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Bougainville Audience Study-Niupela Wokabaut Bilong Bogenvil-Phase 2

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Bougainville Audience Study-Niupela Wokabaut Bilong Bogenvil-Phase 2 This may be the author’s version of a work that was submitted/accepted for publication in the following source: Thomas, Verena, Kauli, Jackie, Levy, Catherine, & Rawstorne, Patrick (2019) Bougainville Audience Study - Niupela Wokabaut Bilong Bogenvil - Phase 2. Directorate of Media and Communication, Autonomous Bougainville Gov- ernment and Queensland University of Technology, Papua New Guinea and Australia. This file was downloaded from: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/197398/ c Consult author(s) regarding copyright matters This work is covered by copyright. Unless the document is being made available under a Creative Commons Licence, you must assume that re-use is limited to personal use and that permission from the copyright owner must be obtained for all other uses. If the docu- ment is available under a Creative Commons License (or other specified license) then refer to the Licence for details of permitted re-use. It is a condition of access that users recog- nise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. If you believe that this work infringes copyright please provide details by email to [email protected] Notice: Please note that this document may not be the Version of Record (i.e. published version) of the work. Author manuscript versions (as Sub- mitted for peer review or as Accepted for publication after peer review) can be identified by an absence of publisher branding and/or typeset appear- ance. If there is any doubt, please refer to the published source. BOUGAINVILLE AUDIENCE STUDY NIUPELA WOKABAUT BILONG BOGENVIL PHASE 2 - JUNE 2019 BOUGAINVILLE AUDIENCE STUDY - PHASE 2 I PUBLICATION INFORMATION Bougainville Audience Study - Niupela Wokabaut Bilong Bogenvil - Phase 2 (2019) Authors: Verena Thomas1, Jackie Kauli1, Catherine Levy1, Patrick Rawstorne2 1 Queensland University of Technology, 2 University of New South Wales Publishers: Directorate of Media and Communication, Autonomous Bougainville Government QUT Design Lab, Queensland University of Technology Workshop Facilitation & Training: Verena Thomas, Jackie Kauli Fieldwork Management: Jackie Kauli, Verena Thomas Fieldwork Debriefs: Catherine Levy Bougainville Fieldwork Coordinator: Fabian Tsikama Technical Coordinator and Support: Elias Alex Bougainville Field Researchers: Elias Alex, Roland Demoi, John Hirupe, Henry Kebau, Jackie Kauli, Vincent Kommoru, Catherine Levy, Bernadine Naviung, Eddie Ropa, Stanislaus Sahoto, John Sapalan, Irene Subalik, Rose Tove, Verena Thomas, Fabian Tsikama Focus Group Researchers outside of Bougainville: Lawrence Bandi, Catherine Levy, Umba Peter, Jacobeth Sigao, Julie To’Liman-Turalir, Michaelyn Vamilat Data Entry Coordination: Lemyam Salley, Lawrence Bandi Data Entry and Transcription: Elias Alex, Lawrence Bandi, Alessandra Mel, Angeline Ringo, Wendy Safi, Roselyn Siki, Julie Wilford Project Administration: Caroline Keating Copy Edit: Melissa Giles Media and Communication Advisor: Jeremy Miller, Bougainville Partnership Photo Credits: ABG Directorate of Media and Communications, Jeremy Miller, Elias Alex, Field Researchers Layout and Design: James Drury, ThinkBigCreative.com.au Contact Adriana Schmidt, Director, Directorate of Media and Communications Department of President and Bougainville Executive Council Autonomous Bougainville Government P.O Box 322, Buka Autonomous Region of Bougainville Papua New Guinea Web: www.abg.gov.pg This report can be downloaded at: www.abg.gov.pg/reports The Bougainville Audience Study was supported by the Bougainville Partnership, a development partnership between the Autonomous Bougainville Government, and the governments of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. II BOUGAINVILLE AUDIENCE STUDY - PHASE 2 FOREWORD Good decision-making requires good information and consultation. This report was commissioned to hear the voice of over 1,000 Bougainvilleans living both in and outside Bougainville. From Siwai to Nissan, from Rabaul to Brisbane, this is a report card from those who have received (or not) information on the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA), the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and referendum preparations. It is a guide for those in government, leadership, the media and our development partners who are designing the awareness activities of the future as we prepare people for referendum and beyond. It has been three years since the conduct of the first Bougainville Audience Study. That report established a baseline understanding of people’s awareness of the Peace Agreement and gained critical insights into how people access their news and information. It highlighted very low levels of awareness, in part related to poor access to media and government. Adriana