Open Day, FRWP Offfice, Docklands, Launch of West Papua’s Green State policy
Raki Ap, ULMWP Representative for Europe (video)
West Papua’s Transitional Government launched its Green State during the 2021 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow, and in his presentation to the FRWP Open Day in Docklands, Raki Ap contextualised the project within his peoples’ history of Dutch and Indonesian colonialism, and the indigenous Melanesian values and practices that buttress this far-sighted policy framework. Raki was born in the Blackwater Refugee Camp in Papua New Guinea (a few miles from the West Papua border) soon after Indonesian commandoes assassinated his famous father Arnold Ap in 1984. Activists helped his family to escape to The Netherlands where they have lived ever since.
Raki’s presentation (42-min video): https://youtu.be/1zpyS_soiVI
Jacob Rumbiak, WP Transitional Government (video)
Jacob outlined the philosophical basis of West Papua’s green-state policy framework, as “built on our belief in God, who created the skies and land and water and all life within those realms, and who commissioned us, as humans made in his image, to care for it; on our trust in Jesus who commanded us to love God and all creation, and one another including our enemies; and on our empowerment by the Holy Spirit to use universal law and modern science to develop out of our abused polluted homeland—in the face of adversaries with enormous determination, power and capacity—a disciplined well-governed state for us to live in abundance, and so become a blessing upon the people of the world including our Melanesian kin in the Pacific“. Jacob’s presentation included a powerpoint and a Q&A session that focussed on how independent West Papua planned to deal with all the foreign companies currently extracting the nation’s resources.
Jacob’s presentation (8-min video) https://youtu.be/_EjKB0vIMfE
Jacob’s Q&A session (1xA4 PDF) Jacob Rumbiak, Q&A (1xA4, PDF, 5 December 2021
Jacob’s powerpoint presentation (10 x A4 slides)
West Papua’s Green State (ULMWP document, PDF)
Green-State-Vision, October 2021
Launch, WP Green State at 2021 UN Climate Summit (video)
Launch of WP Green State, Glasgow, 4 November 2021 (start at time-code 22:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_wocZfge3E
Transcript of speech by Ecocide Foundation’s Jojo Mehta
Jojo Mehta, Ecocide, Launch of West Papua’s Green State, 4 Nov 2021
Raki Ap, The Knight Show Podcast, 23 Oct 2021 (audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZp5dwgI0FA&t=34s
Letter to Climate 200 candidates, 3 Jan 2022 (PDF)
Climate 200, Simon Homes a Court
What does it take to live and thrive in West Papua?
The West Papua Womens Office Green-Cell Project encourages volunteers to choose an animal, or a plant, or a bird (or even an element like air or water) and research what it takes for it to live and to thrive in West Papua. The office understands this grass-roots project as developing cells of information for the Green State launched by the West Papua Transitional Government at the 2021 UN Climate Summit. Today we look at the beginnings of the first two projects, the first on Amphipods, and the second on the Blue-Eyed Spotted Cuscus of Biak Island.
(i) Babuan Mirino: Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus of Biak Island
Babuan Mirino, My friend the Cuscus (2-min video)
Babuan Mirino, Biography (PDF, 20 pages, images and text)
Babuan Mirino, Biography
(ii) Barbara Hall: The essential Amphipods (8-min video)
Prayer Memorial for West Papua’s Heroes and Martyrs
Rev. Dr Robert Stringer led a Prayer Ceremony for all the West Papuans who have been killed in 2021, including the children and those who have died after the massive dislocation brought about the operations of the Indonesian Security Forces. “A number of very dear friends have died or been killed in West Papua since we last met, and today we light a candle to remember and celebrate the lives of four of them. So let us pray for Pastor Wally Roem, the pastor of the church in Wamena; Sandi Rumbiak, beloved son of Jacob Rumbiak; Simon Mosso, the Attorney-General in the West Papua Transitional Government; and Arnold Ap, the father of our guest speaker today who was assassinated by Indonesian Intelligence in 1984.”
“Almighty God we pray for our brothers and sisters and friends in West Papua who have been oppressed and persecuted and abused for their faith just as Jesus was. We give thanks for the life and witness of Pastor Roem, Sandi Rumbiak, Simon Mosso, and Arnold Ap. Be with their families as they grieve their passing. Comfort and give courage to the people experiencing physical harm, intimidation, and unjust imprisonment in the hands of their oppressors”
“Gracious God, we thank you for welcoming into your arms all the martyrs who have given their lives for justice to prevail in West Papua. Give your heart to those who have lost loved ones because of persecution and restore them to physical and spiritual health”
“For those who have persecuted our friends, we pray that their hearts will be touched by the wonderful faith of those they attack and murder. And we pray that they may be open in their hearts to you and the love of Jesus. We ask for this in Our Lord’s name. Amen”
The West Papua Rent Collective
The WP Rent Collective is a voluntary assembly of enlightened Australians who pay the rent on the West Papuans’ inspiring five-star-energy office in Docklands. Dr Joe Toscano organised an auction of hand-crafted furniture from recycled wood, and a glorious Latupeirissa photograph to raise funds for 2021.
(i) Four furniture pieces crafted from recycled timber by David McKenzie
(ii) 12″ x 18″ foam-backed photograph by Tom Latupeirissa of Mr Abraham Kareni after the formation of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua in 2014
More on the West Papua Rent Collective at:
i) https://dfait.federalrepublicofwestpapua.org/join-the-west-papua-rent-collective/
ii) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbaCwlO-_Zc
