Learning from another culture
Our partnership with the Papua New Guinea National Volunteering Service.
New opportunities from shared challenges.
When First Nation cultures come together, it’s a wonderful and meaningful alchemy of shared experiences, storytelling and cultural learning.
In 2019, we were honoured to host representatives from the Papua New Guinea National Volunteering Service (NVS) in Sydney and Canberra. Together, we explored ways we could expand our partnership to find opportunity and solutions from similar challenges faced by First Nations people across both countries.
Our relationship with NVS began in 2018 when Community First Development (formally ICV) CEO, Stephanie Harvey, was invited by the Australian High Commission to attend NAIDOC Week celebrations in Papua New Guinea. During her trip, Stephanie met members of the NVS and discussed ways that our two organisations could work together to strengthen our culture and the communities we work with.
We welcomed the Papua New Guinea NVS in Sydney with Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony, and welcome dance, and explored cultural similarities through hand weaving techniques, traditional dances, storytelling and cultural insights.
We learned from each other about the programs and resources that have been helpful for both our organisations, and together we found effective ways to build both the capacity of volunteers, and sustainability of First Nation communities.
The relationship has evolved into a partnership with multiple phases of work planned over the next few years. We are currently designing and seeking funding support to implement projects on Monitoring and Evaluation techniques and the use of technology to support community-based development work in PNG.
COVID-19 has added an additional level of challenge and urgency in addressing community need in 2020. We’re looking forward to a return to normality and to being able to progress our partnership with NVS.
For more information in how you may be able to contribute, please contact Tom Layton.