Welcome to the Kokoda Link

POSTED ON 12 October 2009

Background

The Kokoda Link is an online community forum for all individuals and groups with an interest in the wellbeing and livelihoods of the communities living along the Kokoda Track. The Kokoda Link is an initiative of the Kokoda Track Foundation which has been working in the areas of education, health, and community development in the villages along, and in the catchment area of the Track since 2003. The Kokoda Track Foundation is keen to see an active and coordinated approach by all people who are interested in lending a hand to our nearest neighbour and believe that our pooled efforts will have a much greater impact where it counts... in the lives of the people who need it most.

The last 2 – 3 years have seen significant increases in the attention given to the Kokoda Track. This has been sparked by a number of events including the exponential increase in the number of trekkers crossing the Track each year, the prospect of mining occurring along the Track, the unexpected and tragic deaths of trekkers crossing the Track and in the fatal Airlines PNG crash, and the signing of the Joint Understanding between the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments. As a result of this increased focus on the Track, we have also witnessed an increase in the number of individuals and groups wanting to “give back”.

Whilst this increase in the amount of goodwill has the potential to reap many benefits for the people of the Kokoda Track, we firmly believe that piecemeal and uncoordinated efforts will be largely ineffective.  What is needed is a coordinated approach to assisting the communities along the Kokoda Track, where key parties and stakeholders are given opportunities to discuss their ideas, discover potential partnerships, and share knowledge about what is working and where the needs still lie.  

What is the Kokoda Link?

The Kokoda Track Foundation has set up the first stage of the Kokoda Link. It is an online community forum where individuals and groups can post articles and then engage in a discussion with other members of the online community. The focus of discussion must be around a common theme - the wellbeing and livelihoods of the communities living along the Kokoda Track. We envisage that individuals and groups will use the forum to discuss ways they are currently working to assist communities on the Track, plans they are considering for the future, and partnerships they are keen on forming that will enable them to be more effective in this work.

Topics for discussion should be focused on the following issues:

-          aid for communities living on the Kokoda Track

-          community development

-          education

-          health

-          new ways of working together

-          livelihoods

-          sustainable development

-          ecotourism

-          community

-          local input /ownership by Kokoda communities

 

Who can get involved?

Any individual or group with an interest in the wellbeing and livelihoods of the communities living along the Kokoda Track can get involved. We are keen to see all parties who are currently working to assist the communities of the Kokoda Track participate in the online forum. Stakeholders can include but are not limited to:

-          NGOs and philanthropic organisations

-          Government organisations

-          Trek operators

-          Trekkers

-          Kokoda community representatives

How do I get involved?

There are two main ways that you can participate in the Kokoda Link online community forum. The first way is to post an article. This may be about a project you are currently running or intend to run in the future. It might be a fundraising initiative. It might be an idea you have to help schools get access to extra resources. Or it might be a perspective you hold on the aid currently being delivered in PNG. Whatever the idea, you can post an article on the forum sharing your thoughts with other interested stakeholders.

The second way to get involved is to participate in a discussion about an article that has been posted on the Kokoda Link forum. You might like to discuss your thoughts about someone else’s project. You might have an idea that will assist someone else working in the communities. You might suggest a potential partnership or look at other ways of working together.

In the Spirit of Kokoda, we ask that you post articles and discussion comments that will serve to benefit the communities living along the track and can be used in collaborative and helpful ways by all those wishing to give back. We reserve the right not to post articles contrary to the spirit of the forum. 

Future steps                                                                                                                                                                            

We believe that the online forum is just one step towards achieving the goals of the Kokoda Link. We are keen to see positive action stem from increased collaboration among those parties wishing to assist the Track and the Foundation will monitor all articles. We are keen to see constructive dialogue, positive action, and leadership and we hope that these outcomes will stem from the conversations facilitated via the forum.

We also have a number of ideas that we hope to pursue in the future that will expand the Kokoda Link, such as in-person networking forums and joint projects in PNG. However we would also like to hear from you and the ideas that you have for turning the Kokoda Link into a reality.

 

 

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