Yumi Sanap Strong emerged from an action research project that initially focused on addressing sorcery accusation related violence in Papua New Guinea, in partnership with four community based organisations: Kafe Urban Settlers’ Women’s Association (KUSWA), Goroka; Kup Women for Peace, Simbu; Kedu Seif Haus, Milne Bay and Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation, Bougainville.
Human rights defenders from Papua New Guinea produced photographs and stories which they use for advocacy and education. The stories demonstrate, through the brave leadership of the human rights defenders, how change emerges from within communities and how individual and community-led initiatives can be used to highlight the importance of valuing human life. Here, women collective movements have played a key role in addressing violence in communities.
The work identified a range of cross-cutting issues and the need for long-term partnerships and investment. Building on the creative research work led by Verena Thomas and Jackie Kauli in partnership with community-based organisations and institutions, Yumi Sanap Strong as an organisation focuses on a range of social issues, applying meaningful and ethical research approaches with outputs reaching wide audiences to impact social change.
