Port Moresby (Fides Service) - Recently Archbishop Brian Barnes Archbishop of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, PNG called for more attention to youth policies and a specific national service to study and fight the widespread phenomenon of crime among youth to counter a situation of increasing insecurity and crime in Papua New Guinea.
He said the situation of murder, rape, robberies and drug peddling had reached the epidemic level and must be immediately tackled and defeated.
The country’s high crime rate has given rise to national debate on how to deal with the situation. The state has increased security measures and security forces, but civil and religious associations, and i the local Catholic Church are suggesting different ways and means.
With regard to the importance of forming a new mentality among the younger generations, decisive for the future of Papuan society the Archbishop suggested compulsory military service to instil a sense of discipline, loyalty to the nation and service to society. At the same time he praised the work of positive formation and socialisation with regard to the values of respect, love and solidarity being carried out by the Salesian Fathers in PNG.
Places like Port Moresby, Lae, Mt Hagen are infested with youth gangs called ‘raskols’ which cause panic and fear among the people with repeated acts of violence. These youths are mainly jobless boys unable to find their place in society.
In Papua Nuova Guinea school education is not compulsory and many parents particularly in poorer areas, do not send their children to school. At sixteen a person can be prosecuted and so many boys experience prison while still adolescents.
The Church in Papua Nuova Guinea continues its youth pastoral activities to educate young people in a health atmosphere to moral values on which to build life, operating mainly in the field of school education and professional training.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/9/2004 lines 25 words 266)