Women’s group urges parties to end violence

A women’s group is backing the Catholic Church in the call for warring parties to come together and end violence relating to students protest in the Melanesian way.
“Woman Arise Movement (WAM) is a pressure, lobby and advocacy group for citizens’ rights to end all forms of violence at the individual, family, community and institutional levels,” Sarah Haoda Todd, told a media conference in Port Moresby yesterday.
“We ask  for all Papua New Guineans to join this call,” the president of the movement said.
She said WAM would stage a Holim na Rausim Haus Krai demonstration this Saturday against the shooting of University of PNG students and try to bring peace and healing to those directly or indirectly affected.
“We must resort to our Melanesian and cultural way to have dialogue to bring peace and heal our nation,” Todd said.
“We ask women, girls, men and boys to join this call. Church groups, women’s groups, businesses, governments and NGOs are asked to join.”
Todd said the movement maintained that key players like the Government, students, police, the University of PNG administration and the prime minister should take full responsibility, be accountable and exercise discretion for a way forward.