'Attitude' is something that will not change overnight. The context of the word 'Attitude' in this discussion elaborates two types of attitude that co-exist having almost the same value and meaning to the word attitude.
1. Acceptance 2. Respect
Enga’s attitude towards radical development and services (hospitals, bridges, schools etc.) needs a complete and radical change, period. I personally believe that as much as we would want to talk about why Enga is not developing and all the constituents to this forever existing conundrum and the possible ‘high –collar’ resolving strategies, my concern inevitably focuses on ‘The Engans at home, in Enga’
"What is the point in delivering these basic services when the very people whom these development and services target are not looking after it (no acceptance and no respect)?"
A few cases worth mentioning
I. The Sopas Adventist Hospital, once upon a time, PNGs most talked about hospital in the country was forced to close down as a result of violence stemming from inter-tribal warfare which broke out in 1998 following a murder on the hospital's perimeter. Consequently, much of the hospital has been vandalised and few buildings have reportedly been set on fire.
II. The renowned Task valley, once upon a time, housed and catered for schools which groomed some of Enga’s pioneering educated professionals but now a deserted battle field floored with empty high-powered artillery shells.
III. Pilikambi High School in Laiagam, does this school still exist? The last we heard was it went up in flames.
IV. In the mid 90’s, two pay-phones were set up in the middle of Wabag town (next to the post office). In general, people (Engans) were very excited over it. They (we) could call our loved ones all over the country and overseas. The pay-phones were short-lived. As soon as the coin-boxes were full, someone ripped of the two-pay phones and went home with them. Sadly, this happened five days after the two pay-phones got commissioned. The intention was to steal money held in coin-boxes in the two pay-phones but sadly, from a development and services point of view, a service provided was not appreciated or respected neither protected.
V. Torching down of the previous Enga Provincial headquarters; shocking but a classical example of what happens when political interests between so-called politicians don’t share common grounds (proven by the recent torching of the Kapal –House in Mt. Hagen portrays yet another example).
VI. The newly established TV dish in Wapenamanda got stoned down. Majority of the people bought TV screens to view EMTV in there houses but unfortunately, someone has done the unthinkable.
VII. And the worse case scenario, come National Election Day; countless number of bridges are intentionally demolished, power lines are wilfully destroyed, phone cables are dug and shredded and the list goes on.
The above cases highlight people’s attitude towards development and services that exist(ed).
The continuous mention of the word ‘people’ might seemingly be inappropriate as we all know very well there are ‘people’ back home that hope, wish and pray for good governance, sustainable development and services and to see Enga progress forward. These groups of people, for the case of this discussion, be referred to as the ‘Innocents’.
There is no appreciation, meaning there is no Acceptance and no acceptance means no Respect for the very things that we call development and services that make our lives easier and more comfortable. This is simply an attitude dysfunction. This attitude dysfunction, is it a social, political, spiritual, or a mental problem? It seems an alloy of the above mentioned classifications. The social aspect of the ‘attitude problem’ stems largely from the kind of society that we live in where an individuals cognitive state (for this discussion, individuals refers ‘The Engans at home, in Enga’, the ‘Male’ populace between the age of 13 - 45) is fixated in an always winning and proving otherwise by upholding social status and not conscious of the civil changes emerging around them. As a result, the thought of, ‘If I do this, it’s going to affect me, it’s going to affect my family, it’s going to affect my community’ is just not there.
Home (Enga) is known for tribal warfare which is identified has, if not, the main cause of development and services hindrance. Each and every one of you might have your own thoughts about the best possible solution in conveying the message to ‘The Engans at home, in Enga’ on the importance and benefits of acceptance and respect for development and services. Here is my suggestion: The Governor, Mr. Ipatas has been pumping millions of kina trying to educate the human resource of Enga Province. Fair enough, but in reality, there are two groups of people that fall in the Engan human resource category. Those that literally get offered a space in the various institutions they are heading next and those that fail and can’t make it to the next level of education. My concern is the latter. Once one fails educational continuance, that’s it. What happens next is a nightmare. This very people get involved in drugs, tribal warfare, rape, murder, roadblocks, vandalism, etc which are the very elements that cripple, suppress and impede development and services. So, what am I saying here; when the so-called educational advisors advised Mr. Ipatas concerning Free-Education for Enga students, they should have also considered the students that had/will have failed to continue studies. I am not saying the Ipatas government should have found ways to get those unfortunate students back into school by other means (bribery), no!
