Book 2 - Ebu

Guidelines on gender-ethical reporting
6. Peace and security
Women remain relatively invisible in coverage of traditional security issues, despite
their active participation on all sides of a conflict. Women are also, if not combatants
themselves, the wives, partners or daughters of combatants. Further, they are caught
in the crossfire of war and armed conflicts through sexual exploitation including the
use of rape as a “weapon of war”.
Sample story analysis
Consider the following story.
Title:
Reporter:
Where published:
“Konnou to end war”
Gorethy Kenneth.
Post Courier, Papua New Guinea. http://www.postcourier.com.
pg/20111104/ispost01.htm.
Date 4 November 2011.
A BIG official signing of the ceasefire agreement in Bougainville’s estranged Konnou area
has been planned before Christmas this year.
And the hunger for peace in Konnou is now much stronger than the desire for vengeance
and violence, according to Autonomous Bougainville Government vice-president Patrick
Nisira, who is also the Chairman of the Konnou Peace Task Force Committee. Further,
there was a big reconciliation meeting at Mogorai, Me’ekamui hardliner Damien Koike’s
village in Buin. After a month of constant meetings with chiefs and the warring factions
in the Konnou area for a possible ceasefire arrangement, three truck loads of WILMO
faction from Wisai arrived at Koike’s village for the occasion.
“On this note, let me take this opportunity to thank the conflicting parties in Konnou for
owning up to negotiate for peace in their area. It has been a long road coming to finally
settle down to reconcile with each other. Although, peace in Konnou means a lot for the
families who have suffered since the conflict began, it further strengthens it,” he said.
“…I can humbly say that the success in the progress of peace in Konnou today was
instigated by the movement of the Peace Team into Konnou areas in late August, 2011,
when the situation was still tense. This was the crucial breakthrough that has created
venues to negotiate peace between the conflicting factions in Konnou. I must also
commend the Bougainville Executive Council, chaired by President John Momis for
making this important decision in the push for peace in Konnou.
“The Konnou issue is a complicated issue and those who are involved in the succeeding
stages of the reconciliation process must take cautious measures while addressing the
issue. For the last six to eight years of the conflict in Konnou, there have been killings
which have caused insecurity to women and children and displaced a handful of families
43