BY CHARLIE DUMAVI
THE sport of surfing is gradually building waves in the country and hopes to work alongside other local sporting federations and agencies to drive its ‘Pink Nose Revolution’ (PNR) policy, which is focused on addressing address issues affecting the country.
The policy was initiated by Surfing Association of PNG (SAP) president Andrew Abel.
One of the pressing issues the policy seeks to highlight is gender-based violence.
Abel said gender-violence is a global issue that is becoming prevalent in PNG society.
He said it is about time everyone joins hands against gender-violence as it is destroying the tenets of PNG culture which focus on treating others with respect.
Abel said change will only come about when men and women work together.
“If we are serious about making a difference about the GBV issue, we have to help ourselves first and not relying on foreign nations to tell us what to do or how to do it,” he said.
“It is a problem that we have to fix the Melanesian way.”
Abel said sports can create a revolution to not only fight against GBV but also create a better society and promote tourism in the country. He said the PNR policy should provide a guide for that change.
Abel said the policy is a home-grown policy formulated after years of consultation with locals and expatriates to use sport as a tool to drive change.
Surfing PNG has so far gained the support of karate, archery, athletics, volleyball and taekwondo sports federations to drive the policy’s Sports Revolution message.
The policy started this year with the help of the US embassy, which brought in three professional surfers to Vanimo to surf and conduct awareness on GBV.
The surfers were native Hawaiians.
While at Vanimo, the surfers visited schools and communities to share and hear their stories besides teaching interested locals how to surf.
Alison Teal, professional surfer, filmmaker and adventurer, said she likes to travel around the world with her pink surfboard explore and create waves of change.
“It has been my longtime dream to come to PNG,” she said.
“I have a pink surf board that I take all over the world; it (surfboard) is made out of recycled trash and I love to use it as a vehicle to create waves of change and to teach everyone that it is important to protect our planet.
“We are also making waves of change in protecting each other.”
She said PNG and the US also have some of the same problems like the GBV but it is wonderful to be part of the Pink Nose Revolution in PNG with “a lot of love shared across country”.
“I hope what we are doing here will start to have ripple effect of change but more importantly, a revolution to protect our planet and each other,” Teal said.
“In Hawaii, we say Aloha!
“Besides being a greeting, it is an expression of love.
“At the end of the day if we do not have family, love and community, then we really don’t have much.
“It is so incredible to see how much happiness we are able to generate through surfing, in coming together and feeling an enormous sense community.”
As the wave of change breaks onto the shores of PNG, karate’s Roy Stanley has agreed to be the link on land to carry the message of change.
Stanley, who is the chairman of Space Karate School located at Waigani, Port Moresby said promoting dedication and discipline among young people is a positive way to build a better community.
“We must learn how to control issues in our country and surfing association’s policy is a local guideline that can improve PNG society,” he said.
“Nobody should come here and tell me what to do because I live in the community and I know how to take control of it and do something that is my own to transform lives.”
He said as sports promotes healthy lifestyles, addressing social issues from an athlete’s perspective has the potential to improve individual lives.
The surfing association is seeking the support of all sports entities, including the PNG Sports Foundation, to have the Sports Revolution message printed on all sports equipment and uniforms used by national teams to events, including the Olympic Games.
