Violence holding back PNG, says US envoy

VIOLENCE is holding Papua New Guinea back, says United States Ambassador Catherine Ebert Gray.
She said violence was getting in the way of progress of societies because people were scared of becoming victims, perpetrators or witnesses to violence.
“Violence is not caused by alcohol or sorcery but power imbalances. Gender-based violence knows no social, economic or national boundaries,” she said. “Violence erodes confidence in people and nations and creates fear in everyone.”
Ebert Gray was addressing journalists attending a media workshop on gender-based violence and sorcery-related violence. The workshop looked at how the media could play a pivotal role in addressing the issues through proper reporting.
According to a 2016-2019 research on sorcery accusation-related violence in Papua New Guinea by academics from Divine Word University, National Research Institute of PNG and the Australian National University, there is a need to develop a better understanding of the scope of the problem, its gendered dimensions, provincial variations and trends overtime.
Ebert Gray said the international community respected that PNG was working to address this issue and there were measures underway every day.
She said the remarkable work of non-government organisations were reaching some of the remotest communities in PNG through film, care, and conversations to bring peace and understanding to communities.
“Yes change is underway,” she said.