Sanap Wantaim – Stand Together _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

In the highlands of Papua New Guinea, sorcery violence has been taking hold of Indigenous communities over the last two decades. The new and growing phenomenon is “often motivated by conflicts around land or interpersonal issues in the community”, Wellington photographer and documentary filmmaker Dr Paul Wolffram says. “It is often the most vulnerable in the community who are attacked as witches and killed.”

Over the last six years, Wolffram has been working in Papua New Guinea to document the work of Evelyn Kunda and other women of the underground network of human rights defenders who rescue and rehabilitate the survivors of sorcery accusation and related violence. Wolffram presents the culmination of his work in Sanap Wantaim – Stand Together at Pātaka Art + Museum until the 3^rd of August.

An exhibition that celebrates these Indigenous human rights defenders, Sanap Wantaim – Stand Together features Wolffram’s photographs alongside hand-woven bilum string bags that were created by members of the underground network.

“We are hoping that the exhibition will allow people in New Zealand to understand the incredible work that is currently going on in Papua New Guinea by Indigenous human rights defenders like Evelyn Kunda,” Wolffram says. “These brave individuals risk their lives to rescue and rehabilitate survivors of sorcery violence. These human rights defenders need support, training, and resources to do their work.”

You can help by informing yourself through the exhibition and Wolffram’s New Zealand International Film Festival documentary MARIMARI.