Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea is one in all this 12 months’s Goldman Environmental Prize winners. She is being acknowledged for her efforts to restore environmental and social harms brought on by a copper and gold mine.
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Goldman Environmental Prize
Theonila Roka Matbob was born in what ought to have been a lush rainforest. Her household’s house is close to the middle of the most important island in Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Area of Bougainville within the Pacific Ocean.
As an alternative, she says, the mountains round her have been largely rock and sand. “You must go miles — into one other area and territory — to seek out the bushes, the forest,” says Roka Matbob, who’s now 35.
She grew up listening to fixed warnings in regards to the setting. “From our grandparents and fogeys, the recommendation you all the time get is: Do not go close to the water. Do not go close to the river. It’s toxic. Don’t eat something that falls onto the bottom,” she remembers. “And so they do not inform you why.”
Roka Matbob began asking questions and, finally, she found out the why.
Her work as an activist to restore the environmental and social harms has earned her The Goldman Environmental Prize for 2026. The winners have been introduced Monday: grassroots environmental champions, one in every of the world’s inhabited areas. Roka Matbob received for the island nations.
The set off for her environmental woes — and activism — is a mine.
Roka Matbob grew up minutes from the Panguna copper and gold mine, which had been developed by Rio Tinto, one of many world’s largest mining corporations with headquarters in Australia and the U.Ok. The mine close to Roka Matbob’s dwelling was run by means of the subsidiary Bougainville Copper Ltd. Whereas the mine had lengthy been deserted, between 1972 and 1989 it produced hundreds of thousands of tons of copper and tons of of tons of gold and silver.
The Panguna mine in Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Area of Bougainville. The mine has been closed for many years however left environmental scars.
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Goldman Environmental Prize
It additionally provoked a bloody, decade-long civil warfare — one which began when stress turned to violence because the mining firm introduced in outdoors labor and took out the income. The navy was introduced in to cease the rebellion and the battle developed right into a separatist insurgency. The warfare claimed 1000’s of lives and wreaked havoc on the group. Only a few days shy of Roka Matbob’s third birthday, her father was taken by an armed group and later killed.
Amid the unrest, the mine shut down. However, Roka Matbob says, that led to new issues. There was no plan to deal with environmental harm and contamination.
“I used to be born into that damaged setting. Rising up it is a life on survival mode completely,” Roka Matbob says. She provides that her mom and remaining household have been “nomadic” as they regarded for security. They ended up transferring right into a authorities managed camp.
When a peace settlement was signed, in 1998, Roka Matbob felt it did not deal with the underlying points, together with the continued setting devastation and the way 1000’s of individuals have been being “denied a traditional island life.”
Her activism began as a excessive schooler main protests. She went on to develop into the lead complainant in a landmark human rights criticism filed by the Human Rights Legislation Centre towards Rio Tinto. The consequence has been hailed as a significant win. In 2021, Rio Tinto agreed to fund an unbiased evaluation and, in 2024, signed a memorandum of understanding to work with the impacted communities to deal with and remediate the state of affairs.
“Theonila is main a historic effort to acquire justice for many years of environmental and social devastation due to the Panguna mine,” says Ilan Kayatsky, of the Goldman Environmental Prize, in an announcement to NPR. “She understood that nobody else would step ahead to coordinate a marketing campaign and demand accountability. Her efforts have introduced collectively a coalition intent on bettering the lives of Bougainvilleans, right now and into the long run.”
NPR spoke with Roka Matbob to be taught extra about her work and perspective on conquering challenges that may really feel insurmountable. This interview has been edited for size and readability.
At what level did you understand that you can make a distinction?
There have been a pair milestones. In 2019, after we — the group — invited the Human Rights Legislation Centre to essentially come and take heed to us. Simply listening to us out was, for me, progress.
Then, once they supported us by publishing a report referred to as “After the mine: Residing with Rio Tinto’s lethal legacy,” we bought a observe from Rio Tinto saying they’ve by no means been on the bottom to grasp the influence. And, to me, it was progress once more: They learn it.
After which, lodging a authorized criticism and Rio Tinto responding in 24 hours was progress as a result of that was a platform the place I may converse instantly (to them).
So that you revealed a report and took authorized motion and the mining firm responded. How did that make you’re feeling?
It’s a dream come true for me — the chance to characterize the individuals’s voice and to speak on to the stakeholder who modified our lives. I shed tears to say, lastly, my grandmother did not (get to speak on to them) however I am going to try this now.
However whereas we welcomed it, whenever you’re completely in a damaged setting, it doesn’t offer you house to pause and rejoice and transfer on. So, the subsequent layer is: How quickly (can we repair it)? How lengthy is it going to take?
You’ve been combating for this for a few years. Is there one thing you return to that retains motivating you?
I’m from the Indigenous Nasioi individuals and the Basikang clan, the place the land, the setting is an inseparable a part of my life. That is one thing that I can not take frivolously.
Did you ever take into account merely leaving?
I can’t transfer as a result of, if I’m going to be transferring, I’ll be transferring into one other tribal territory, and that’s thought of a no-go zone. So that is the place my kids and grandchildren will dwell as nicely. We’ll all the time be right here. We’d like an enduring resolution, in order that motivates me.
What else motivates you?
Being a mom. No mom would need to go on to her little one a damaged, contaminated portion of the setting. I’ve bought two kids (ages 8 and 4) and there are such a lot of kids round who’re their age however do not have moms who’re in a position to come out and combat.
You have been one in all a really small variety of girls elected to Bougainville’s Home of Representatives, the place you continued your advocacy. How have gender dynamics performed into your work?
It is a bit tough. With politics — the tradition — could be very patriarchal. However, additionally, it is a blessing. (In my clan,) we girls are the land guardians and keepers. There may be this proverb in my language and territory: It takes a girl to cry to begin a combat, and it additionally takes a girl’s tears to dealer peace. So (this combat to get solutions and options) is mostly a lady’s place in the neighborhood.
Theonila Roka Matbob (proper) and group members in Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Area of Bougainville. Roka Matbob says she and her neighbors will resolve how one can spend the cash that comes together with her Goldman Environmental Prize.
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Goldman Environmental Prize
This Goldman honor comes with a money prize. What do you intend to do with it?
That is a call to make with the group. It takes a village to create a win. So it takes a village to make that call as nicely.
When will you’re feeling your work is finished? When there is a inexperienced rainforest round you?
No. The harm prompted is irreversible. I’ll work as long as this activism brings hope to the individuals. I would like them to have the ability to perceive their whys and begin transiting out of residing in survival mode to residing in thriving mode.
