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Sem Karoba: “Wantok System” Defines whether or not I am Really a Melanesian Person

Published on October 21, 2020 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 58 § Leave a comment

Many Melanesian leaders and thinkers have been brainwashed to think that "Wantok System" is nepotism, and therefore Wantok System should be wiped out from Melanesian peoples in all aspects of life.

Sem Karoba argues that it is "Wantok System that defines Melanesian peoples as Melanesians". Karoba says,

If you hate Wantok System, then you should definitely call yourself non-Melanesian, a foreigner in Melanesian body and Melanesian soil. That means that you hate your father, you refuse your mother, your deny your grand-father, you undermine your grand-mother. That is a curse to yourself. No humans ever done that. All humans do recognize their ancestral norms, values and systems and they fight for it to be recognized, protected and promoted.

Our Melanesian ancestors, from Raja Ampat Islands to Wallis-Futuna Islands have left us this invaluable asset for us to nurture, protect and promote, for our own sake and for the sake of our future generations.

When speaking to classes in western countries, Karoba always argue that Wantok System is a complex system of life and living, which Melanesian define themselves as a human race and human entity on this planet Earth.

Wantok System has many positive values. We can mention three of them here:

  1. Wantok System is the only social-building for Melanesians that identify and define us as social-being. Imagine Melanesians outside or without this system? We will be individualistic individuals who live lonely in a crowded society such as those in western culture.

    We need our family relations, our kinships, our tribal connections in place in order to keep us live as social beings. Wantok System is the only tool that keep us from going too wild in our individualistic individualism that modernization brings to humanity all over the world.
  2. Wanok System is the only tool that we Melanesians use to keep our moral standards. Religious values add to this original values inherent to our Melanesia-hood.
  3. Wantok System is the only toll economic system that all Melanesians have today. We Melanesians invest in human beings, we practice social-business very well. We are social capitalist. And we need to develop our Wantok System of Economy in order to teach the world that economy is about food, and it is about food for human beings; not food for greed, nor for individualist ambitions.

    We should teach the world a comprehensive Melanesian philosophical statement made by our former prominent Melanesian philosopher, Bernard Narakobi's secret of life: "live well, love well, have something good for every person and die a happy death"

Only Wantok System will help us live well. Only Wantok System that help us love well. Only Wantok System that can have something good for every person. Only within Wantok System we do experience a happy death.

Wantok System (9)  , Melanesia, , , Sem Karoba  Length: [566] words.
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Simson Wally: Jangan Sampai Ketinggalan Berita

Published on November 10, 2020 by  [28  entries]  ± Views 62 § Leave a comment

Roma 1:16-17

Dalam era informasi seperti sekarang, informasi adalah komoditi yang memiliki nilai jual. Siapa saja yang memiliki informasi yang punya nilai jual, akan dengan segera memberitakannya. Sebaliknya tak seorang pun yang ingin disebut ketinggalan berita karena ada begitu banyak media yang bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menggali setiap informasi.

Injil adalah berita tentang kasih dan kebenaran Allah. Hidup manusia berdosa akan berujung pada kebinasaan karena dosa membuat manusia berada di bawah murka Allah.
Siapakah yang dapat menyelamatkan? Tak ada! Allah sendirilah, yang dalam kasih karunia-Nya kemudian mengutus Anak Tunggal-Nya untuk menyelamatkan manusia. Hanya bila manusia mau beriman kepada Anak-Nya itu, barulah manusia bisa diselamatkan.

Inilah yang dinyatakan Injil. Jadi Injil adalah kabar baik karena memimpin setiap orang ke dalam persekutuan yang benar dengan Allah. Mereka yang termasuk di dalamnya adalah mereka yang mau mengimani tindakan penyelamatan Allah melalui Kristus (band. 1Yoh. 2:2).

Tak ada batas ras, tak ada batasan wilayah. Semua orang yang mau beriman kepada Kristus, akan menerima status dibenarkan dan akan hidup.

Berita itulah yang disampaikan Paulus kepada jemaat di Roma dengan hasrat yang begitu dalam (ayat 15). Ia memang telah dipanggil untuk itu (ayat 1). Namun di sisi lain, hasrat itu didorong oleh keyakinannya yang kokoh akan Injil bahwa Injil adalah kuasa Allah yang menyelamatkan setiap orang yang percaya (ayat 16).

Bagaimana dengan kita?

