"Bzz!" "Bzz!" "Bzz!"

I couldn't quite discern

I paid more attention

"Yezz!" "ZZno!" "MMmaybe!"

Is what I could make out

So I tried something new

I opened my eyes!

Blurry, blurry, blurred,

I couldn't focus well

I paid more attention

"Yes I.." "No I.." "Maybe I.."

I was getting a clearer view

So I decided to be radical

I opened my mouth, and spoke!

I wasn't all that coherent

I paid more attention

Reigned in my thoughts

"Yes I did!" "No I didn't!" "Maybe I could!"

Oh yeah! I ditched all reservations

I used all my limbs to help me express

I paid attention

Not just to thoughts, but to the whole universe!

"Yes I did that, but No I didn't know that, maybe I could have been better informed?"

That was when I finally heard what you were saying all along!

That yes you did do that, but if only you had known that then you wouldn't have done that!

I heard someone once saying in a well known international tertiary institution, "Isn't it great! Here at this University, you walk around campus and you hear so many languages being spoken!" Without much thought I nodded in agreement, but after a moment it dawned upon me! 

You walk throughout UPNG, UNITECH, UOG, DWU, PAU, POMTECH, MATECHO, HATECHO, POLYTECH and even National Highs and you hear many different languages! Walk past a gathering of Tolais, Hageners, Tari's, Tawala's, Motuans, Aroma's, Wabag's, Bougainvilleans and you will find they will be speaking in their tokples.

To many of us, it's just something that is an integral part of being Papua Niuginean – we just don't give it much thought. Our cultural diversity is just - you know - something that always was and always is. But if you get a chance to be exposed to a melting-pot sort of situation where many nations come together in one location, you will (if you think like me that is) get a distinct sense of pride.

Pride that yes - we are one nation, though we have many cultures, languages! Although we have different spiritual and religious beliefs we are more tolerant of each other than most other countries that have more land area with supposedly more resources than we do.

Scary thing is, there seems to be a twisted message that subtly attempts to pressure us into becoming some sort of homogenous society. This whisper that our diverse cultures are a hindrance in nation building, in creating a national identity, in getting ‘the general scope’, in making something marketable, in getting a message across!

If you really think about it – our diversity is what protects us (to a certain extent) from those that would take a more than a mile if you gave an inch. It would be so easy to convince us that such-and-such a project or investments benefits far outweigh the negative impacts. If it was easy to sell an idea to one person,  have everyone else agree, jump on that bandwagon and without any further critical thought of the social, environmental and economic impact of that idea - we would literally be screwed!

The whole question of national identity and national pride is simple enough really. Yumi olgeta gat kain kain tingting tasol bikpla samting em yumi olgeta man - we i gat blut na feelings! That is who we are as Papua Niugineans.

Which brings me to the next point. The whole free, prior, informed consent before any project is carried out point! PNG's cultural diversity should not be used as an excuse for lack of awareness and information dissemination. One that is willing to make money, make a name, make strategic partners or what have you - should be willing to make the effort to make the various concerned peoples aware and informed and not just focus on those that are easy to relay information to.

Yumi olgeta man - i gat blut na feelings. Yumi olgeta Papua Niugini...

©Klaireh