Skills-sharing vital, says Wenge

By PISAI GUMAR
PAPUA New Guinea needs to share skills and knowledge with other nations, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge says.
Welcoming Pacific Partnership (PPII) 2011 mission commander Captain Jesse Wilson, US ambassador to PNG Teddy Taylor and a team of dentists, optometrists, veterinary specialists and engineers, Wenge noted the importance of interdependence between developing and developed countries “coming together to share skills and knowledge in humanitarian programmes”.
“Some people think the world is too big and countries live far from each other,” he said.
“Others think they are independent and never need assistance and support from other countries because they think they can manage their affairs.
“But with technological advances such as computers and the internet, the world has become small,” he said.
The PPII mission arrived last week for a fourth visit in six years
The US government has budgeted US$20 million (K48.42 million) for the programme with US$4 million (K9.6 million) spent in Lae in two weeks to rehabilitate and build new classrooms and extension of health facilities.
The concept was born out of strategising when a tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004.
 “We must be prepared and get ourselves ready to attend to humanitarian needs.  But we cannot do it alone. It needs collaborative effort to help each other in skills, knowledge and technology,” Wilson said.
He said they would work in the field, classrooms and hospitals in next two weeks and that would create lasting relationships.
Four divisions of the US military including international non-governmental organisation like Project Hope, LDS charities, Project Handclasp, Vets without Borders, University of California, San Diego Dental Society, Surgical Eye Expeditions, Hope Worldwide, Peacewinds America, Operation Rainbow, Operation Uni and World Vets were in the mission.