3000 push ups for West Papua

I've made a horrible mistake. Through a surprising lapse of judgement I've signed myself up to do 3,000 push ups in 30 days to raise money for the Free West Papua Campaign.

If you can spare something, please support me so I feel slightly less of a fool, and I will report back on progress!

For context, just one decade after gaining independence from Dutch colonisers in 1949, West Papua was invaded by Indonesia who wanted to take over all the old colonies in the region not yet strong enough to defend against the nearby aggressor. What followed is half a century of mass murder, arguably an ongoing genocide of the indigenous Papuan peoples.

Today West Papua’s tragedy continues with ongoing reports of villages being burnt, Papuans being arrested, tortured and shot and the beautiful natural wilderness being devastated by logging, mining, agricultural and biofuel interests. More on the West Papuan context here.

The Free West Papuan Campaign is a peaceful movement led by my friend Benny Wenda, the democratically elected leader of West Papua. The campaign aim is simple - to give the people of West Papua the freedom to choose their own destiny through a fair and transparent referendum, a right the UN supposedly guarantees all, but has always been denied West Papua.

It is a small but incredibly important campaign, and very close to my heart, so I hope you will help, if you're able to.