Jika kita tahu bahwa Injil berkuasa menyelamatkan orang, tidakkah hati kita tergerak untuk memberitakannya agar orang lain pun diselamatkan?
Bila kita berdiam diri saja dan tidak mau berbagi berita sukacita itu, berarti kita telah mencuri kesempatan orang lain untuk mendengar kabar baik itu dan kemudian menerima keselamatan dari Allah.
Karena itu jangan biarkan seorang pun ketinggalan berita.

Kabarkanlah!

Sumber: FB

Pencerahan Rohani (1)  Kekuatan Injil, keselamatan, percaya  Length: [427] words.
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So Fukin Native: Best Visual Art show Award, Melbourne Fringe 2012! | PWWC & Stella Magazine!

Published on November 14, 2012 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 2 § Leave a comment

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The Wantok Blong Yumi Bill was a bill unanimously adopted by the Parliament of Vanuatu in June 2010

Published on April 27, 2021 by  [28  entries]  ± Views 147 § Leave a comment

The Wantok Blong Yumi Bill was a bill unanimously adopted by the Parliament of Vanuatu in June 2010. It was derived from a "People’s Petition", tabled in Parliament by Independent MP Ralph Regenvanu.

The bill's purpose was to express Vanuatu's recognition of West Papua's independence from Indonesia, and to commit Vanuatu to actively seek observer status for West Papua in the Melanesian Spearhead Group and the Pacific Islands Forum. The bill was supported both by Prime Minister Edward Natapei and opposition leader Maxime Carlot Korman, along with their respective parties.[3][4][5] The government stated that the bill would "allow [it] to develop specific policies on how to support the independence struggle of West Papua". The bill's adoption was praised by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, which said it would "fulfill the dream of Fr Walter Lini [Vanuatu's first Prime Minister] who started this struggle in Vanuatu by saying that Vanuatu will not rest until it sees its brothers and sisters in the [sic] Melanesia get their freedom".

One consequence of the bill was that Vanuatu would "request [United Nations] General Assembly support for the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on the process in which the former Netherlands New Guinea was ceded to Indonesia in the 1960s".

Reviewing the bill, Islands Business described it as "perhaps the most significant development in recent times as regards regional support for the long suffering territory’s cause and for openly and officially espousing its independence from Indonesia", adding that it "captur[ed] the pan Melanesian spirit across political boundaries": "[I]f and when West Papua gets the independence and self rule it deserves, its people will have much to feel grateful to its Melanesian brethren across the Coral Sea".[9] The New Zealand Herald described the bill as "reflecting a pan-Melanesian spirit across political boundaries".

"Wantok Blong Yumi" is Bislama for "Our Wantoks". Wantok is a Bislama, Tok Pisin and Pijin word which comes from the English "one talk", and means people who speak the same language, belong to the same culture, are friends and help one another out.

Wantok News (3)  Edward Natapei, Vanuatu, Wantok Bill,  Length: [349] words.
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Top 7 Diving Havens in Indonesia (1)

Published on September 07, 2012 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 7 § Leave a comment

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Two Women Accused of Sorcery Tortured in Port Moresby

Published on April 27, 2021 by  [28  entries]  ± Views 74 § 1 Comment

Two women from Eastern Highlands Province have been burnt with hot iron rods, and tortured today, at a 5-mile area in Port Moresby, following accusations of sorcery.

The attack began this morning and continued into the afternoon at around 2pm when police were alerted and rescued one while the other escaped earlier.

One woman managed to escape what was described as an interrogation by the male perpetrators - to admit to the killing of another woman who died earlier in the week, in the community.

She sustained cuts and burns as well.

NBC News, was at the scene when the second woman was brought down by police - bleeding with cuts to her head, and her arms and foot almost severed, and her body burnt with hot iron rods resulting in skin peeling off.

Community leader Elliot Raphael told NBC News, it is shocking and unfortunate - adding that a solution needs to be found to address this issue.

St. John Ambulance was at the scene to attend to the women, and transfer them to the Port Moresby General Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile  Port Moresby Police responded to a distress call today and rescued two women who were tortured and were about to be killed, at a settlement near the NBC compound at 5 Mile. 

Fox 304 and a Gordon's Police unit led by PSC Gordon's Inspector Robert Wane  arrived in time before the two women could have been killed. 

Up to twenty men escaped upon seeing police arriving. 

NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu said, the pair were accused of practicing sorcery, held in captivity, beaten up and thrown into a fire, going by the burns they sustained in this crime.

