Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea is one in every of 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 principally rock and sand. “You need to go miles — into one other area and territory — to search out the bushes, the forest,” says Roka Matbob, who’s now 35.
She grew up listening to fixed warnings concerning the setting. “From our grandparents and fogeys, the recommendation you at all times 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 recollects. “They usually do not let you know why.”
Roka Matbob began asking questions and, ultimately, 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 gained 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 firms with headquarters in Australia and the U.Okay. 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 tens of millions of tons of copper and a whole lot 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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It additionally provoked a bloody, decade-long civil warfare — one which began when pressure turned to violence because the mining firm introduced in outdoors labor and took out the income. The army 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 injury 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 seemed 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 handle the underlying points, together with the continued setting devastation and the way 1000’s of individuals have been being “denied a standard island life.”
Her activism began as a excessive schooler main protests. She went on to turn into the lead complainant in a landmark human rights grievance filed by the Human Rights Legislation Centre towards Rio Tinto. The consequence has been hailed as a serious win. In 2021, Rio Tinto agreed to fund an impartial evaluation and, in 2024, signed a memorandum of understanding to work with the impacted communities to deal with and remediate the scenario.
“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 a press release 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 enhancing the lives of Bougainvilleans, at the moment and into the longer term.”
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 notice that you might make a distinction?
There have been a pair milestones. In 2019, once we — the group — invited the Human Rights Legislation Centre to actually 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 acquired a notice from Rio Tinto saying they’ve by no means been on the bottom to grasp the impression. And, to me, it was progress once more: They learn it.
After which, lodging a authorized grievance and Rio Tinto responding in 24 hours was progress as a result of that was a platform the place I might converse instantly [to them].
So that you revealed a report and took authorized motion and the mining firm responded. How did that make you are feeling?Â
It’s a dream come true for me — the chance to signify the folks’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 talk directly to them] however I am going to try this now.
However whereas we welcomed it, once you’re completely in a damaged setting, it doesn’t offer you area to pause and have a good time and transfer on. So, the subsequent layer is: How quickly [can we fix it]? How lengthy is it going to take?
You will have 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 folks and the Basikang clan, the place the land, the setting is an inseparable a part of my life. That is one thing that I am unable to take calmly.
Did you ever take into account merely leaving?
I can not transfer as a result of, if I’m going to be transferring, I will be transferring into one other tribal territory, and that’s thought-about a no-go zone. So that is the place my kids and grandchildren will reside as properly. We’ll at all times be right here. We’d like an enduring answer, in order that motivates me.
What else motivates you?
Being a mom. No mom would wish to cross on to her little one a damaged, contaminated portion of the setting. I’ve acquired 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 capable of come out and combat.
You have been one in every of 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’s kind of difficult. With politics — the tradition — may be very patriarchal. However, additionally, it is a blessing. [In my clan,] we ladies are the land guardians and keepers. There may be this proverb in my language and territory: It takes a girl to cry to start out a combat, and it additionally takes a girl’s tears to dealer peace. So [this fight to get answers and solutions] is known as a girl’s place locally.
Theonila Roka Matbob (proper) and group members in Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Area of Bougainville. Roka Matbob says she and her neighbors will determine how one can spend the cash that comes along with her Goldman Environmental Prize.
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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 properly.
When will you are feeling your work is finished? When there is a inexperienced rainforest round you?Â
No. The injury prompted is irreversible. I’ll work as long as this activism brings hope to the folks. I need them to have the ability to perceive their whys and begin transiting out of residing in survival mode to residing in thriving mode.
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