As much money was spent on free-education, equal money should have been budgeted to get the unfortunates involved in community activities or money could have been budgeted to set up more vocational centres through out the province so as to giving a second chance. After establishing such centres, not only those that have failed to continue studies but also young men and women who are at home doing nothing can be asked to go to these centres to learn trading skills (carpentry, plumbing, electricity, welding etc), home-made trades (esp. for women; cooking, sawing, laundry, embroidery etc) and in general, how to look after poultry, dairy farming, agriculture etc. And this should all be under the label ‘Free – Education’ Well, it’s not too late to start now. The concept here is to get people (all) involved busy in things that are beneficial to themselves, the community and the province as a whole. Surprisingly, people will be indulging themselves trying to make a fair living thus abstaining themselves from drugs, tribal warfare, rape, murder, roadblocks, vandalism, etc. Obviously, more vocational centres apart from the few that have already been set up will be required in each of the five districts and this requires all our MPs working together. Not only vocational centres but any other projects that will involve the community, groups, clans, youths or even individuals etc is likely to contain the people within the circles of Acceptance, Respect and Protection over what ever developments and services provided to them by the government .
This is a simple concept but we can only try to see if it will work. Enga needs to see sustainable and visible development. If anyone has access to our MPs, let them know of these discussions or better still, ask our six elected members to get access to EngaWaiPii and join in the discussion on how we can ‘Sustain & Protect’ Enga’s development. Come to think of it, if our Engan politicians want to know what the majority of the educated Engan professionals think of them, the place is EngaWaiPii.
If none of the MPs are interested, then, if anyone of you readers is running for the elections in 2012 and if you win, for the love of our mother land, make a difference.
Bro, your comments are absolute in the way our people see services that are provided. I am finding difficult to define development when our people have such attitude. I am writing with a medical background so when you are talking about Sopas it is touching me from deep inside.
I just can't see us moving forward with these kinds of attitude. I still feel that politics has a part to play. Our lives are now being shaped by political groupings, cronism confounded by our very Enga/Highlander attitude where we view development as tribal and not communal. How can we move forward, every time such a vandalism is commited we are moving few years back.
I work and live in a foreign country and can see exactly what you are talking about. The solution is to overhaul the politics system in PNG, overhaul the law system so that certain land areas are owned by the people of PNG (not tribal) and people are made responsible for commiting wilful damages.
I am not going to stand for election but will be willing to contribute resources where my mouth is.
Enga respects your comments and foresights. Could I sincerely comment that those engans, who seemingly stand as obstacles to development progress of the province, in a big or small way deep in their hearts while being alone or in a common gathering, do respect your words and feel so hopeless and shameful for being what they have been? Such would ask himself or herself; ‘Why have I done such destruction(s) to physical structures that serve development progress for his/her province?’
I do not wish to pretend that such structural deficiencies are excusable. No, these are very detrimental to the progress of the province and thus, adequate resources be allocated to correct these deficiencies head-on and that these structural deficiencies should not be feared but that developmental progress must proceed head-on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- There are four issues raised in your notes which I would like to share my thoughts on them and wish other readers should do the same if they have some resources and are in common:
1. Change of Engan Attitude as in the essences of ‘acceptance; and respect by amotls;
2. Education Subsidy be Re-visited and Education as a tool to correct ‘Bad’ Attitudes of Enga by amotls;
3. Tribalism versus Communalism in Engan Behaviour by Wertlander; and
4. Politicking Elections: Not for the Love For Enga. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Change of Engan Attitude as in the essence of ‘acceptance; and respect by amotls;
I concur with the notion that current engan attitude toward development be changed. Having mentioned that, I note that the current engan attitude generally to be unfriendly to accepting development hence respect of development is very limited. This ill perceptive attitude has been destructive and oppressive to development thus corrective measures be adopted.
This destructive and oppressive attitude is deeply cultural and also is being recently polarized politically.
As everything change with time, there are three main things which I believe should be major building blocks for changing such destructive and oppressive attitude to ensure that engan start to accept and respect development progress:
(a)Using Reformed Education system
In all level of education system in the province, the enga provincial government (EPG) should include a programme in the teaching curriculum which teaches the importance of development. Students should be encouraged to visit those development infrastructures to learn of the functional aspects of them in the province. That is, knowledge of the linkages among these various development infrastructures on the livelihood of the people of enga be provided to the students.
(b)Awareness of Importance of Development Infrastructure (to Engans)
The EPG should continuously inform the engan population the importance of all development infrastructures over time. Media medium such as provincial broadcasting, provincial newspapers and public campaigns be used to ensure that people are informed of these infrastructures and that they should take ownership of them. At the onset of a tribal fight, the EPG should always visit the fighting tribes and inform of the associated cost of tribal fight. If the fighting tribes persist on fighting then, the EPG should inform the tribes not to destroy any public infrastructures or other private infrastructures that serve the needs of the people.
(c)Disciplinary/Compensatory Provisions of EPG
The EPG should hold tribes and people who vandalize public infrastructures to pay for the value of the damages. The EPG enact provincial provisions of vandalism of public infrastructures; replacement costs should be endured by the tribe(s) that vandalizes these infrastructures. Even those random people who destroy such infrastructures should pay for the vale of damage.
