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Date Posted: 05:38:18 01/12/00 Wed
Author: Anonymous
Subject: Transition to an urban environment: do corrupt politicians take advantage?

YES, PNG'S LEADERSHIP SYSTEM *MUST* RECAPTURE TRADITIONAL ASPECTS. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT TRADITION IS A REFLECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE CULTURE EVOLVED. THE FACT IS THAT OUR ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING.

PNG HAS INCURRED A RADICAL CHANGE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT IN RECENT YEARS. MOSTLY IT IS THE SHIFT FROM RURAL TO URBAN LIVING, OR MORE PRECISELY, A SHIFT FROM SMALL, NONMOBILE, CLOSED COMMUNITIES, TO MOBILE, LARGE,SOMEWHAT IMPERSONAL ONES. HOW YOU RELATE TO OTHER HUMANS CHANGES RADICALLY WITH THAT CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT. IT DRAMATICALLY AFFECTS THE ORIGINAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY MECHANISMS THAT WERE PRESENT IN THE SMALL, CLOSED COMMUNITIES, AS WELL THE NEED FOR SUCH MECHANISMS.

PORT MORESBY NOW SUPPOSEDLY HAS SOME 250,000 PEOPLE! I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT ONE REASON WHY POLITICIANS GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION CONTINUES TO OPERATE AS IF THEY LIVED IN THOSE SMALL, CLOSED COMMUNITIES OF TIMES PAST (EVEN IN MORE REMOTE VILLAGES, GREATER MOBILITY AND UNEQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION,
IS CHANGING THE ORIGINAL ENVIRONMENT SIGNIFICANTLY).

THE POLITICIANS, IN CONTRAST, OPERATE IN THE REALITY OF TODAY'S URBAN PNG - IN OTHER WORDS, THEY OPERATE IN A SYSTEM IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE *NOT* ACCOUNTABLE THE WAY THEY WERE IN A SMALL, CLOSED COMMUNITY WHERE YOU COULD SO EASILY BE SHAMED, AND THAT SHAME WOULD LAST A LIFETIME WITH THE PEOPLE YOU INTERACTED WITH DAILY.

"SHAME" IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN IN THE OPEN, IMPERSONAL ENVIRONMENT OF MORESBY. IT IS SIMILAR AS THE ENVIRONMENT BILL CLINTON LIVES IN, IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IN TRADITIONAL, CLOSED COMMUNITIES, "SHAME" WAS A POWERFUL THREAT TOOL TO KEEP EVERYONE IN LINE. TODAY IT DOESN'T WORK SO EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE POLITICIANS OPERATE IS DIFFERENT.

SO HOW HAVE WE ADAPTED TO THIS CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE. *NEW* ACCOUNTABILITY STRUCTURES HAVE NOT EVOLVED TO COVER THIS NEW URBAN,OPEN & MOBILE COMMUNITY. NOW WE ARE ACQUIRING THIS "YOU AREN'T MY BLOOD WANTOK EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE MY NEIGHBOUR" TYPE SITUATION IN URBAN PNG. ACCOUNTABILITY AND SHAME ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT. JUST LOOK AT THE CLINTON AFFAIR.

BUT AT LEAST THERE ARE THE CONSTANT TELEVISION, RADIO, AND NEWSPAPER REPORTS IN THESE URBAN AREAS OF AMERICA AND ELSEWHERE (PLUS THE TELL ALL BOOKS, FOLLOWED BY THE INNUMERABLE HISTORICAL ACADEMIC ANALYSES) THAT SEEM TO WORK OKAY. THOSE THINGS INSURE THAT SHAME WILL FOLLOW THE PERSON WHO DID WRONG. IT WILL FOLLOW THEM THROUGHOUT HISTORY, EVEN IF THE PERSONREFUSES TO HANG THEIR HEADS.

IN PNG THE POLITICIANS ARE STILL ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER... LITERALLY, BECAUSE FEW MECHANISMS ARE PRESENT
THAT ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGED ENVIRONMENT OF URBAN PNG, AND ARE EFFECTIVE AT SHAMING THEM - THUS CREATING A SIGNIFICANT PUNISHMENT AND IMPEDIMENT TO FUTURE MISBEHAVIOUR.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE EXPLAINED MYSELF CLEARLY. BUT THE MAIN POINT IS THAT I THINK WHEN WE GO BACK TO TRADITIONAL STRUCTURES, IT IS CRITICAL TO ANALYSE HOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL
PARAMETERS HAVE CHANGED SINCE TRADITIONAL TIMES, AND BE CONFIDENT THAT THOSE CHANGES WILL NOT AFFECT THE WORKABILITY OF THE OLD STRUCTURES.

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