Papua Movement (papuamovement.com) is an English-language publication about development in Papua, Indonesia, covering food security, infrastructure, the local economy, customary land rights, health, education and security. It is published by the Youth Foundation for Indonesian Peace (Yayasan Pemuda Untuk Perdamaian Indonesia, YPPI) and edited by Steve Rick Elson Mara, an Indigenous Papuan peace researcher based in London.
Papua Movement is a news and analysis publication and is not affiliated with the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM) or any armed group.
Who we are
Papua Movement has published articles since July 2026. It is run by the Youth Foundation for Indonesian Peace (YPPI), a registered Indonesian youth foundation declared in Jakarta on 4 September 2026 that works on the protection and empowerment of Indigenous Papuan communities. YPPI is chaired by Alfred Pabika. Our articles are written by contributors from YPPI and the Indonesian Students Association (PPI).
YPPI in the news
YPPI’s declaration in Jakarta on 4 September 2026 was reported by Indonesian media (articles in Indonesian):
- Media Indonesia: “YPPI Resmi Dideklarasikan, Fokus pada Perlindungan dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Adat”
- RRI (Radio Republik Indonesia): “YPPI: Masyarakat Adat Miliki Peran Strategis dalam Pembangunan Nasional”
- iNews: “Masyarakat Adat dan Generasi Muda Jadi Kekuatan Baru Bangun Perdamaian”
- MNC Trijaya: “YPPI Resmi Dideklarasikan, Generasi Muda Didorong Jadi Kekuatan Baru Masyarakat Adat”
- Beritakota: “YPPI Resmi Deklarasi, Fokus Lindungi dan Berdayakan”
- TrazNews: “Deklarasi YPPI ‘Merawat Tanah, Menjaga Budaya, Menguatkan Masyarakat, dan Membangun Perdamaian’”
Our editor
Steve Rick Elson Mara is the editor of Papua Movement, a co-founder of YPPI and the head of YPPI London. He is a PhD candidate in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, where his doctoral research focuses on sustainable peace in Papua. He chairs the Papuan Students Association in the United Kingdom (IMP-UK) for 2026–2028 and founded the Melanesian Youth Diplomacy Forum, which brings young people from Indonesia and Melanesian countries into dialogue. He is the author of Kita Semua Mau Hidup Damai (“We All Want to Live in Peace”) and Papua: The Heart of Indonesia–Pacific Food Resilience.
Disclosure: many of our articles cite Papua: The Heart of Indonesia–Pacific Food Resilience. Readers should know that its author is also the editor of this site.
Why we publish
International readers often hear about Papua only through conflict reporting. We aim to explain how people in Papua live and earn a living, and how roads, food systems, schools and clinics are changing, with a focus on what these changes mean for Papuan communities and their customary land.
What we cover
- Food and agriculture: sago and local crops, food processing, farm logistics.
- Infrastructure: roads, bridges, internet access and their effect on prices and services.
- Economy: small businesses, jobs, tourism and customary land rights.
- Health and education: rural clinics, child nutrition, schools.
- News and security: incidents in Papua, with the source of each claim stated.
- Opinion: analysis pieces clearly labeled as the authors’ views.
How we work
- Sources. Claims by any party, including the Indonesian military, police, government or armed groups, are attributed to that party. When we cannot verify a claim independently, we say so.
- News and opinion are separate. Opinion pieces are labeled and filed under Opinion.
- Corrections. If we get something wrong, we correct it and note the change at the end of the article. Send corrections to [email protected].
- Use of AI. Our contributors research and write the substance of each article. AI tools are used only for final language polishing.
Funding and independence
Papua Movement is funded by YPPI through its members’ contributions. It receives no funding from the Indonesian government or military. Articles about YPPI’s own activities, such as its September 2026 declaration, are written by our team and should be read with that relationship in mind. Editorial decisions are made by the editor.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Instagram, Threads and Facebook: @papuamovement_