OUR SPONSORS
THE CHAIRPERSON’S MESSAGE
Welcome to the Coalition for Change Papua New Guinea Inc. (“CFC”) Website.
CFC was incorporated as a community based, not for profit organisation on 14 January 2008. CFC is an advocacy group formed following the presentation to the National Parliament on 10th October 2007 of a Petition by Dame Carol Kidu, MP and Minister for Community Development calling for the elimination of violence in the family. The Petition was organised by a group of concerned women in response to an horrific act of violence against a pregnant wife by her husband resulting in the death of their unborn child. Public outrage saw 6,500 men and women sign the Petition demanding urgent government action on the issue of family violence. This incident was not an isolated incident. The Law Reform Commission in its 1992 Final Report( LRC Report) to the Government then, quoted and highlighted revealing statistics of the prevalence of domestic violence. It recommended certain actions to work towards the correction of this situation including recommending three (3) draft legislations as corrective measures, to bepassed in Parliament. These are: A Bill for an Act entitled “ Arrest (Amendment) Act 1991, a Bill for an Act named “ District Courts (Amendment) Act 1992, and another called ‘A Bill for an Act “Evidence (Amendment) Act 1991. The copies of these Bills and the details on what changes these would achieve in dealing with and assist victims of domestic domestic violence can be viewed on www.baha.org.pg. Sadly, successive coalition governments have remained uncommitted to take the Findings and the Recommendations of the LRC Report seriously. Having said that, there appears to be support now for action to end domestic violence. When the Petition was debated in Parliament on November 16th 2007, both sides of the National Parliament supported, called for and promised affirmative action to eliminate domestic violence. CFC is committed therefore to ensure the LRC Report, particularly its Recommendations where appropriate are implemented. Its other objective is to work, with other organisations, towards achieving change by conducting seminars, workshops, awareness programmes to communities at large, with the aim to end violence, especially gender and spousal generated violence, and violence against children.
CFC is committed to achieve its objectives by providing a dynamic and complimentary role with the government, non-government and faith based sectors and development partners. It is ably supported in achieving these objectives through it’s board membership which comprises professional career women drawn from both the private and public sectors.
CFC is grateful to our major sponsor, the PNG Sustainable Development Company, for funding support; the National Superannuation Fund ( NASFUND) for the provision of office space and facilities; Business Coalition Against HIV & Aids (BAHA), Post Courier and Gadens Lawyers which have provided administrative and technical support to register CFC and to set up CFC and this website. CFC’s ongoing work will need continued financial support.
I hope the information on this website will inspire our readers to become agents of change themselves, and to help make the family units, homes, workplaces and communities, violent free places.
Mrs Winifred Kamit, CBE.
Founding Chairperson