Greenpeace - Making Waves: Slideshow: Taking action against illegal logging in PNG

The following is written by one of our activists from PNG onboard the Esperanza

My name is Daniel Holland, I’m a freelance artist. My Dad is from Abau, Central Province and Mum from Popondetta, Northern Province, Papua New Guinea.

I live in Port Moresby and am a volunteer activist with Greenpeace. My first action was in the Pacific Ocean a few months ago, campaigning on the overfishing of tuna in the international waters between Pacific Island countries.

Now in my own country, Papua New Guinea, the Esperanza is here doing forest campaigning and I’m proud to be part of it. I’m in the climb team that climbed the
crane of the ship and hung the big banner that said “Protect Forests Save Our Climate’.

It’s a new experience and I like it.

I know exactly how these people feel, it’s painful. I had an experience a bit similar to these people.

At my place, because of the money some people don’t find out who the real landowners are and they bring companies in. Me and my brother got rid the logging out of our area and saved our forest a few years ago.

I learnt about this area when a report came out by CELCOR (Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights) and I knew these people around here were in trouble.

This was a good opportunity to help be a voice for them out here.

I’m a landowner myself in my village and to help another countryman be the voice on the crane with the banner was really good. I want the country and the world to know what is happening in this area with the illegal logging of our forests and to it’s people.

Comments

You Go Danny!!!Proud of what you guys are doing...

Ana(Fiji)

Posted by: Ana | September 10, 2008 3:39 AM

You claimed in your main report that you have hundreds of landowners dancing, singing in celebration of your presence but from the slides I cannot see these hundreds of landowners that you are claiming. I counted them to just over 30 people on canoes. Do you people still want these landowners to use canoes as their mode of transportation? You guys are just sensationalizing news and creating myths that people who contribute to you cannot verify. You are cheats and criminal without conscience!

Posted by: Tom Rock | September 19, 2008 1:33 AM

I think it's a very cool slideshow.

Always good to get reports from people actually on the ground in these places.

(Or "on the water" in this case.)

Posted by: Andrew | September 19, 2008 11:40 AM