West Papua: zone of peace, land of peace
A 'Land of Peace' is not merely a geographical area free of violence. It is a social condition, in which the
socio-cultural, economic and political problems Papuans face today are resolved without the use of
violence.
Instead of law, an illegal invasion.
Instead of the song of life, mass murder.
Instead of land evoked and beloved, an environment devastated and destroyed.
Instead of songs sung, a nation of singers is annihilated.
The Indonesians may kill the singers but they cannot kill the song.
(from Jay Griffiths, Songs and Freedom in West Papua, The Guardian, March 15, 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2011/mar/15/west-papua-singing-freedom-indonesia)
God Our Creator,
you made the earth a peaceful garden.
Show us the way to restore peace
wherever it has been broken by violence and injustice.
Forgive us for the times we have used religious language
to foster greater hatred and division;
or when have been silent in the face of peoples’ suffering and pain.
Bring healing to the lives of those who have been shattered by violence.
Give us a new spirit of dialogue, reconciliation, and peace.
A reading from the Book of Isaiah 58:6-7, 10
This is the fast that pleases me:
to break unjust fetters,
to let the oppressed go free,
to share your bread with the hungry
and shelter the homeless poor.
If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist, the wicked word,
if you give your bread to the hungry
and relief to the oppressed,
your light will rise in the darkness.
Grant us, God of freedom and peace, a vision of your world as you would have it:
o a world where the oppressed and subjugated are set free, and walk hand in hand with their
former oppressors;
o a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
o a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
o a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
o a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
O God, you have given all peoples one common origin, and your will is to gather them as one family in
yourself. Fill our hearts with the fire of your love and the desire to ensure justice for all our sisters and
brothers. Help us to see that by sharing the good things of creation, we may secure justice and equality
for every human being, and a human society built on love and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
God of peace and justice,
You are a talking and listening God
who hears the cries of your suffering people.
Open our eyes that we may see the needs of others, especially our Papuan sisters and brothers;
Open our ears that we may hear their cries;
Open our hearts that we may feel their anguish and their joy;
May we refuse to be silent;
raise our voices to defend the oppressed, the poor, the powerless,
that they may find hope in protest.
Creator God,
we wait tired but hopeful
for the flowering of justice and peace for the land of West Papua.
May the spirit of violence, conflict, war, fear and mistrust leave us
May we more and more all hunger for human kindness, thirsty for solidarity
with all oppressed people on the earth.
Give comfort all who have lost their homes
and give them security, a place to live,
and neighbors they trust
to be, with them,
a new sign of peace to the world
Prayers of the people and for the people:
1. May the people of West Papua who have for the last 43 years suffered dispossession and
oppressive military without human rights, without civil rights, with even their own land, property
and resources taken from them obtain the heartfelt support of their Pacific Island brothers and
sisters in the struggle for justice. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
2. May the Pacific Island nations show their support for West Papua by investigating the human
rights situation. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
3. May the Australian Government support the West Papuan people in their call for peaceful
dialogue with the Indonesian government. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
4. May the United Nations General Assembly be urged to restore West Papua on the
Decolonisation Committee’s agenda. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
5. May the Secretary General of the United Nation immediately appoint a Special Representative
to investigate the situation in West Papua; to review the circumstances and outcome of the
1969 ‘Act of Free Choice’; monitor the present situation; and urge the Indonesian government to
allow human rights organisations and members of the media from the international community
access to West Papua. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
6. May the New Zealand government play its role in mediating and beginning the process of
peaceful dialogue between West Papuan representatives and the Indonesian government. May
we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
7. May Australia and New Zealand cut all military ties with Indonesia until the human rights of the
people of West Papua are respected. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
8. May the churches and those in civil society continue to vigorously support the ongoing West
Papuan call for peace and justice, call for peaceful dialogue with the Indonesian government;
and support West Papuan people who are working for peace, justice, human rights and
environmental sustainability. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
9. May we find ways to protest the death of children before their time, for soldiers who have allow
their uniform to strip them of their humanity, for the healers who are denied the opportunity to
use their gifts. May we be a voice with the voiceless in our world.
Ten key elements of Papua, Land of Peace
o
Harmony and unity
We are all part of a realm of existence that is greater than we are. This universe is our 'home'; a
philosophy that is very much respected, instilled and maintained in traditional Papuan belief
systems. Today, people feel removed from their environment: their land, its fauna, and so forth.
Respect for the wholeness of our larger realm of existence must be reflected in ‘the
management of natural resources’, as well as policies to protect and preserve our environment.
o
Communication
Communication is fundamental to any kind of participation in today's world, but incorrect
information can only mislead people. Correct information helps people to decide where the
truth lies. Any attempt to censor or blur the truth negates efforts to build peace.
o
Sense of security
All people have the right to a sense of security, without feeling threatened or facing the risk of
arbitrary treatment by any given authority. To this end, law enforcement is crucial and there
must be respect for people's basic rights.
o
Justice and truth
We are all aware that there are many things still to be fought for, in particular considering that
many Papuas still suffer because they have been victims of an 'ideology' or a power game
(national and international). The human costs of this have already been too high. There are
various strategic and practical steps that can be taken to promote justice and truth, including
advocacy, research, efforts to uncover the truth, mediation and negotiation, and so forth.
o
Tolerance
A precursor to peace is our willingness to respect each other's uniqueness. It is not only just a
matter of tolerance - accepting different cultural backgrounds - but also actively respecting the
wealth represented in the differences among us. This assumes an attitude of tolerance;
moreover, an attitude of respect for beliefs and views that might be different from our own.
o
Self-reliance
We all want to feel in charge of our own affairs so that we are not merely an object of others'
agenda or interests. A 'project mentality' and dependency on others' 'generosity' undermine our
capacity for self-reliance. Self-reliance, as a principle, encourages us to take the initiative, and to
work creatively using the kind of resources and capabilities available to us.
o
Welfare
All members of the community should be given the opportunity to develop and have equal
access to collective forms of wealth, such as land or other economic opportunities. Similarly,
each member of the community deserves the equal right to be healthy and educated. Without
equitable community welfare, there will be no peace. The issue of welfare is closely tied to the
state of politics and governance in Papua today.
o
Solidarity
For the most part, participation depends on a sense of solidarity among members of the
community: to what extent people see things as 'my concern' or 'our concern.'
o
Recognition and self esteem
It is clear that the self-esteem of Papuans has been too often stifled or destroyed. As a
consequence, people start to see themselves as 'inferior' and 'primitive'. This attitude is born
from practices of discrimination. It is time to show what Papuas are capable of; the capabilities
inherent in Papuan world-view and culture, while also respecting the capacities of others with a
different cultural background. There are many aspects of traditional belief systems that Papuas
can turn to as strong principles to support or help restore self-confidence as we also face the
realities of the 'new world'. Once lost, self esteem can be restored in a number of ways, including
through the struggle to uphold human rights.
o
Participation
Participation has particular importance now given its significance in relation to governance in
Papua. The voices of the people, their concrete aspirations and needs, must be raised so that
they can be incorporated in the process of government policy making.
Source: 'Land of Peace' Budi Hernawan, former director of the secretariat for Justice and Peace of the
diocese of Jayapura.
Resource prepared by Claude Mostowik, January 2012