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Wensislaus Fatubun
Solidarity with Companihero
Many of us know that West Papua is fighting for independence – but what else goes on there? How often do we hear directly from the Papuans themselves about life in Indonesia’s most secretive province? EngageMedia’s Papuan Voices project is a combination of empowerment and production. We collaborate with Catholic Church groups in Jayapura and Merauke to teach Papuan activists new video production and distribution skills so that they have the means to tell their own stories to the world. Importantly, the stories we tell are not only framed around West Papua’s political struggle for independence. Why is this important? Because when a Papuan man punches an Indonesian soldier because the soldier has assaulted his sister, more often than not that man will be branded a “separatist” by the press and Indonesian authorities. The soldier will walk free while the Papuan will be charged with serious offences against the state. These kinds of injustices occur daily in Papua and a lack of understanding about the issues affecting Indonesia’s poorest citizens works to entrench the problem. The Papuan Voices project overcomes political, geographical and financial barriers - as well as lack of technology - to bring important Papuan stories to the world. In doing so, it shines light on the injustices that regularly occur behind the closed doors of this resource-rich and restive province.
EngageMedia’s Papuan Voices project is a combination of empowerment
and production. We collaborate with local orgnisations in Jayapura
and Merauke to teach Papuan activists new video production and
distribution skills so that they have the means to tell their own stories to
the world.
The conflict between West Papua and Indonesia remains largely hidden
from the world. Despite decades of hostility and violence demands for
justice have received little global attention. Papuan Voices aims to bring
the everyday stories of West Papuans to a wider audience. These are
not the stories of conflict that are often circulated. Rather, they are the
stories behind the conflict: the struggles for education, the environment,
equality and dignity.
Importantly, the stories we tell are not only framed around West Papua’s
political struggle for independence. A range of injustices occur daily in
Papua and a lack of understanding about the issues affecting Indonesia’s
poorest citizens works to entrench the problem.
The Papuan Voices project overcomes political and geographical barriers
- as well as lack of technology - to bring important Papuan stories to the world. In doing so, it shines light on the injustices that regularly occur behind the closed doors of this resource-rich and restive province.
Papuan Voices co-producer, Wensi Fatubun, said that even though the project that ran since 2011 was a video initiative, both EngageMedia and Church group JPIC MSC have encouraged the participants in Jayapura and Merauke to design and use the videos for change.
“Papuan Voices is a cultural struggle,” said Wensi. “We want people to see Papua through the eyes of the Papuans themselves.”
bio:
Wensi Fatubun is video maker and photographer from West Papua and engagemedia staff. From 2008 until now, he has worked as the Papuan Voices project manager for the Jakarta-based Catholic church group Justice Peace Integrity and Creation (JPIC MSC). He is also the group's program manager since 2009. Wensi previously worked as a monitoring and research officer for the Secretariat for Justice and Peace (SKP) in Merauke-West Papua, and in 2010 he was a Human Rights Defender Fellow at Forum Asia in Bangkok. He has been writing investigative reports and making films since 2006.
"I want peoples know about Papua from Papuan eye"
links:
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/67730931@N04/7348101854/in/photostream
Papuan Voices on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Papuan-Voices/120168741479751