This process is feasible though it might somewhat seem perplexing and impractical.
These three options be fully utilized and newer options be adopted over time to change the general attitude deficiencies until a general acceptance standard in attitude is attained.
2. Education Subsidy be Re-visited and Education System as a tool to correct ‘Bad’ Attitudes of Enga by amotls;
I strongly believe that the current education subsidy policy of the EPG is not a good policy and also it is being highly politicized.
(a)As mentioned in point (1)(a), the education system be used to change the current destructive and oppressive attitude of engans toward development. The education system in the province is the biggest medium the EPG can employ in terms of changing such attitude. More often, the EPG, the various provincial departments and the major private investors should visit schools, colleges and vocational centres to inform the students the importance of such development structures.
(b) The education subsidy policy is not a good policy and thus, the EPG should re-visit it to appropriately tailor it for the good of the province. I am a one-time beneficiary but have not read the actual education subsidy policy paper.
(i) Disincentive and self-destructive The education subsidy pays for almost full tuition fees for the students. In such framework, the policy can be disincentive and self-destructive.
The education subsidy policy is a disincentive as students would not be competitive in learning environment. The best is from a very competitive learning environment. Competitive learning environment is not only created by the academic curriculum but also that the process that propel an individual student to be awarded a sponsorship.
*During my time at UPNG, under the EPG education subsidy policy, I had a lot of money and had more fun days and hoped the provincial government would pay for my tuition fees in the next academic year and thus, just made sure passed the courses. I regretted such attitude a year later that I just passed the courses.
**In the community schools and high school levels, the parents would not provide more support and guidance for their kids to perform well at school. The parents would relax since the EPG would pay for school fees in the next academic year.
Generally, when a large number of poor students graduate, the amount of quality work produced is not increased for the betterment of enga.
Self-destructive
I understand that about 90 per cent of the engan population have children in schools, colleges and universities. The 10 per cent would be students and the relatives of the students.
When the EPG, under the education subsidy policy, pay for the school fees, college fees and tuition fees, the parents and relatives do not have the psychological perception of the responsibility to pay more for their children’s education.
Such psychological perception is causing the enga people not be work harder in the gardens, in finding a job in all sectors and also making them lazy to be innovative and profitable businessmen/women.
Due to decline in active economic responsibilities of parents and relatives, the economic development in the province contributed by the household sector has dramatically be reduced.
Generally, as observed, due to such effects the development in the province has shrunk.
(ii) Education Subsidy Policy half-baked, Not Structural and Aimless
*The education subsidy policy is half-baked since it would not contribute immensely in human resources development appropriately as mentioned in point (i). Though a large number of graduates from high school, vocational centres and other tertiary institutions are envisioned to be produced, larger portion of the graduates will still have lesser knowledge and skills.
In the far end of this policy, job creation for these graduates should be a priority for them. The EPG should ensure in a policy framework that it would take in about more than 50 per cent of the graduates into the provincial government and other sectors in the province and other neighbouring provinces too.
This job creation priority is still yet to be a policy issue for the province. Currently, most of the graduates are still looking for jobs for almost more than the number of years them had spent in colleges and universities. **The education subsidy policy is not structural and is superficial. The EPG is continuously spending millions of kina on this policy but not much structural development that facilitates longer educational development has been considered.
A comparative analysis would prove that the net benefit of the current subsidy policy is very low.
A smaller portion of the education subsidy fund would have been used to re-vitalize all levels of education system in the province. The administrative aspect of the current education system be vitalized, improve the teaching curriculum for all the levels of education to make it competitive with world standards, expand the number of schools and vocational centres per districts, have a plan to develop a university for the province, and improve working conditions for educators.
These changes would cost about half of what has been spent so far on education subsidy policy and these changes would then produce the best students in the country.
The province would have the best model for education system in the country and thus, attract students from other provinces which would then expand economic activities in the province.
*** The education subsidy is aimless because it does not comprise two of these elements and other essential elements.
Just ask: ‘What is the next chapter after the education subsidy programme vanishes as it is largely indexed to the provincial government revenue from porgera gold mine?’
(iii) Should have been 50-50 Ratio Education Subsidy Policy
The current education system should be altered to ensure that the EPG pay 50 per cent of all school fees, college fees and tuition fees.
The savings from such policy should be re-invested into the provincial education system to target those project developments in the province as mentioned in point (ii)(**).
Coupled with the expansion and re-vitalization of the education system in the province, the province would not only produce very intellectual engans but also very productive engans who would have much respect for economic, social and political developments in the province.
3. Tribalism versus Communalism in Engan Behaviour by Wertlander
The EPG is the only medium that can change the engan mentality of tribalism to communalism.
