10 easy ways you can take action for West Papua

There are quick but important things we all can do to support the West Papuan freedom struggle.

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Rex Rumakiek holds the West Papuan flag. by Free West Papua Campaign

★ Sign the global petition at bit.ly/swimforwestpapua

★ BackTheSwim! In August 2017, a team of young West Papua supporters will swim 69 kilometres across Lake Geneva, to hand in the global petition to the UN. Follow them on Twitter @BackTheSwim and at swimforwestpapua.com, and help share their story online.

★ Donate to the Free West Papua campaign at freewestpapua.org/actions/donate. Your contribution will help bring the voices of West Papuans to more people around the world.

★ On 3 May 2017, Indonesia is – outrageously – hosting World Press Freedom Day. Campaigners will be challenging this in various ways, so look out for news and articles to share online.

★ Contact your MP or government representative and ask them to support the West Papuan cause. Tell them to join the International Parliamentarians for West Papua via ipwp.org.

★ Break Indonesia’s media blackout. Follow the Free West Papua campaign on social media (facebook.com/freewestpapua and @FreeWestPapua) and at freewestpapua.org. Share their news, updates and films with your networks.

★ Contact [email protected] for materials to share at your school, workplace, community group or place of worship. Organize a film screening or speaker event and gather signatures for the petition.

★ Find a West Papua solidarity group near you and support its activities. If you’re in the UK, Australia, Netherlands or Papua New Guinea then contact your local Free West Papua office via freewestpapua.org/contact or freewestpapuaperth.org. Otherwise, see freewestpapua.org/info/west-papua-campaign-groups for a list of groups in the US, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Fiji, Poland, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Spain and elsewhere.

★ If you’re part of a human rights, environmental or climate-change campaign, talk to them about linking your activities with the West Papuan freedom struggle. Contact [email protected] for more ideas on how to do this.

★ If you’re a musician or artist and want to make art to support the struggle, contact Rize of the Morning Star: rizeofthemorningstar.com, [email protected]