THE Active City Development Program (ACDP) has shared important information and strategies with a Parliamentary delegation from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville on how to mobilise and make their women folks and youths be health conscious and take personal responsibility for their behavioural choices in life.
Women rights advocate and NCD Governor, Hon. Powes Parkop hosted a lunch meeting in Parliament on Friday 22nd, April 2022 with the visiting delegation led by ABG’s Deputy Speaker and Women’s Representative for South Bougainville, Therese Kaeravara and her North Bougainville counterpart, Amanda Mason.
The meeting was also attended by ACDP Director, Fazilah Bazari, PNG Women Council’s Dorothy Tekwie, Ms Immaculate Javia, First Secretary to Governor Parkop’s Office and Ms Beatrice Taleu of United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The ABG Parliamentarians were in town with their President Ishmael Toroama for a Joint Supervisory Body Meeting with Prime Minister, James Marape and his Cabinet members.
Committing his Social Democratic Party’s support to the Peace Agreement and their right to self-determination, Governor Parkop said he used sports-both competitive and non-competitive-as a vehicle to transform the mind-set of the people including having the right infrastructures for sporting tournaments in the City.
He partly credited infrastructure developments in the city to the hosting of the 2015 Pacific Games, FIFA under 20, the Rugby League World Cup and many more.
However, he said not everyone can be champion sportsmen and women and that the Active City program supports other more holistic exercises that are inclusive to everyone.
Drawing from the success of ACDP in the city, Governor Parkop urged the women leaders not only to use sports but also initiate other activities and programs that are non-competitive, accessible and inclusive.
Thanking Governor Parkop for his continuous advocacy in the space of female rights, Deputy Speaker Kaeravara said she was well pleased with the outcome of the meeting.
In an interview, she said the purpose of her meeting was to draw lessons from initiatives Governor Parkop champions in mobilising youth and female population in the city and at villages.
She said they would initiate and enrich existing programs back home with relevant information gained during the meeting.