Melanesian Way Conservation is Spirit-Led Conservation
Spirit-Led means follow the Storylines, which are the maps the Spirit Hotspots that give birth, nurture and welcome back life, that should to be treated as “sacred” sites, beings, names, scapes, events.
3 Pillars of Spirit-Led Conservation
Our three pillars of Spirit-Led (Melanesian Way) Conservation help us to focus on the reasons and ways of looking after nature as ourselves.
Everything is Spirit: Storylines, Story-house & Story holders: Everything
We encourage (1) storylines of each family, clan and tribe be restored; (2) Story-House (Nakaman, Haus Tambaran, Kunu, Mbelamu, Pilamo…) to be re-built and repositioned at the centre of life; and (3) story-holders and all elders (fathers) within the clan be re-discovered and given their roles back to function in the communities.
We are Nature: The Lores of Nature
The lores of nature in Melanesia says “We are, therefore, I am“: (1) Relationships among all communities of beings is the primary rule; (2) Inter-dependence of all individually and collectively; (3) organised according to the Laws and Lores of Nature, where respecting elders as the sign of our surrender to the truth of life and living as human beings.
Culture: Codified Customary Laws
Customary laws are codified, legalized and formalized Laws and Lores of Nature, as understood, lived and regarded useful by the clans.
Codified Customary Laws become the Constitution for clans within the tribe to organise modern social, cultural and economic activities within modern modern-state legal framework.
Restore Stories House
Melanesians believe in and treat stories as the core of life. The stories are told in a particular way, at certain time and mostly in told in Stories House (Nakalam, Haus Tambaran, Mbelamu, Pilamo, Honai Laki-Laki, Men’s House…)
We believe that once we restore the “Stories House”, then it will organically pull all other aspects of life that enrich and sustain life will evolve.
Adopt a Hotspot
Families or clans adopt or become responsible for certain areas, plants, animals, objects, scapes, names, stories, events.
By Adopting a Hotspot, we are declaring globally that a network of individuals or groups are friends and therefore custodians of certain hotspots.
Conservation work is not only for Melanesian individuals and groups in isolation, but it becomes globally networked and collective custodianship.
Tribes Own NGO and Business Entity
The Constitution of the Tribe stipules all things about the tribe, therefore, a Clans Confederacy Foundation and a Customary Business Entity are instituted and formally established in order to help protect members of the tribe legally, socially, culturally and economically.
Whereas the Customary Business Entity is established to carry out daily business activities within the tribal customary boundaries and among members of the tribe.
3 Phases of Projects Activities
Map the society and geography, restore the customary laws and institute tribal social, legal and cultural institution with customary economic entity.
We Institute and Legalize:
- Codify and legalize customary laws for the tribe.
- Institute an NGO representing the tribe as Clans Confederacy of the tribe.
- Establish a business entity that is responsible for all business and economic activities within the Customary Area of the tribe.
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“SPIRIT is Here, NATURE is Here, HERE we are! We humbly surrender to this truth and declare:
‘WE ARE MELNAESIA!’ ”
MSN
Trustee and Board Members
of the Melanesian Spirit and Nature Foundation Inc.
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