Emmanuel (Manu) Peni is a human rights defender, environmental justice activist, and the Executive Director of Project Sepik, a community-led organisation working to save the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from the Frieda River Mine.
This battle to save one of the region’s most significant river systems, and the peoples, cultures, biodiversity and ecosystems it supports is perhaps the greatest challenge in a life dedicated to addressing injustice.
Born in PNG’s Madang Province and raised by a resilient single mother in a household filled with love and organic food, Manu reflects:
“I was always drawn to the misfits, the misunderstood, the judged, not out of rejection—but because I felt a kinship with those who faced injustice.”
Manu’s life experience, and the environmental destruction he had witnessed in other parts of PNG alerted him to the great threat posed by the proposed Frieda River Mine. But his work in building the community movement to resist the mine had led to threats, isolation and the logistical hurdles in Wewak, a small rural town far from PNG’s political centre.
When a colleague told him about DTP’s program on Human Rights and Business in the Pacific he says:
“I initially resisted the idea of joining the DTP training. I thought it would just be another bureaucratic distraction from the colonizers that will deviate me in supporting real fight on the ground.”
But he said a trusted colleague encouraged him to see the DTP training as an opportunity to build solidarity and networks.
“My friend told me to go and build social capital. And he was right. What I found in DTP wasn’t just training—it was an opportunity for you to build social capital that will in effect help you and your movement.”
Manu said that his friend was right. Reflecting on the impact of the program, he said,
“What I discovered through the DTP program was more than technical knowledge; I found an unexpected gift, social capital, stronger than I had imagined. Suddenly, I was no longer alone in this fight. I felt a sense of solidarity, a community of like-minded individuals committed to change. That sense of belonging became a beacon of hope during my darkest days.”
Manu said he is grateful to the DTP for this awakening. It reminded him that sometimes, the most profound strength comes from relationships, those bridges that connect people across differences, uniting them in a shared purpose to protect their lands, their waters, and future generations.
“In the end, DTP was not just a training program; it was a catalyst that rekindled my spirit and reaffirmed my belief that together, we are stronger.”
Under Manu’s leadership, Project Sepik has grown into a powerful national and international voice against destructive mining proposals in the Sepik River region. The organisation’s model of grassroots mobilisation and cultural stewardship is now being used in university courses and policy conversations, and Manu has spoken on global platforms including TED in New York.
Manu’s campaign to Save the Sepik, its unique cultures, peoples and ecosystems continues. It is a campaign with national and international significance. Manu’s work has also gone beyond the Sepik to wider advocacy for environmental protection, decolonisation, and the rights of Indigenous communities.
Looking ahead, his aspiration is to support emerging leaders in PNG who are committed to climate justice and social transformation.
“I want to be that person who opens the door, offers guidance, and helps them stand strong.”
It is an aspiration that reads like DTP’s own mission.
If you would like to help Manu and others to Save the Sepik please find out more here.
