Alice Wedega

Dame Alice Wedega, DBE (20 August 1905, Ahioma, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea – 3 December 1987) was a Papuan politician, educator, peacemaker and conscientious objector.

Alice Wedega was raised in Kwato, Milne Bay in a traditional culture of violence, including "witchcraft" and headhunting. Through Alice Wedega's work in educating her people and encouraging them to listen to the "good spirit", she helped foster peace by "making enemies into friends".

Alice Wedega was herself taught these same principles by Charles Abel, a missionary who established a school on Kwato island. These teachings have had far-reaching effects on Papua New Guinea. Wedega was knighted in 1982 as DBE. She once traveled to Northern Ireland to help resolve conflict (see quote below).

She became the first woman member of what is now known as the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea in 1961.

Quote

* "... [o] ur people used to kill and eat men. They would practice payback. That is, if one of your side killed one of mine, my side would kill one of yours. But the missionaries came from Europe to stop us doing all that. And now I have been back to Northern Ireland to help the Europeans there stop doing it." (A. Wedega)

References

* "All Her Paths Are Peace: Women Pioneers in Peacemaking", Michael Henderson, Kumarian Press, 1994, pp. 81-92

External links

* [http://mcc.org/us/co/profiles/historic.html Conscientious Objectors' bio]