Growing Up In Papua New Guinea Workshop Summary

PNG Growing Up in Cities Workshop Program

Monday November 22

Session One

9- 10.30am Opening Addresses-

  • Hon. John Pundari- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs
  • Lady Carol Kidu- Member for Port Moresby South Representative US Peace Corps
  • Mr. Haraka Gaudi- Summary CSI report on urban villages
  • Dr. Karen Malone - Welcome to GUIC workshop

10.30- 11.00 Morning break - Introductions


Session Two

11.00- 12.30pm Participatory Group Activity "Issues for Young People in PNG"

12.30- 1.30pm LUNCH


Session Three

1.30-3.00pm Participatory Action Research

  • Speaker: Dr Karen Malone UNESCO "Growing Up in Cities" International - why do research with young people?

3.00- 3.30pm Afternoon break


Session Four

3.30- 5.00pm Methods Toolkit

  • Introduction to GUIC research methods
  • Methods Activities
  • Draw my neighbourhood
  • Interviews/lists
  • Changes/future
  • Briefing for Fieldwork


Tuesday November 23

All Day Research Fieldwork- Hanuabada Village

Participants will be involved in participatory research activities with young people from Hanuabada village. The fieldwork activities will include: Cognitive mapping, informal interviews, guided neighbourhood tours and child-taken photographs.


Wednesday November 25

Session One Reflections Fieldwork

9.00- 10.30am

  • Fieldwork debrief
  • Brainstorming issues
  • Open microphone

10.30- 11.00am Morning break -

Session Two Making Sense of the Data

11.00-12.30pm

  • Group collation data
  • Organising/themes/patterns
  • Writing reports

12.30-1.30pm LUNCH - Display Child-Taken Photographs


Session Three Dialogues

1.30-3.00pm

In tour groups the participants provide annotated descriptions of why and the meanings attached to the photographs by the children, including the dialogues written down during the tours.

3.00-3.30pm Afternoon Break


Session Four Visions of a Child-Friendly City

3.30-5.00pm

  • Postcard to myself- ways forward
  • General discussion - recommendations for ongoing support

Summary of Outcomes

The mission was successful in its purpose with the following outcomes attained addressing specific objectives:

  1. A three day workshop was conducted from November 22-24, with approximately 50 participants attending. The workshop participants were from a broad background and included: Members of Parliament; government officials from the National Youth Service, representatives from Youthcare, City Mission, Peacecorps, Catholic Youth Mission, University of Papua New Guinea, ten young people representing the Southern, New Guinea islands, Highlands and Momase Regions and 35 young people and youth leaders from all over the NCD and Central region. Over the three days of the workshop participants introduced to a variety concepts, issues and skills for developing and conducting participatory research projects with young people and by young people.
  2. On the second day of the workshop all the participants were involved in a practical field research trip at Hanuabada village where they were involved in variety of research activities with 50 young people. These activities included supporting the young people in developing cognitive maps of their local neighbourhood, holding briefs interviews with the young people and the having the young people take them on guided neighbourhood tour either in a small group or individually. On the tours the young people shared with them favourite and significant places, places which they felt were unsafe or dangerous and places where they engaged in different activities (ie. home sites, friends places, where they play). Each of the groups were given a disposable camera so young people could take photographs of their village and surrounds.
  3. On the final day of the workshop young people from the village were supported to attend and the groups compiled and analysed the fieldwork data. The group explored gender issues, developing themes and patterns and writing up results. A brainstorming session was held reflecting on the fieldwork experience.
  4. The Motu-Koita youth were invited to share with the workshop participants their experiences of growing up in an urban village both through the fieldwork activities and the invitation for two of the Motu-Koita youth to give a formal address to the group at the beginning of the National Youth Forum.
  5. The GUIC team members and whenever possible participants were asked to share in the facilitation of the workshop activities. Throughout the workshop a variety of methods were used for determining and discussing issues so as to provide the participants with a number of experiences on how to run workshops. The GUIC also incorporated a number of reflective moments throughout the workshop so participants could discuss these methods.
  6. The GUIC team worked with the Youth Forum committee to develop a number of strategies for supporting the forum process. GUIC members helped facilitate a number of the forum focus group activities.
  7. As a final activity for the week the GUIC team led a brainstorming session with the group to construct a declaration on youth from youth to be submitted to the government. This was seen as a first step in an ongoing process of creating a youth voice in policy and government decision making.
  8. Throughout the week and into the weekend, GUIC team members held formal and informal meetings with a number of delegates from government departments, the regional youth councils and from the urban villages to discuss and explore project opportunities for the future. During the weekend preceding the workshop, both Lindsay and I stayed in Hanubada and spoke with village people about development plans intended for the Harbour.