Welcome to the 2010 Digicel Bougainville Mona Festival, 12-14 August 2010

Bougainville has much more to offer for tourism with its natural attractions and diverse cultures. With Bougainville’s unique and diverse cultures, tourism can reinforce and assist in preservation by adding economic value to cultural aspects and promoting cultural events and traditions attractions. 

Mona canoe is a unique icon for North Bougainville. During the Bougainville Mona Festival, the Mona is highlighted to show case Bougainville’s true canoe icon. The festival shows the culture for Bougainville which binds Bougainvilleans to foster rehabilitation, reconciliation and long lasting peace on Bougainville. It also reminds

people of the importance of their culture and their identity as more people nowadays tend to forget about their culture.

The Bougainville Mona Festival Chairman Lawrence Belleh and his colleagues are working round the clock to complete the ground work ready for the big festival.

The Buka show ground will be the main host for the festival and so far so good the ground work has advanced and is ready. 

Bougainville Mona Festival is promoting culture and with that it can attract a lot of tourists to the province. This cultural festival will also encourage the people to stand on strong grounds to hold their culture and traditions. Therefore, cultural activities such as singsing kaur groups, bamboo bands and Solomon dances will be held at the time of festival.

Two traditional contestants, a male and a female from individual traditional group will contest during the three days show.

Meanwhile, CEO for Commerce, Mr Albert Kinani has confirmed that five Mona’s are set to participate at the festival, one from Halia, one from Hahalis, two from Gogohe and two from Malasang.

There will be some activities continued through to the evening until 10pm, on Thursday and Friday nights.

Text by Bougainville Tourism Office