About the Paper
This discussion paper provides analysis of newspaper reports from Papua New Guinea around two different but interconnected forms of violence: intergroup violence and sorcery accusation–related violence. The authors conclude that both types of violence are fueled by money politics, the widespread availability of guns and the normalization of violence, the erosion of traditional and local forms of leadership and regulation, and public service delivery failures. Peacebuilding efforts led by women and community leaders have been effective in countering violence, but the authors recommend the further development of robust and long-term systems to generate, analyze, and make public data related to violence in Papua New Guinea.
About the Authors
Miranda Forsyth is a professor at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University.
William Kipongi is a research officer with the Culture and Society Research Program at the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute.
Joe Barak is a research officer with the Culture and Society Research Program at the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute.
Evelyn Malala is a research officer with the Culture and Society Research Program at the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute.
Elizabeth Kopel is a senior research fellow at the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute.
Ibolya Losoncz is a research fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University.
This research was funded by USIP’s Maritime Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands program, which is solely responsible for the accuracy and thoroughness of the content. The views expressed in this discussion paper are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Institute of Peace.