua New Guineans must play a proactive role

Letters

We have a beautiful country we call home.
If you are a young man or woman reading this, let me tell you that you have a homeland that is not like any other place in this world.
PNG has all the natural wealth you can ever imagine. Papua New Guinea’s natural wealth is the envy of the world.
You and I own the land on which this wealth is found.
The world’s people will come flocking to this land because this land of ours is seething with milk and honey.
PNG’s untold natural wealth is the magnet.
I see so many youngsters stand at street corners and see the world go by.
Their eyes tell of longing and desperation.
I also see many young and vibrant Papua New Guineans who have risen above the myriad challenges to find their place in a modern PNG.
You and your children are going to be here long after your parents are gone.
Is there anything you can do to change the destiny of our country?
Most of us toil and suffer to make ends meet every day.
We are trying to come to terms with the fact that our country is gradually sinking into moral decline.
The world’s people will flock here, and will be gone tomorrow. But we are here to stay.
We will still be around when all the euphoria and glamour of the present mineral boom dwindles into oblivion in the not-too-distant future.
What can we leave behind for those who are not yet born into this country?
I have a two-year-old son, and every time I look into his eyes I see an innocence that is far removed from the moral decadence all around us.
I hold my child close to my heart knowing that his country’s future is going to be decided via a collective bargaining process and many who are given this privilege to decide have  not yet found a way to change the status quo.
Papua New Guineans must vote in this election for the future of Papua New Guinea.
I appeal to all the young people throughout PNG to play a proactive role in the current election.
PNG’s youths must become the catalyst for change in this country.

Paul Waugla WII