ACT NOW! in collaboration with Starbox Production has launched a new music and video as part of the wider campaign to protect and promote customary land in Papua New Guinea.

“We are glad to partner with ACT NOW! to promote this very important message. Music has the power if utilised well can create better understanding, awareness and hopefully create positive changes in our communities", said Starbox Band Manager, Willie Sarenga.

Customary land to Papua New Guineans is our way of life. It means so much more than money and is very different to how the Western world views it.

In Papua New Guinea, customary land is the link between the earth and the sky, the sea and the clouds, the past and the future. It includes all the ground, rivers and oceans that have sustained and nurtured us as Melanesian people since we first inhabited this earth.

Our customary land is where we are born, and where we return to when we die. It connects us with our ancestors and the those yet to come. It provides us with a sense of place, identity, pride and community.

Customary land holds our names and stories and these bind us to the land and binds it to us.

Our local stories speak of significant landmarks that signify the knowledge that holds our values and principles and the wisdom that governs our way of life.

The land is neither mine nor yours, but a gift that we hold and care for as custodians for past and future generations.

Customary land physically and spiritually sustains us. It provides food, housing, medicines and clean water. It is the basis for our different cultures and spiritual beliefs and it binds our communities and help maintain order.

In Papua New Guinea it is estimated that 97% of the country is still under customary land tenure and 85% of our population rely on customary land for all the essentials of life.

Customary land supports sustainable livelihoods, a vibrant economy, social inclusion, community control and good governance. It is our most important national asset.

Customary land provides families with all the essentials of life - a place to live, food to eat, housing, clean water, medicines, a place to work, socialise and exercise and it is the foundation for our many different cultures, customs and beliefs.

Customary land sustains a vibrant economy, proving employment and incomes to millions of people who grow food, catch meat and fish, grow crops for export, produce handicrafts and provide accommodation for tourists.

It provides a social safety net and a sense of comfort and security. It provides us with natural remedies and medicines. It provides food security and community support in times of natural disasters or economic hardships. It provides a place for older people to live with dignity and support.

Customary land promotes a sense of belonging and identity. It builds self-worth and provides a freedom to be involved in economic, political, social and cultural activities. It helps build trust and encourages participation in decision making.

Customary land connects people to the natural environment. They understand and practice ecological sustainability and biodiversity protection.

Customary land makes people strong and self-reliant. It gives them control over decision making and allows them to care and provide for themselves, their families and their communities.

Customary land supports a fair and equal society where resources are shared and people care for each other. Customary land provides everyone with a place to live and the means to provide for their family. Customary land prevents a few individuals from acquiring excessive wealth by owning land as private property and prevents the emergence of a landless class. This social inclusion helps maintain stability, trust and peace in the community.

Decisions about customary land are made by the people that live there according to their customary laws. Decision makers are accountable to the people and everyone knows what is being decided.

This is a total contradiction to the westerners, foreign governments, big corporations and financial institutions and how they view customary land.

In the West, land is simply viewed as an economic commodity or asset that can be bought and sold just like any other goods or services.

All land has fixed boundaries and each parcel of land is owned and controlled by an individual person or company. Often the owner does not live on the land and one person can own many pieces of land in different places and even in different countries.

It is a criminal offence to go onto someone else’s land without their permission and strict penalties including imprisonment can be applied.

Most people in the West do not own any land. They have to pay rent for the home that they live in and have access to only limited public spaces like parks. They do not have enough space to grow their own food Those people who do own a home usually have to borrow large sums of money from a bank to buy their house.

In the West all land is controlled by the same national laws and if disputes happen, they have to be settled by the courts.

This is all very different from customary land In Papua New Guinea.

Customary land is much more than just a piece of ground, an economic commodity than can be traded like a bag of rice. Customary land has enormous community, spiritual, environmental and cultural values that are not recognised in the Western concept of land.

Customary land does not belong to any one individual, instead lots of people have different rights to use the land and make decisions about how it is used.

Everyone in Papua New Guinea is connected to an area of customary land, either because it is where they were born or through their parents and their connection to place.

The local rules and customs that govern customary land are not universal and vary across the country. Disputes are settled among the communities themselves on the land.

Customary land boundaries and rights are also not fixed. They are fluid and flexible and change and evolve over time to adapt to new circumstances.

Promoting the importance and values of customary in PNG is one of the core campaigns for ACT NOW! and has been using different modes to convey and debunk outside narratives.

This time ACT NOW! has worked with a local music band Starbox Production and had produced a music and video as part of its broader campaign in promoting customary land in Papua New Guinea.

“As the country turns 50 this year, its important for us to reflect on so many things and one of them is on the most important asset all of us have- customary land. Time to rethink and refocus on the management of our natural resources wisely for today’s and tomorrow’s future. We are only custodians. We are inspired and looking forward to more of similar engagements to promote very important messages”, said Sarenga.

The music and video has been launched and can be downloaded free here on ACT NOW! YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfeVvUg3SY8

For more information about ACT NOW! and its work, visit www.actnowpng.org