Peace by peaceful means

When the result of the Bougainville Referendum was announced, the crowd that had gathered to hear the result

erupted in joy. Others broke down in tears, while some joined in the Bougainville anthem. Among the crowd was

Stephanie Elijah, tears streaming down her face, hand over her heart: an image that would become a symbol of the

reaction of Bougainvilleans in that historic moment. “It was a clash of emotions,” Stephanie recalled as she

explained the tears. “Joy, relief and immense humbleness, as I recounted the effort that was put into ensuring that this day arrived.” For Stephanie, a public servant, now working as acting Secretary for the Department of Peace Agreement Implementation, it has been a demanding and interesting four years of challenge and growth, starting with her first role as Communications Officer in 2015.

“From the beginning, I felt the weight of the role that I had. I know that thousands of lives were lost when people felt they were not being heard and represented. I knew that whatever I did and said had the potential either to ignite a breakdown of the peace that has been established or continue to support the peace effort that has been established.” The signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement marked the official end of nine years of bloody conflict that saw between 15,000 and 20,000 casualties. One of the three main pillars of this agreement was the conduct of a referendum on the future political status of Bougainville that needed to be held no later than 15 June 2020. When November 2019 was confirmed as the date, 2019  became a year of constant demand and pressure to successfully stage a credible and peaceful referendum. “From the beginning we realized that we needed to establish strong working relationships with government and community leaders, while raising awareness on a very technical process, while responding and dealing with different expectations. Not many people were aware of what a referendum was and what it entailed. I had to do a lot of research, and a lot of discussions were conducted throughout the ABG [the Autonomous Bougainville Government] to ensure what was communicated was consistent and accurate to help to maintain peace.”

With this being PNG’s first ever referendum, both the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National

Government called on development partners to support this historic and crucial event. “A lot of the work in the beginning boiled down to intuition, wisdom in handling sensitive information, and a great understanding of the communities and people we worked with. An important lesson that comes from our Melanesian values, is the need to make genuine connections with people, from rural communities and hardliner factions, to the government offices in Kubu or Waigani.” With the date of the referendum looming, the Government of PNG and the Autonomous Bougainville Government doubled their efforts on awareness among key populations.

At the same time, work continued to ensure that joint decisions between the Government of PNG and the

Autonomous Bougainville Government were made on key areas of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. One of those key joint decisions was the establishment of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, an independent body, which took on the massive task of registering eligible voters, and steering awareness on the technicalities of the voting process, with the aim of conducting the referendum within months of the date’s confirmation. With the UN’s historic involvement in Bougainville following the crisis, the year of the Bougainville Referendum further strengthened the relationship between the Government of PNG and Autonomous Bougainville Government.

“The UN was with us from the beginning and played a key role in ensuring that key players had spaces through which they can engage meaningfully in the different processes of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. This role stemmed from the UN’s understanding of our Melanesian values, particularly the importance of relationships. As a global partner, what was truly valuable was the UN’s principle of neutrality, it helped to foster goodwill and ensured negotiations moved forward.”

Through the Peacebuilding Fund, the UN was able to support political dialogue among government partners and with communities on the ground supporting avenues to ensure everyone, even the most marginalized, were reached. With the support of the two governments and various partners, the UN supported the establishment and operation of the Bougainville Referendum Commission and the critical role

that it played.

On 11 December 2019 the results were announced to the world by the Bougainville Referendum Commission Chair, Bertie Ahern, following two weeks of peaceful voting and counting. Stephanie will always remember that moment and the reactions from the people. “I believe the result is a true testament to the spirit of peaceful relationships that exists between Bougainville and greater PNG. Not just in politics but especially among everyday people,” she said.