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In the 5th Century B.C., classical Greece experienced a situation similar to the one that PNG is facing now: major change of cultural worldview. The Greek society was moving from a mythical position to one dominated by reason and thought. The academics of classical Greece led the way for their society in freeing themselves from the authority of a world of obscure ghosts and rituals. The present society of PNG is at the same crossroads. What we see now are perhaps the results of a mixture of the two worldviews in one society. Hans-Martin Schoell, a nine-year veteran of Papua New Guinea currently an editorial staff member for socio-economic issues at Wort Publishing in PNG sent in an analysis of the situation. The following is based on excerpts of that article...

Bad legacies from the past persist in the society of PNG. The legacy of abuse of women can be seen in recent alleged sorcery and witch-killing, in persistent polygamy, women being used as compensation 'payments', and increased violent rapes. In scenes reminiscent of the witch hunts of the western world, women in PNG are being singled out and killed as alleged witches, as people who practice sorcery. Some analysts see these women as scapegoats whom the society uses in an attempt to cure its own sickness. The best way to end this situation is for the convinced Chris-tians to take a stand in the community and to forgive. This, however, is no longer a mere village affair, but a human rights issue for the Independent State of PNG. The sorry state of women's rights can be seen in the persistence of polygamy and the continuation of cases of women given away in a compensation payment from one clan to another. Rapes are on the rise, with a recently released PNG Law and Justice baseline survey noting that, grape has increased in PNG and became extremely violent and random.h Women are still perceived to hold an inferior status to men. The Minister of Church and Family Affairs in his launching address said that, gPNG has ratified the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and the rights of children, but the law enforcing agencies, departments and institutions cannot combat this crime alone, it requires concerted efforts of Churches, NGOs, the private sector, and the community at large.

Problems of politics and money can be seen in a persistent attitude where the political quality of a Member of Parliament is measured with the quantity of money be brings home to his electorate. The representative of a region is regarded as the new 'bigman' responsible for the procurement of the community's wealth, loosely called 'development'. However, the reality of parliament is not that easy, and, especially in the highland regions, members of parliament change with every new election.

The legacy of inter-tribal fighting persists in many areas. Conditions in law and order have deteriorated since independence as people go between seeing themselves as members of one nation, or as a member of one of eight hundred tribes. Fighting between neighboring tribes was at one time the means of self-preservation for a clan, or of conflict resolution. For a time it was buffered by national efforts, but since the early 1970s the violence returned as government services began to pull out. However tribal fights are not what they were in the past. Today they are aided by modern technology. At least 440 people were killed in the five Highlands provinces between 1994 and 1997, while the mark of today might be well over 500, not to speak of the destruction of public and private property. Another area to watch is the issue of the landowners who are gaining power politically and culturally. Their strong-handed tactics are widening the divide between the minority 'haves' and the 'have-nots.'

The legacy of tradition and customs is being exploited for money in various ways. The compensation system is one of these former customs which is taking on different hues today. Where traditionally a group would pay com-pensation to escape from a conflict in the name of justice and integral harmony, today it has become a business and conflicts are used and provoked with an aim of profit-making. Another native custom was the 'Wantok system' where a person who was working in an area far from his native land could find hospitality and provision among people in his new home who were of a similar background to himself. It was a 'kin obligation' system based on reciprocity. Today it has taken on the form of favoritism, cronyism where such ties are being exploited for personal gain.

Although the past has a great influence on the present in PNG, the present doesn't have to decide the future. We still have a chance to solve present-day problems in such a way that they may not determine the future. The question is: How can latecomer societies in technological and industrial development catch up with the rest of the industrialized world? Is there a short-cut? Maybe, but there will be pitfalls along the way, as the Asian economic crisis has taught us.

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