On the 2nd of October, 2008 a long hoped for event occurred as 32 warring tribes based in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea came together to sign permanent peace treaties. The historic signing came after decades of war and confl ict in the region gave way to lengthy peace negotiations. By Hannah Hoskin

The ‘Tari District Peace Agreement’ was negotiated through peacebuilding activities conducted by a dedicated team of local volunteers working for, Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP), a program of UnitingWorld. Under the treaty all 32 tribes will lay down weapons and compensate each other for property and lives destroyed during the confl ict.

The peace process has taken more than seven years of negotiation by YAP Associate Director, former nun and Australian of the Year nominee, Joy Balazo. On the peace process Joy explained “if people are given the place and are willing learn to respect people’s cultural, religious and political differences then I believe peace is always possible,”.

On the day of the signing hundreds of tribesmen marched shoulder to shoulder through the village of Tari. The sight of these once warring tribes walking unifi ed brought hundreds of Tari villagers out on the streets. Dignitaries and the wider community witnessed each tribe proclaim the new-found peace and advocate for a joint approach to develop the village, school and farms. This is an amazing achievement given handshakes and even making eye contact with an enemy was once unheard of.

“Pulling up the ‘roots of confl ict’ in war-torn societies like the Southern Highlands of PNG goes beyond simply downing weapons” Joy explains. “Peace-building involves fostering trust and a culture of peace.” The peace workshops and mediations undertaken by these once warring tribes helped the communities fi nd their own ways of resolving the confl ict.

Now that peace has been established in the Hela region, developers can fi nally begin work in stabilising, growing and assisting the area, providing a much needed fi nancial boost to PNG. Tourists are now safe to travel to Tari and humanitarian aid agencies are restoring the hospital and providing much needed medical assistance to the community. It is through the work of YAP that the area is now safe for this needed development.

YAP negotiators will continue to work with the tribes on programs to sustain peace in communities, while tribes will work together to ensure prosperity for their region and their people.