what Progressio is doing

Fr Neles Tebay, a Catholic priest from West Papua, told Progressio: 'Without pressure from the international community, the neglect of socio-economic and cultural rights and violations of civil and political rights will continue. It is no exaggeration to say that the very survival of the Papuan people in the long term comes into question.'

Change is possible, and as Fr Neles Tebay stresses, the international community has an important role to play in helping to bring about change and promote justice in West Papua. The international community includes all of us: international NGOs, governments, churches and other religious institutions, and individuals with a commitment to global justice and universal human rights. Find out what you can do.

Progressio's position on West Papua

For Progressio, our commitment to human rights and justice compels us to support Papuans in their struggle for justice, peace and human rights.

We recognise that the struggle for justice in West Papua is not a struggle of the Papuan people alone. International organisations, governments and economic interests share responsibility for the situation in West Papua today, and should also be held accountable.

Our support for victims of injustice in West Papua is not simply solidarity, but awareness of a shared responsibility for the conditions that lead to injustice in West Papua. We recognise the need for action to address these causes of injustice, bring about resolution of the political conflict over Papuan sovereignty, and lay the foundations for a just peace.

We recognise that:

• Papuans will not feel justice has been served until they are given an opportunity for self-determination.
• A political solution to the dispute over Papuan sovereignty alone will not bring justice. Parallel to resolution of the political conflict, there must be a process to establish broad-based justice and create sustainable conditions for sustainable peace and development.
• To this end, we see the need for efforts to build the foundations of peace, justice and development by fostering respect for human rights and responsibilities, a democratic culture, tolerance, pluralism, as well as good governance and citizenship.
• The process toward building the foundations of peace and justice must dismantle the structures of injustice (including legal and policy frameworks), restore damaged relationships and bring about changes in the attitudes and behaviours of individuals.
• We believe the process should bring about change at all levels of society, with particular effort to engage women and marginalised groups.

Progressio's aims

Our goal is for the people of West Papua to enjoy justice and respect for human rights as the foundation of sustained peace and development.

We aim to:

• promote the capacity and opportunity of civil society organisations, in particular faith-based organisations, in West Papua and Indonesia to advocate for justice and ensure respect for human rights in West Papua
• generate political will among governments, regional bodies and international organisations to encourage greater accountability for the situation in West Papua by the Indonesian government and other stakeholders
• encourage international accountability for the situation in West Papua.

Progressio's strategy

A core principle of Progressio's approach to advocacy is that we will never replace our partners' voices. We are committed to the belief that Papuans are their own best advocates.

Progressio's role in advocacy for peace and human rights in West Papua seeks to support partners in promoting the effectiveness and reach of their advocacy work, and to help amplify their voices in the North.

Partners' voices are the core of our advocacy strategy, and Progressio's role is supportive and complementary. In working toward the goal of justice and respect for human rights in West Papua, Progressio aims to:

• support activities to build the advocacy capacity of partners in West Papua and Indonesia
• provide financial and technical assistance to partners, in particular to support interfaith advocacy
• facilitate links between partners in West Papua and relevant organisations in the region and internationally
• facilitate opportunities for partners to engage in regional and international advocacy
• engage in dialogue with decision makers within the British government and parliament to encourage steps to address injustices and promote improvement of the human rights situation in West Papua
• work with other UK-based NGOs to engage with multilateral mechanisms to leverage accountability by the Indonesian government
• advocate with UK-based corporate interests with operations in West Papua to promote accountability for justice and human rights in their areas of operation
• support international advocacy, in particular through participation in the Interfaith Lobby Coalition for West Papua
• build solidarity through awareness-raising among the Progressio membership and the British public.