Schmidt In response to that report, the ABG and many others have Director undertaken numerous initiatives to better reach out and ABG Directorate of Media and Communications inform people. Such activities include ongoing work to restore radio through short wave, improved urban FM coverage and The results also show more is needed. Clearly, we must do the distribution of thousands of SW/FM radios; continuous better to engage young people who are feeling left out and production of 14 editions of the Bougainville Bulletin, uninformed. We must ensure information reaches the most distributed throughout the region and online; over 200 remote parts of Bougainville and not just the urban centres. community broadcasts from the Radio Ples Lain team and 50 We must provide clear information in multiple ways and community video and Q&A shows; Hundreds of Referendum give people the chance to ask questions of our leaders. We Dialogues have been held across Bougainville; numerous must support leaders to provide a clear vision of a future roadshows and community events; and constant updates Bougainville and how we will get there. We must continue to on the ABG website and Facebook page. The Bougainville listen. House of Representatives’ continue to conduct Referendum Information is power, but it also assurance. As we prepare for Ready activities. referendum and beyond, we must assure people by giving The Bougainville Audience Study provides a report card them balanced, credible information upon which they can on the effectiveness of those activities, providing tips and make decisions, important decisions that will affect future feedback on how to improve. It focuses not on the number of generations to come. This study also charts for the first time activities conducted, but the level of awareness achieved. the views of Bougainvilleans living outside Bougainville. They are clearly engaged and share a desire for a clearer picture of Many of the results are pleasing. There has been a dramatic Bougainville, its government and its future. increase in people’s understanding of the three pillars of BPA – weapons disposal, autonomy and referendum – as While Bougainville continues to be a challenging place to well as their connection to each other. This has been most provide information and awareness, I acknowledge the prominent among women, who in the past had far lower efforts of government colleagues and our many development knowledge levels than men. People see information as a sign partners who continue to support our efforts. For this study, of a government serving them. They see better information I wish to acknowledge the ongoing assistance of the four delivery, new roads, schools, health centres and agricultural governments of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, Australia support activities as a sign of the growing maturity of the and New Zealand. ABG. There is strong support for well publicised reforms such In closing, I wish to thank those who gave their honest as the Community Government system and anti-corruption feedback during the survey. Without your comments, we measures. cannot improve. But now that you have spoken, it is up to those of us planning and delivering awareness to continue to work together and respond. BOUGAINVILLE AUDIENCE STUDY - PHASE 2 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Bougainville Audience Research Study was We thank the Directorate of Media and Communications commissioned by the Directorate of Media and staff who assisted in the research. Thank you in particular to Communications of the Autonomous Bougainville Adriana Schmidt, Director of the the Directorate of Media and Government (ABG) and undertaken by Queensland University Communications and Jeremy Miller, Communication Advisor of Technology together with the group of field researchers to ABG for their support and ongoing feedback during the who took part in the baseline study in 2015. The research research process. was funded by the Bougainville Partnership Program, a joint We wish to acknowledge the commitment and support of initiative of the governments of Bougainville, Papua New the ABG Chief Secretary, Joseph Nobetau. We also thank Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. those who provided information about existing awareness Ethical approval for the study was received from the ethics programs, including staff from the ABG, the UN and PaCSIA. committee at Queensland University of Technology. We would like to thank the research respondents who agreed This research would not have been possible without the to participate in the study and shared their stories to provide commitment of the field researchers who participated in information. the design of the study, undertook the data collection and The information and opinions presented in this report provided invaluable information for the analysis. represent those of the authors and research participants;
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