Our Work | endsarv.net

Sorcery Accusation Related Violence in PNG

Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV) is one of Papua New Guinea's gravest human rights problems, a form of collective, community-authorised violence. In times of misfortune or death, groups of people accuse, torture, and even kill those, most often women, they have come to believe are supernaturally responsible. By the time the fires are burning, it is usually too late to put them out.

The violence did not begin that day, though. It began with stories about supernatural harm, stories that go unchallenged, come to feel like common sense, and demand violence as the answer. When everyone believes the story is true, even families and neighbours can be afraid to speak up for the person accused.

"Violence rarely begins with violence. It begins with a story no one challenged, and the silence of people who were afraid to say, 'this is not right.'"

Theory of Change: stopping SARV before it starts

Most responses to SARV come after the harm is done. This work comes first: helping communities recognise and challenge the dangerous stories before they turn into violence.

This work is led by Papua New Guineans. Trusted facilitators, teachers, leaders and pastors carry learning materials and a facilitative methodology into their own communities through the networks they already belong to.

Communities should be seen for what they are: intelligent and courageous people who, once they have the knowledge they need and come together in common cause, will work together to build gutpela sindaun, a good and peaceful life together.

The same message reaches people in the three places they already gather: the Community Curriculum in communities, Peter and Grace in schools, and Wokman Bilong God in churches.

Where the work reaches

Across the network

6Highland Provinces

21Coordinators

Community Curriculum

144Communities

216Community Trainers

2,880Change Agents

Peter and Grace

53Schools

265Teachers

13,000+Students

The PNG Highlands

Where the programmes overlap, the same communities are reached more than once: parents in the Community Curriculum, students in Peter and Grace, pastors in Wokman Bilong God. School markers show an approximate catchment area.

Explore the interactive map in Our Communities →

Reports and research

The evidence base behind this program, plain-language summaries you can read on your phone, with links to the full reports.

Highlands Research · 2025

No One Should Stand Alone

A study of Sorcery Accusation-Related Violence across seven Highlands provinces: who is most at risk, why it keeps happening, and what the research says needs to change.

Cover of No One Should Stand Alone report

Read highlights Full report (PDF)

Working together

The coalition is led by UNFPA Papua New Guinea (through KOICA), working with PNG government, the Melanesian Institute, PNG's churches and communities, as well as dedicated research and implementation partners, all committed to the same goal: ending SARV in PNG.

Government & Institutional Partners