Vengeance Is Ours: What can tribal societies tell us about our need to get even? [more inside]
posted by chunking express on Apr 24, 2008 - 52 comments

Kira Salak is a writer who embodies an old-fashioned spirit of adventure. She has kayaked the Niger River solo; during her time in Africa, she freed a slave. On another trip, she sampled Ayahuasca in the Peruvian jungle. At the age of 24, she trekked alone through the tribal violence of Papua New Guinea. Her work is a wonderful alternative to the blandness and narrowness of contemporary consumer society, in which there is nothing new to be discovered and everything can be reduced to lucre.
posted by jason's_planet on Oct 17, 2006 - 21 comments

Worst Election Ever in PNG due to Mismanagement and Cash Crisis
Papua New Guinea's two-week polling period has been extended one week in some areas due to a near complete breakdown of voting infrastructure: corrupt common rolls in some areas, violence in others, and no ballots or cash to pay for election services in still others. Results as they come in are available online. What went wrong? Outright bribery, sometimes. Its a fight over who will control massive natural resources: citizens or international conglomerates. The privatising PM may be heading for a fall, despite his mishandling of election.
posted by rschram on Jul 4, 2002 - 2 comments

PNG Students' Anti-IMF Protests End in Riots, 3 Dead
University of Papua New Guinea students were petitioning the Prime Minister to stop economic reforms, and PNG's reliance on World Bank and IMF funds. Here's another report. The protests started in the capital, Port Moresby on June 25th. And the Peace Corps evacuated the other day. But that doesn't have anything to do with anything. I guess even recognized peoples have their problems too...
posted by rschram on Jun 26, 2001 - 10 comments

I challenge you to help me learn Tok Pisin
Mi laik i harim Tok Pisin. Olgeta manmeri i tokim long Tok Pisin long Papua Niugini. Mi laik i lukim na stap long PNG! That was some poor Tok Pisin. Tok Pisin is a Melanesia pidgin language extensively used in Papua New Guinea. Help me learn more! Post links for Tok Pisin language learning here!
posted by rschram on Oct 24, 2000 - 2 comments

Takuu, an atoll community in Papua New Guinea, threatened by rising sea levels
I don't know what to make of it, but I've heard similarly dire fates predicted for minor islands of Oceania, if present trends continue into the next 50 years.
posted by rschram on Oct 19, 2000 - 1 comment