Festival held to promote peace, unity

THOUSANDS of people attended the annual Bougainville Yumi Wan Festival which was started last year an event to promote peace and unity.
The four-day celebration, from Jan 10-13, was held at Bel Isi Park in Buka and was themed “Celebrating unity in diversity: We may be different yet we are one”.
The festival coincided with the launching of the countdown to the referendum on Bougainville’s independence in June next year.
The festival was opened by Bougainville President John Momis who encouraged people to take ownership of the peace process and promote unity.
He said it was in Bougainville’s interest to see that preparations for the referendum were successful.
North Bougainville MP William Nakin said Bougainvilleans should commit themselves to building a better society.
Nakin pledged K10,000 towards the running of the Yumi Wan festival while South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu pledged K50,000.
Masiu said he would like to see the programme rolled out to Central and South Bougainville, adding that arts, music, sports and culture helped shape community values.
Bougainville Yumi Wan Festival chairman Robert Aneisia said the festival was part of a bigger programme aimed at empowering people and giving them a voice.
The festival’s Central Bougainville chapter is planning its celebration on August 30, the anniversary of the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) in 2001.
The South Bougainville chapter has yet to decide on a date for its event.