Feb 02, 2004

Newspaper for Bougainville


Plans are underway in Bougainville to set up a fortnightly newspaper
Plans are underway in Bougainville to set up a fortnightly newspaper at the end of this month. A board of directors will spearhead the project with the aim of getting the whole community involved in the running of the paper. It will be an A4 newsletter with arrangements in place for the paper going tabloid but this will depend on the availability of funds. Already, funding for printing and freight services has been secured through New Zealand AID (NZAID) for the proposed paper for six months. The newspaper, to be named the Sankamap Times, is being converted from the Peace Monitoring Group and the Bougainville Transitional Team-run newsletter, Nius Bilong Peace. Technical adviser from NZAID and the man helping to set up the newspaper Steve Dickens told Post-Courier on Friday that a working group has already been set up to co-ordinate the project. The group includes information officer Martin Terea, Robert Tapi, Chris Baria and other contributors will be responsible for the overall running of the newspaper. Mr Dickens said the name Sankamap Times was decided upon by the group after seeking suggestions from two secondary schools on the island. (Postcourier)