A conservationist working to save tree kangaroos in Papua New Guinea's Torricelli mountain range is urging NGOs working in the Pacific to take more time to listen to people in the communities they work in.
The Tenkile Conservation Alliance's Jim Thomas meeting with communities in Papua New Guinea. Photo: Courtesy of Jim Thomas -Tenkile Conservation Alliance
Jim Thomas and his wife Jane have spent the last 15-years living and working with communities in Sandaun province to set up the Tenkile Conservation Alliance named after the critically endangered tree kangaroo species.
The alliance protects about 200,000 hectares of rainforest.
Mr Thomas said too often organisations go into a community with good intentions but the wrong attitude.
"People thinking that they are better than somebody else is just going to destroy a program and that is often how people come in thinking, 'well we are better than you because we have got the money and we are going to tell you what to do'. And you know people say,'Okay you have got some money we will listen to you and we will do a project'. But as soon as they go the project falls to pieces and that is quite tragic and a huge waste of money you know especially when it comes from taxes from people in developing countries," Jim Thomas said.
A film documenting the Thomas's journey "Into The Jungle" premiered in Port Moresby last month. The feature length film also boasts appearances by Sir David Attenborough and Dame Jane Goodall and the filmmakers aim to have it screening next in Australia and eventually around the world.