*Tribalism is now a disease in the province because it has been mis-conceptualized and misapplied. It is very customary and traditional that engan people believe in tribalism. I strongly support that notion. It is the identity of oneself and the tribe and the province.
However, tribalism is mis-conceptualized in a very violative manner where it does not prove identity among engans but it has been promoted to be used as a tool for aggression against each other. I am a proud engan from Wabag Central but want to associate with the Kandepens well and thus respect their traditional and customary values.
The enga provincial government should facilitate all the tribes of enga to participate in major customary and traditional events. Such facilitation should not only be to promote tribalism but bring the tribes into perspective of being engans and in love for communalism; working together to build the once great engan empire that can be stronger and aggressive with love for development and for each other.
With s strong and corrected view of tribalism and strong view of communalism, all tribes of enga will be united with pride, integrity and credibility in the face of the country to lead in development.
Thus, the perception of tribalism be proudly corrected and promote communalism among the tribes to facilitate development for enga.
4. Politicking Elections: Not for the Love For Enga
Elections in enga has been highly politicised, polarised and materialised with greed. Currently, election for the leader is not defined correctly by engans as did our great grand ancestors. We have defiled the essences of electing leaders.
Leaders are individuals, who should have with highly perceptions of transition for the betterment of the people of enga, communicate with the people to facilitate transition that is more appropriate for them and fight as true engans with his/her people at the back of them against oppression and secure justice. Also, leaders should have deep respect for cultural and traditional norms of governance too.
There may be other varied definitions out in the air nevertheless, I restrict to these three elements.
People should be allowed to elect at liberty for the love of enga.
I would highly recommend that elections be not politicised, not polarised and not materialized.
ENGAN POLITICS, ALSO A PART OF THE ENGAN ATTITUDE PROBLEM
What Enga needs is leaders who know and see the very obstacles (larsen) that fully or partially hinders the development progress of our home province. As I’ve been constantly mentioning, the so-called Engan Attitude (who cares) regardless is the primal impediment give or take the other factors which largely stem from it.
Larsen’s (a) Using Reformed Education system (b) Awareness of Importance of Development Infrastructure (to Engans) (c) Disciplinary/Compensatory Provisions of EPG all have political influence. Having said that, politics brings an all heap of challenges again. Engan politics itself is another major obstruction to the all development progress of our province. The whole subject of tangible and sustainable development progress of our homeland seems a dependent of having the right, on merits, fair, understandable, rational, radical and robust leader. How can such a leader spring forth when the very society we live in itself is an obstacle that does not comprehend the values and logics of having a leader that possess the above mentioned characteristics.
I am from the Wapenamanda district but I admire the people of Laigaip-Porgera for voting in the Hon. Philip Kiakala to represent them in the house of parliament as their leader. This is a good example of voting someone who possesses the qualities, the know-hows, someone who can talk on all stages of communication at representative levels or absolutely anywhere, anytime. Also, the recent appointment of Kundapen Talyanga as the administrator for the province is, I believe a long awaited relief. Mr. Talyanga was the author of the EYL scripts (Enga Yaak Lasamana) a continuous 5 year plan of the progressive development plan for Enga in the mid 80s to the late 90s which abruptly hit brick-walls as a result of political differences. I am natural in my political views for Enga but when leaders with exceptional astuteness surface, I consequently see the flames of glimmering hope for a better Enga still blazing. My (our) hope is for Mr. Talyanga to continue pursuing the vision he saw fit during the early EYL days.
We can talk about changing Enga overnight or overtime with various approaches, methods, plans etc but if Engans attitude does not change and we keep on electing leaders that can only be compared against thieves, sugar-daddies, crooks, hooligans womanizers and the list goes on, I fear it will be a long, long time before we start seeing some visible changes. But, regardless, we have to be affirmative.
Make proper decisions during election and choosing leaders with leadership qualities based on merits is the only way to choose leaders who will make decisions that will benefit the province as a whole. For this to happen, people (Engans) have to realise the outcomes of such decisions. Our people have to be informed that it’s their vote that counts. (This is a complicated scenario where, from history, Engan politics has been standardised (very bad standard); casting votes to candidates: who give out money and candidates who are ones own tribesman/relative etc. Such acts need to be publicly condemned by either using the media or better still conducting multiple series of awareness campaigns. Now to carry out such awareness campaigns, one needs support and a certain degree of recognition from present leaders who comprehend the purpose of such awareness campaigns or public forums and such leaders would be in the likes of Hon. Philip Kiakala, Mr. Kundapen Talyanga and Mr. Samuel Tei Abel for I have talked to each mentioned leader and these men not only talk, talk, and talk but also have a listening ear to listen, contemplate and decide.
Enga’s future is in our own hands and sometimes, if you think of it, come election day, we either choose to be stuck in that little joint all clogged up desperately needing a breather which we have been doing it for decades or say, ‘we’ve had enough, it’s time to move on now.’