The last frontier

• Prize
• Photographer
  Ole Johan Moe, Norway

Papua New Guinea, the name itself evokes images of dense
rainforest, pacific tropical islands, tribal cultures and abundant
wildlife. Often describes as one of the last frontiers left on earth,
Papua New Guinea is the most traditional country in the world. The
majority (among 85 percent) of the people lives in villages with
traditional customs without electricity or running water. Living
collectively, people have a strong attachment to their clan/tribe,
not to the country as a whole. With over 860 languages and 1000
different tribes, it is the most culturally diverse place left on earth.
Modernity has come slow in many regions and is now creating
tension. The introduction of money, corporation exploring for
resources, western democracy, urbanization are creating tension.
Especially in the region commonly referred to as the Highlands. It
was "discovered" in 1930 when some Australians went up into the
mountains in search of gold. They found one million people living
in a tribal society that has evolved in its own direction. Today, it is
still the most traditional region in Papua New Guinea. Tribal
violence and lawlessness have troubled the region. The elders say
that money and politics generate conflicts between people.
Marijuana cultivation for export to Australia brings back the
automatic weapons that make the conflicts more violent. Still, in
this region, modernity comes slow and blend it with the traditional
culture.