MAPS is currently involved in developing the National Library Plan with the National Literacy and Awareness Secretariat. MAPS Director and Mr. Sakarepe Kamene are involved in this community outreach program. The meeting on this activity was held in Kiunga, Western Province. The workshop was attended by literacy worker, NGOs, Church and Women representative from the New Guinea Islands and the Southern region. The draft Provincial Literacy Plan is prepared by the MAPS Director on behalf of the National Literacy and Awareness Secretariat. Future workshops in individual provinces will feature in MAPS activities.
As part of the network building capacity and strengthening of existing relationships MAPS Director has participated in a number of meetings and workshops organized by research and educational institutions in the country and the South Pacific region.
The first workshops were on developing a national policy on traditional medicine in Papua New Guinea. This workshop was organized by the Department of Health and the Pharmacy Division of the School of Medicine and Public Health. The workshops were held at the Workers Mutual Haus, Gordons.
The second workshop was organized by the PinBio Net, Department of Environment and Conservation, WWF, and Conservation International at the Gateway Hotel. MAPS Director presented a paper in the workshop. The meeting was on access and benefit sharing of biodiversity resources and development?
The third meeting was the Executive Meeting of the International Council of the Study of Pacific Islands (ICSPI) in Nadi, Fiji, MAPS continues to pay the annual membership fee to ICSPI on behalf of UPNG.
The second meeting was held in Noumea where Mr. Sam Kaima attended on behalf of the Director. Mr. Kaima’s representation is fully appreciated.
The fourth workshop was organized by the East West Center, Pacific Islands Development Program, the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii. In conjunction with the fourth workshop was the “Moving Islands” Sixth Fall Festival of Writers, featuring writers from the Caribbean and the Pacific organized by the English Department, University of Hawaii.
Participation in these workshops and meetings have been rewarding. A number of individual research and collaborative research and educational opportunities are expected to emerge in the near future. An obvious one is the training and infrastructure program of the PinBio Net, which will go into full swing this year. MAPS is coordinating the program together with the Department of Forestry, PNG University of Technology and the Commission of Higher Education.