By VB, Founder of www.vortexpng.com

Hi all,

Firstly my apologies for this long note, I really hope you get through it in one day.

Before I continue, there is something that strikes me, If our country is going to be competitive in the global community, successful to combat poverty, corruption, mismanagement, HIV and AIDS.I believe it is only natural progression, that the best of PNG minds must aggressively and passionately take their appropriate position on the pedestals of our young nations development. The “cream of the nation”, the term we are all to familiar with, top 10%, dux students, pilots, doctors, physicist, academics, PhD holders, mustwhole heartedly, unreservedly join forces and in unison speak out against systemicdisease eroding the fabric of our heritage and endangering the lives of our children. The blatant and visible display of greed, hunger for greater power whilst devouring on the weakness and vulnerability of the 70% of our rural population. It all fits well, 70% in the rural areas, majority of our MPs corrupt and our hence a viable corruptible government.

The Society of Scholars and Professionals creates many possibilities. It gives birth to a powerful social order the government has to consider when making decision, an entity to compel governments of the day, “goliath status” companies, institutions and agencies to look over their shoulders, to propel them to double check and recheck data, policy, finance, accounts and discussion. Society is not another PEA or a union, society is made up of intellectually ruthless Papua New Guineans, people who have the right to be called Scholars and Professionals, whom the government will have to pay attention because of experience, credibility, integrity, whom are not swayed by smooth talk, deceit and lies. Papua New Guineans, who have strong EQs and IQs for our nation. I am say this passionately, that we, the motivated in mind, must systematize and formulate efficient and effective ways to contest the pitfalls of progress and development, i.e., we must be organized before we take on corruption. As the corrupt people carry the disease and spread it into the veins and arteries of our public, and private sector mechanism, so must the decent tau, ranu, peter, mary and john be supported and strengthened by the Society of Professionals and Scholars.

I will speak generally about the Society. There are 3 things that in my opinion that have to be fulfilled before we start moving our weights around. I believe that these 3 things when oiled in to working system will be the ultimate wind for change.

1.       Membership of the society

2.       Publication arm of the society

3.       Financial arm of the society

What are they for;

1.       Memberships of the Society.To have a human resource, a pool of knowledge that through such mediums as blogs, online forums, emails, mails and informal discussion knowledge is shared and refined. Areas of improvement, corruption and remedies are identified. Integrated, holistic and multi- disciplined approach is used to problem solving and assessment.

2.       Publication arm of society. Well-developed manuscripts, base on integrated research to problems, issues and ideas are presented. Alternatives, solutions and findings are discussed in the form of original research, commentaries and letters. Issues of concern are quoted and presented by national newspapers, broadcasting and conferences highlighting issues and problems. A well coordinated information network to critique technological progress, health industry, agriculture, fisheries industries, education etc..

3.       Financing arm of the Society, a separately registered business entity. This is the future of society, funding to run the Journal for the Society, funding to hold meetings for the society. This business arm of the society is not for us to startup a transport company, an IT company, or a private hospital. It is for us to investment in shares, to buy shares in our country. It is only appropriate that as a Society of Professional and Scholars with insights into the agriculture industry, tourism industry, mining industry, etc, in PNG, I believe this is the appropriate way to go. Literally taking ownership of our own country.

So far the Actions.

1.       Society and constitution. I have a draft constitution, I can circulate it for comments. Website, is already up and running. www.vortexpng.com. Vortex means a portal in time and space. The title is PNG Society of Professionals and Scholars. This is meant for open discussion, to have a feel for the issues across the board. With an expected 300,000 online users from PNG Next March 2008, I am sure online discussion will be “hot”.

2.       We have registered a Journal call PNG Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology. Registration was done in Paris at the ISSN international Center.

The editors are

i.        Dr. Rodney Itaki (Kagawa Uni, Jap)

ii.       Dr. A Raturi (Unitech, PNG)

iii.     Dr. A Moutu (Uni. Of Cambridge, UK)

iv.      Dr U. Ray(Hobart Clinical School, Aus)

v.       Mr. I Hanspeter (Curtin Uni. of Tech., Au)

vi.      Mr. M Rawali (Unitech, PNG)

3.       Vortex PNG Ltd, This Company is already registered in PNG. I am the founder and owner of this company registered late last year, all certifying documents were received last month. The company is made up of Unitech graduates and postgraduates. As stated in the editorial of Journal, the company will sponsor the publication of the journal. All members of the company are young like-minded patriotic PNGeans. It’s a company with governing constitution created for this very purpose to combat corruption, office bearers are elected from members who have shares in the company. I prepared the constitution with help of colleagues in Italy, Australia and PNG, and while doing it having the thoughts of a Society of Professionals and Scholars at heart. Hence, I will be more than willing to call a meeting of the core group of Vortex directors and call for a general meeting to include a clause in the constitution that all PSP are members of the investment company and hence are eligible for all decision and aspects of the company.

There was a quote from Dame Kidu, “We must take ownership of our own destiny and make necessary changes to the laws and policies we have inherited from overseas so that our future combines universal principals with our proud heritage from the past.”

I hope this long note, and my sincere apologies for that, sheds light on the hope I share with RI and other but few fellow Papua New Guineans, and I truly believe that for sustainable and permanent change to PNG. It will have to be orchestrated and stimulated by the sound in mind that PNG has to offer, and had offered, to the rest of the world.

cheers

vb