Profile of agency programs

All the CPP Churches in both countries are partners with each other, collaborating in development projects across PNG. Each Church in PNG also has a particular partnership with a sister Church in Australia. In that partner relationship the Churches establish projects that are responsive to the needs of their communities in PNG.

The Catholic Church Program

Agencies of the Catholic Church in PNG partner with Caritas Australia. The priority areas for their joint projects are HIV&AIDS, Church institutional strengthening and anti-violence. The National Catholic AIDS Office, for example, has established Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres in dioceses throughout the country. It conducts a wide range of HIV awareness raising exercises as well as medical training in antiretroviral treatment. The Church Institutional Strengthening Program of the Catholic Bishops Conference has worked with Church commissions and dioceses to complete a National Pastoral Plan for the whole Catholic Church. That plan addresses issues of family life, justice, peace, young people, health, education and the integrity of creation. The National Catholic Family Life Apostolate conducts training in family relationships and produces resources for all Churches on positive family life, violence issues and HIV&AIDS.

Seventh Day Adventist Church Program

SDA Church agencies in PNG, mainly the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) are partnered with ADRA Australia. Their priorities at present include HIV&AIDS, resourcing primary education and supporting community economic development. HIV&AIDS projects cover interventions such as mainstreaming workshops with provincial church leaders, training of local church leaders in HIV prevention and care, and involvement in advocacy on World AIDS Day. There is also support for an ADRA Voluntary Counselling and Testing centre which works in partnership with the Salvation Army and Save the Children. Following the success of the CPP supported HIV&AIDS DVD production ‘O Papa God – wai na em olsem' targeting an audience of parents, another film targeting youth is being developed. In education, upgrading of SDA primary teachers from certificate to diploma level is being finalized with 129 teachers expected to graduate from what has been a devoted 3 year commitment. At local community level, four Morobe cooperative societies are supported by ADRA's rural economic development project.

United/Uniting Church Program

Agencies of the United Church in PNG work through the Church's Development Unit in partnership with Uniting Church Overseas Aid of Australia. Their major activities include peace building, community awareness raising, and education. The Young Ambassadors for Peace program conducts peace building workshops in the Southern Highlands and Bougainville which have resulted in peace agreements between rival clans. The Women's, Men's and Youth Fellowships have put together a program of Creativity Movement which uses drama, song and poetry to raise awareness of community concerns such as domestic violence, drug abuse and alcoholism. Scholarships are offered to teachers in the Southern Highlands and country wide in-service training is provided for United Church Headmasters to improve the governance of schools. A Personal Viability program acts as "a grass roots university", teaching people how to make the most of local land and resources such s timber, fish and minerals. This is being expanded to assist people find employment and establish small businesses.

Anglican Church Program

Through the CPP the Anglican Church of PNG (ACPNG) is working to improve the Health, Education and HIV services delivered to local communities. The ACPNG HIV & AIDS department and Anglicare StopAIDs are being resourced to deliver workshops and training on prevention and care of those affected by the AIDs pandemic. The Anglican Health Services are expanding training facilities and upgrading accommodation to ensure effective service delivery in rural and remote areas of the country. The Anglican Education Division is providing the skills and resources to develop infrastructure and increase administrative capacity to deliver relevant educational opportunities for adults and children, including basic literacy. In addition to these activities, efforts are being made to increase the administrative and financial capacity of the ACPNG to undertake these and other community development activities in a sustainable and transparent way. This includes bookkeeping and financial management training for ACPNG staff.

The Baptist Union Program

From the start of the CPP the BUPNG focussed on improving its own management and that of its health, education and community development sections as well as on the establishment and coordination of HIV response across its 3 regional Unions and town churches. Over the last two years giving people who are members of Boards of Governance from the national to local Health Centre and school levels training in their roles, along with building up a capacity for facilitating community drought preparedness in water and sanitation projects, have become CPP objectives. At a local level Baptist leaders are important mediators who broker ceasefires in inter-clan conflict. The BUPNG's Community Development team has therefore supported the facilitation of conflict resolution skills at a household and community level to strengthen the mediation skills of local leaders and church workers and pre-empt fighting. At the same time these community level seminars also aim at raising the status of women by working for gender equity and to give men and women the skills to cope with expectations from their relationships in a time of rapid cultural change.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church Program

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG is the second largest mainline Church in PNG with over 1 million members, the largest concentration being in Morobe and Madang Provinces. In order to serve its people in a holistic manner, the ELC has its own education, health, and development departments as well as HIV&AIDS, Women's, Youth, Lands/Finance and General Church Divisions. The Australian Lutheran World Service has established an office in Lae to ensure effective implementation of the Church Partnership Program through close cooperation with the various departments and divisions of the ELC-PNG.

The priorities for ELC projects under the CPP are:

1. Increased institutional capacity of the ELC-PNG to operate effective and efficient educational, health, HIV&AIDS and development programs which serve and strengthen the civil society with which it interacts.

2. Increased organisational effectiveness within the ELC-PNG, including improved governance, better general management capacity and enhanced human resource management.

3. More effective collaboration with the Government and other PNG member Churches of the CPP in the pursuit of Objectives 1 and 2.

The Salvation Army Program

About four years ago, The Salvation Army PNG had a vision to develop its officers (ministers) and staff to better serve the community in a holistic way. The CPP has enabled SA PNG to do that. Salvation Army officers have been trained in computer skills, basic accounting, in basic needs assessment and to teach their congregations and communities about HIV&AIDS. They have established a development office and trained a qualified Papua New Guinean to take on the role of CPP Coordinator. The Salvation Army Community Health Worker Training School has been upgraded in terms of materials and programs and is now trialling a program for the Government of PNG. With a long tradition of recognising the value of women's groups, The Salvation Army PNG through the Home Leagues has run training and capacity building programs for women and girls and has encouraged and supported them to form support networks. In the Eastern Highlands, a coffee cooperative has been established to assist small coffee farmers get a good price for their coffee. In return, farmers commit to reduce (or even stop) their alcohol and drug consumption, refrain from participating in tribal conflicts, stop violence in the home and to contribute to health and hygiene of their village. Teachers from the various educational institutions the SA PNG run are also benefiting in terms of upskilling and in upgrading their qualifications.