Bougainville issues raised in Australian Parliament meetings

Marilyn Havini was invited to Canberra two weeks ago with Australian Volunteers International for a day of meetings at Parliament House. The main theme was preventing sexual violence in areas of armed conflict, and post conflict.

Among others, Marilyn met Jane Prentice, Federal Member for Ryan (Qld), Senator Claire Moore (Qld), Senator Mikaela Cash (WA), Theresa Gambaro (Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Mandy Newton, Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police. Also some old friends from the peace talks and other events during the Crisis. She said there was a lot of interest in the BWF and HWC and their work - and she handed out a lot of brochures for both organisations, which are well received.

They also met advisors to the Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, who is planning to visit Bougainville and perhaps to attend the opening of the Buka town Women's Centre!

Update: container still in transit

With the departure of the container from Sydney I left the narrative hanging to attend to some other pressing issues!

The container arrived at Lae, PNG on 23 May. Ships go from Lae to Buka every two weeks, but we have to wait on a decision by PNG Customs before the container can go on from Lae.  The Bougainville Women's Federation have applied for a duty exemption but the process has been quite protracted as various kinds of further documentation were required. It sounds as if some progress is being made, so we hope it will be resolved soon.