I have been busy doing other work for other NGOs, FBOs [Faith-based Organizations] and the government and have been involved in some national emergencies, assisting traumatized students last year, but doing more community trauma work and peace building in Bougainville.

At the moment, the UN is carrying out an analysis on peace and development which aims to assist Bougainville with some way forward and trauma rehabilitation has been identified as a vital program for development.

Bougainville has some level of peace, but this is challenged by the factions in parliament as they continue to politicize issues of peace and development.

The UN is doing a wonderful job of facilitating and advising the leaders, but the bureaucracy sometimes makes it hard to push on with reform programs in priority areas of developmental needs, so trauma rehabilitation continues to pose some problems for us.

Francis Semoso