THE Australian High Commission in Papua New Guinea has launched the Community Justice Fund (CJF), a new grant fund designed to support locally led groups and organisations who are working in their communities to promote safety and justice across Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Grants of up to PGK250,000 will be available.
“The Community Justice Fund is more than just a grants program – it’s a statement of faith in you, the people who know your community best,” said Dr Joanne Loundes, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner at the launch on 20 November 2024.
Pic and caption supplied by Australian High Com Media
The CJF was officially launched by Sir Gibbs Salika, Chief Justice of PNG’s National and Supreme Court, Secretary of the Department of Justice and Attorney General Dr Eric Kwa and Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to PNG, Dr Joanne Loundes. It brought together representatives from the PNG law and justice sector, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations and local community leaders and members.
By focusing on locally driven ideas and practices, the CJF seeks to strengthen grassroots efforts that aim to address
core justice issues such as gender-based violence (GBV), sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV), and corruption, to name a few. The Community Justice Fund will support local organizations working to build safer communities, to work towards lasting solutions for peace and justice in PNG.
“This funding will enable us to provide immediate support to survivors of different types of gender based violence, be it intimate partner violence, child abuse, sorcery accusation related violence and trafficking in persons,” Major Velena Iga, Manager of The Salvation Army House of Hope, an initial grant recipient said. “With this support, we’ll be able to help more survivor’s escape violent situations, get to a place of safety and move on with their lives.
Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner said: “We encourage organisations to apply for this funding.
“We believe that the best solutions come from within communities themselves, and this grant is here to help us work with people on the ground, doing work at the community level. This Community Justice Fund reflects the strong PNG Australia Partnership in working together to create safer communities in PNG.”
