Waffi-Golpu landowners attend training to prepare for forum

FIFTY-three landowner leaders of the Wafi-Golpu project attended a two-day leadership and governance and communication training to prepare them for the development forum.
The parrticiapants were from the Waffi-Golpu project’s proposed special mining lease 10 areas of Hengambu, Yanta and Babuaf and the proposed lease for mining purpose area at Wagang
The training, facilitated by Tanorama, took participants through sessions on understanding processes involved in preparing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) during the development forum, becoming a better leader, practising good governance and good communication skills.
The training is part of a series of Waffi Golpu Joint Venture’s (WGJV’s) community engagement programmes to help prepare the affected communities for the mining development forum once it is announced by the mining minister.
WGJV head of external relations, David Wissink, said the company would like to see all stakeholders ready.
“We will run this cycle of leadership training and community feedback sessions as long as it takes to ensure everyone is ready before, during and after the development forum so everyone understands what is going on.
“People must have their voices heard and everyone in the community needs to be involved,” he said.
President of the Hengambu Landowners’ Association, Paul Yanam, said the training has given them a clear understanding of the process leading to the development forum.
Babuaf tribe women’s leader, Linda Ipang, said leaders needed to have good communication skills.
“If we are to be able to listen to the cries of our people in the village, we have to have good communication skills,” she said.
“This is something that I see is lacking in us leaders and the training is very useful. We have to communicate in ways where we can get accurate information from our communities.”
Facilitator, Martin Brash said the leadership demonstration during the two-day training was exceptional.
“Everyone stayed and contributed. The training is an exercise; the real thing will come and there will be challenges. No matter what happens, as long as good leaders do their best, a good agreement will come about,” he said.