On Sunday, December 1st, youths from a number of wards in the Sinivit Local Level Government (LLG) of Pomio District in East New Britian (ENDB) province made amends with leaders and community members. Following a summons by Pomio MP Elias Kapavore, the youths turned themselves in with their guns at a surrender ceremony last month in Warangoi. This program is a follow-up to that event. In the midst of persistent lawlessness in the LLG that had gotten worse in recent months over the previous two years, the MP and National Health Minister had made a call. On the final day of a five-day crusade program led by the Governing Church and sponsored by other LLG denominations, the reconciliation ceremony took place. Church leaders like the head of the Governing Church and guest speaker Pastor Gerson Passingan, Senior Provincial Magistrate (SPM) Samuel Lavutul, Deputy Provincial Member and Sinivit LLG President Boniface Gerep, and other Ward Members in the LLG, as well as representatives from the business houses, the offices of the Pomio MP and Provincial Member, and other community elders and members of the public, attended the reconciliation. Pastor Gerson Passingan encouraged the Sinivit LLG community members to view this reconciliation as a step toward a better future for this LLG by quoting Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verses 1-2. "There's a season for everything. But seasons are not permanent, and thus when a season ends, everything ends with it. This reconciliation and surrender marks a new season. And everything in the old season such as the crimes you've committed against others in the community, ends today.” Senior Provincial Magistrate Mr. Lavutul used the occasion to make awareness on a number of laws and penalties for those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. He further educated youths especially, on the amended laws surrounding the cultivation and consumption of drugs like marijuana. "Under the Dangerous Drugs Act, for your information, the court fine has risen to K1 million with an imprisonment term of 40 years. So, if you are someone who plants or smokes marijuana, this is the penalty imposed by law.” But the SPM further advised that with the current trend in the abuse and use of marijuana, there won't be a court fine, only jail time. LLG President and Deputy ENB Provincial Member Boniface Gerep said that the ceremony is part of an ongoing process dealing with both the perpetrators and the victims within the LLG. "This is a reconciliation. But if you look at the message on the banner for this week's crusade, it talks about restoration and healing. So, on behalf of the government, I want to say sorry to our service providers like business houses, PNG Power Limited (PPL), schools and our hospital, for the crimes committed against their officers.” He also apologized on the absence of the Pomio MP and National Health Minister Elias Kapavore, and the Provincial Member Michael Marum, who are caught up in parliament. LLG Manager Pennie Maroro Junior advised that because it's an ongoing process, they will still attend to the victims, whose identities are known, as well as the whole youth population in the LLG. "We know that there is another group in this process, which are the victims. So, with the aid of the Open MP Kapavore, we will still assist the victims, some of whom have lost homes, been robbed by the criminals and even injured or lost family members." He said that there are short term and long-term efforts to address the ongoing issue with the increasing number of unemployed youths in the LLG. "For the short term, we are engaging youths under the 40 registered groups with the LLG's Community Development sector, to do grass cutting. In the long term, we are supporting all the youths in the LLG, with funded programs in the economic sector, apart from training programs through the Division of Community Development." Since it is the province's first program of its kind, the political leadership and staff of the LLG are still figuring out how to help and care for the youth population in the LLG in order to make sure the government takes them in and gives them the ability to support themselves in the long term. Youths from each ward donated a number of live pigs, bundles of taro, and bananas to various organizations, including Nukumal women, medical and educational facilities, the police, PPL, business establishments, and the offices of the Pomio MP and the Provincial Member.