Speech by Speaker of the House of Parliament, Simon Pentanu:

“No one can create a peaceful society alone. Peace-building must be a collective endeavour. It is a process that needs input from all sectors of our community and – essentially – input from all ages.

Our youths make up more than half the population of Bougainville. Yet their dreams and aspirations can be easily dismissed when we as policy designers and decision-makers pay scant attention or lose sight of this.

I would like to see a movement of young people across Bougainville, united as change makers under one banner, promoting peace. In schools this movement could be facilitated by teachers, out of school by community leaders, and in workplaces by role models.

But creating a peaceful future isn’t just a job we can leave to teachers, community leaders, role models and future generations. Everyone has a responsibility to get involved. We must all promote peace and justice and counter violence and apathy by reaching out to the young people around us. This is a time of their lives when they may be most vulnerable, but it is also in many ways when they are at their prime.

As leaders – and as parents – we must make more than half the effort, expend more than half the energy and resources and be attracted more than half of our time to the matters and concerns of our youth.

The youth are, in every way and every sense, the future of Bougainville.”

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