Rugby League leads fight in PNG

RUGBY league awareness programmes targeting schools is a better way to advocate and address violence issues relating to human rights, says an official. 
Rugby League against Violence (RVAL), a vehicle for advocacy on the different types of violence in Papua New Guinea, aims to get more people in sport behind the anti-violence message, volunteer team leader Noah Akulie said.
League against violence has different themes that focus on the different target areas to get the message to the community: The Equal Play Field, Stongpela Komuniti Funding, Tokaut Tok Stret and Trupela Man are the campaign platforms. 
Literature in the form of pamphlets and posters showing the types of violence (physical, emotional, social and cultural) were distributed at the 5th PNG Human Rights Arts Festival, in Port Moresby on Saturday.
The Equal Play Field campaign targets schools and aims to teach students to appreciate all participants in a sports setting, according to initiator Jacqui Joseph.
The junior league programme has an educational aspect designed to mentor and encourage behaviour and attitude change to gender issues and violence. 
Over an eight week period, boys and girls take part in a mixed tag competition that includes respectful relationship education with incorporated training and game days.
Akulie said there was an on-and -off field message for the students. The on-field message centres on rules and other behaviours involving players, referee, and spectators while the off-field message advocated the avoidance of violent acts and becoming good examples.