The exercise on recording customs, undertaken by the Constitutional and Law Reform (CLRC) can change the cause of direction for young people, who have lost touch with their customs, culture, and traditions, says Rigo District Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Koru Abe.
“This exercise will leave a legacy behind for our children,” he said.
Mr. Abe said this while welcoming a delegation from CLRC that comprised of Commissioner Ms. Martha Kokiva, Secretary Dr. Mange Matui, Deputy Secretary Ms. Dorothy Mimiko-Kesenga, directors and staff at Kwikila Station, Rigo District, Central Province for the commencement of the Underlying Law Custom recording project for the district, on Monday 31 October 2022.
Mr. Abe said the project was an important starting point to explore old customary laws and practices and embrace those that are workable today for incorporation into our legal system, especially the village courts.
“I thank CLRC for initiating this move and I hope our contribution will be helpful in your endeavors,” Mr. Abe said.
CLRC Deputy Secretary Ms. Dorothy Mimiko Kesenga, said CLRC will be recording customs of 11 different language groups in the Rigo District this week before moving into other districts of Central Province and PNG in the future.
She added that this exercise is a massive long-term project that will benefit the whole country and therefore needed support from provincial and district administrations as well.
CLRC Commissioner Ms. Martha Kokiva highlighted the importance of this exercise in protecting and preserving the customs, traditional rules and practices, and PNG’s identity in the world against globalization and modernization.
She added that the underlying law custom recording project is a mandate of CLRC, which can be traced back to Independence 1975, and particularly when the founding fathers and mothers called for PNG to be built on PNG Ways.
“Those ‘PNG ways’ are locked up in the customs of our people, but in order for us to unlock that wealth of ideas, recording and documenting the 1,000 plus customs in PNG is important,” she said.