Hela makes peace

Despite the many tribal fights in Tari, Hela, that have made headlines, this Christmas weekend saw the successful holding of peace programmes organised by the Tari district and Hela council of churches.
The programmes included a combine interdenominational Christian crusade at the Andaija oval on Sunday that called for peace and unity in the strife-torn district and province.
Rev Langson of United Church preached on the need for real peace that must come from within that “only Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate on Christmas can give”.
Hela council of churches chairman Pastor Olene Yawai called for leaders, the people and churches to unite in Christ for peace.
Finance Minister and Tari-Pori MP James Marape, who hosted the peace programmes, commended the churches for promoting peace and reiterated that peace was an important prerequisite for development.
“The government can send police and military and courts but real peace in society will be achieved by change of heart and only Christian teachings can convert hearts,” he said.
Marape conveyed this message to thousands of people, who gathered on Friday and Sunday in Tari, as well as Lutheran church followers on Monday who were celebrating 50 years of Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG in Hela and PNG.
Marape commended peace efforts of United Church which saw two warring tribes laying down arms after eight people were killed in tribal fights since 2013.
During that event, a young businessman James Hayabe of Hoyebia surrendered his firearms and ammunition. Marape urged his Hela people to adhere to the government moratorium on illegal firearms which would end on Feb 28.