One of the woman managed to escape from her captors and ran down a hill before she was rescued by police. 

The second victim was found badly wounded and bound with ropes when she was found by police, lying in a garden. 

Mr Ikumu said those responsible for these heinous acts fled before police arrived but their identities are known to police. 

Mr Ikumu strongly condemned these crimes and requested  the families and relatives of the two victims  to come forward and provide their statements. From the statements, the perpetrators will be identified for arrests to be made. 

The two victims, who were recieved severe burn and knife wounds were treated by Saint John's Ambulance at the scene and moved to the Hospital. They were traumitized from the ordeal.

Divisional Commander NCD/Central Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambie Jnr has also condemned this vicious attack. "I condemn this vicious act of torture on two helpless mothers. People must change their mindset. We are living in a modern growing City. Therefore, understanding of issues must change. This is unacceptable. Our Metropolitan Superintendent NCD will ensure that those responsible will be brought to justice! " stated the Commander. 

Police investigations into the whole ordeal will commence after the two women are visited by Counselling experts.

Police Media/NBC / PNG Today

Wantok News (3)  Port Moresby, Sorcerer, Sorcery  Length: [711] words. modified on: April 27th, 2021.
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UK Embassy denies fake journalism in Bintang Papua article

Published on December 22, 2012 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 5 § Leave a comment

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Wantok system corrupts the country

Published on April 02, 2018 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 114 § Leave a comment

By Milton Ragaruma - the Island Sun

DEAR EDITOR, as a student and a concerned citizen of the Solomon Islands, I urge all government sectors and citizens to stop practising wantok system in the country.

This is due to the fact that wantok system produces corruption; and does not promote the standard of living in the country.

We should have already reached a higher standard of living with all the useful resources we have at hand, unfortunately, wantok system has corrupted our development system.

First, the hindrance of having positive economic growth in which funds are misused by the responsible authority and the ignorance of the country’s need like instead of promoting tourism or proper management of cleaning up the town (Honiara), the fund is misused for different purpose/personal gain.

Second, wantok system is a recipe for poor economic growth.

Job opportunities and selection of employees nowadays does not based on merit but it depends on who you know; if you have a good connection or know someone working in the system you will have more privilege of getting the Job.

Third, wantok system increases political interference with admin process.

A good example is during selection of scholarship awards; politicians are always involved.

We all know that the education authority can handle this issue and it is their responsibility to do the selection; so why do politicians always get involved?

Finally, wantok system fuels systematic corruption in terms of individuals using their power to give contracts to their relatives/wantok.

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Instead of giving the road contract to a civil engineer that has qualifications on that field; they gave it to a Human Resource manager or a farmer.

Now, in light of this national concern, I believe that implementation of the Anti-corruption bill is a way that can help reduce this issue.

The country should create a convention that is not bias and is applied to everyone with penalty; so that anyone who practice wantok system should be penalised definitely.

Also, building a monitor mechanism such as a government division in a form of the key performance indicators that can monitor it with proper implementation strategies will make it effective in the country.

I call out to all citizens to work together to get rid of wantok system and corruption.

The standard of living in our country depends on the choices we make today.

If we want an advanced standard of living in the future then we should stop the practice of wantok system or else we are left to only hope for the better in the future.

Sincerely

Margareth Esther

USP, Laucala

Note from West Papua

We are now right here right now as the direct result of Wantok System that our ancestors applied in their daily lives. Everything in this life has both pros and cons, positives and negatives. Noting, again no single thing in this life is perfect.

We only perfect our lives at the time we die. To be alive means to be in between both left and right, right and wrong, good and bad. Then only task we have is to see everything from both angels, and treat both equally, to take out the essence of the dynamic. Positivism on ideologies never helped anyone, they thought and they hoped it did, but in fact they failed.

Our Melanesian Wantok System and beliefs is God-given wisdom. We need to nurture and cultivate, and share it to the world, for the sake of our disappearing small islands countries in South Pacific, to help us join together as one race, one home of origin: New Guinea Island.

Wantok System (9)  Pros and Cons,  Length: [875] words.
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Welcome to Ugimba, West Papua

Published on September 07, 2012 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 18 § Leave a comment

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West Papua Political Prisoner Dominikus Sorabut amongst writers honoured for commitment to Free Expression

Published on December 22, 2012 by  [44  entries]  ± Views 6 § Leave a comment

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