Our link with the rainforest people of the Hunstein Range is a key inspiration for the work we do at Green Light Trust. See 'Our story' for how this link came about.
The people
We set up our link with the remote Bahinemo and Berinemo peoples of the Hunstein Range, Papua New Guinea, as a partnership to exchange environmental knowledge of both our worlds, to encourage our communities to act in a sustainable way.
In Papua New Guinea, the focus is on the protection of the forest and the dangers of industrial exploitation. In the UK, the Hunstein Range people have been instrumental in helping us understand how and why we should protect our own woodland, and why we should be planting more.
As the sample correspondence below shows, it's a rewarding exchange for both our communities:
"Hi and greetings coming to you all the way from the Hunstein Range in the Mighty Sepik River... I am the new headteacher of Wagu Primary School... I am very pleased that we have a sister school in St. Edmund, England and that we can learn a lot more about the Northern Hemisphere directly from you rather than just reading it from books and the same will apply from you to us... Yours sincerely, Ephraim Kilala"
The benefits
Our work with Papua New Guinea and other partner communities has many benefits, but for us at Green Light Trust, the key two have been:
Community cohesion - global kinship adds a whole new dimension of interest, vibrancy and awareness to a local project and its wider community. It can attract new members, provide life-long learning and enrich project celebrations and events.
Educational objectives - global kinship provides a dynamic opportunity for pupils at all Key Stages to explore Citizenship and Education for Sustainable Development through mutual learning with a real-life partner. It also fulfils the Government's guidelines for overseas partnering.
To find out how global kinship could inspire your organisation, please contact us.