Our Core Values: Spiritual, Natural and Cultural Values
VALUE 1: Yerege ‘Bplerege Amonggar Werek
The First and most important one is that all and every being has “amonggar” (spirit in it) that identifies roles and functions to play on this life.
- Recognise all beings have spirits
- Therefore, recognise every community of being individually and collectively has equal rights to exist and to play roles in life.
Value 2: Yerege ‘Bplerege Awene Werek
Based on Equal Rights for All Beings to be and to live, every being has roles and functions to play according to the Laws of Nature, that have to be regulated in modern human terms and laws .
And finally, the “harmonious life” is the display of what is known as the “simple joyful life” that characterizes the life of tribal societies all over the world. We call this “simple joy” as the final realization of the “self” and “selves” at the same time.
We carry out activities that will help us human beings recognize, acknowledge, respects, and furthermore promote and protect the norms, values and rules of the customs because we believe that Customary Laws protect and nurture the interdependence and interconnected-ness of the life web.
We are aware, therefore, we recognise human beings are parts of the nature, the Nature comprises human communities.
Recognising life and living beings as one and inter-connected web obliges human beings to wisely treat life and living system according to thte laws of Nature.
Sustainable living depends on human’s awareness on life and actions for life.
What we do help human beings to revitalize and develop communications and interactions between human beings with other communities of beings and furthermore help protect the surrounding environment by acknowledging and legalizing the existing customary laws.
Human beings around the world and particularly among tribal peoples of West Papua have the knowledge and experience of communicating with other beings, in order to obtain wisdom, to consult for advice and so on, and we have the wisdom from the surrounding environment that has been useful in our lives. We want this wisdom to be acknowledged as it will protect our nature, particularly the world’s second largest Island on Earth: New Guinea.
Value 3: Nit ‘Dlambulik Omanggi Ar (We are all Nature)
Human Beings are nature, therefore, separating humans from nature is the first crime against the rights of all communities of beings.
They primary characteristic of the tribal peoples is the respect to each other as fellow beings that bears the fruit of “balance” in life
Therefore, the first and primary task of human beings is to acknowledge and accept the equal rights of all communities of beings to exist and to function according to the Laws of the Nature.
Therefore, Conservation work is not human good deeds to save other beings, to save biodiversity, to finally feel good about it, however, it is about saving our own life on this planet Earth.
Value 4: Ap Panggok (We are, therefore, I am)
Nobody or nothing in this life is isolated and separated from the others and the rest of the world. Everything is related All things are inter-related and inter-dependence.
Wantok System in Melanesia among human beings, belief system in Melanesian in general teach human beings that nobody or nothing si solely individual and independent.
Modern paradigm and way of life of individualism and personal self-actualisation is direct opposite of our value of together-ness and inter-relatedness.
Value 5: Wita-Waya (Balance)
We value balance as a crucial aspect in life. Balancing thoughts and acts in human existence as male and female, as fire and water, as human and animal, as plants and animals, as valley and mountain, day and night are the core values in our existence. We believe when things are out of balance, then life become useless, meaningless and the final consequence is death.
Value 6: Akendelak (Everything has a purpose, everyone has a purpose to exist and a purpose to end to exist)
Related to our previous value of “Wita-Waya” it is said that everything or everything is present right here, right now with specific functions and purposes that cannot be replaced by others.
Men cannot replace women, Wita cannot play roles as Waya, and so on. Therefore, human efforts to equalize rights, roles and functions in life will be “imbalance” to the life.
Value 7: “An Nebe Ya arat Ninom Dlogogin O” (Life never ends, it just changes forms)
Many Melanesians will say to the ones they live behind when they pass away, “I will be always with you here! I will not go away!” Some times they come back as a small babies within the families but most of the time, they are here all the time, in this body or after going out from this body.