Paul Wolfowitz resigned today as President of the World Bank, due to allegations he had helped his girlfriend get a generous raise.
You may recognize his picture on top, but you probably don't recognize him in the second picture, holding an ax... my dad on the left, him on the right.
I'll let my mother tell the story.
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"I'm just an ordinary out-of-the-link small town person . My circle of friends does not include Ivy-Leaguers , millionnaires, or national politicians. But in the 1980's my husband and I had the privilege of taking our first major flight. It was from New York State to the country then known as Irian Jaya (now known as Papua) on the island of New Guinea - just north of Australia. And there, of all places, amid Stone Age people I met the man who is now the president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz.
For a year and a half we lived in the Mulia Valley, a remote moutainous valley 200 air miles from the civilization of the coastal area. Strapped in our small mission plane we landed noisely on the gravel airstrip catching our first glimpse of people who had still never seen a car, did not use glass or rubber in any form, and lived on a diet of sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes. They drank nothing but water because they knew nothing else. Grass roofed conical huts were their homes. Their possessions were nothing but bows and arrows, axes, and grass skirts or penile gourds, grown in the garden.
A few western style clothes had trickled in and were worn in a mix-&-match style. Everyone raised pigs, which were the "bank account" of each family. Since there was no electricity to preserve pork, when a pig was killed it was a shared occasion, a festival.
Unable to access Mulia Valley by water, road, or trekking, it was truly the end of the world. World War II plane crashes in these mountainous highlands made the world excitedly aware of undiscovered people-groups, and once the news leaked out, missionaries began arriving. My sister and brother-in-law (Jerry and Carol Powell) moved there as medical missionaries, and built a small hospital. We were going there to build an extension to that hospital.
One day we learned that Paul Wolfowitz, the American ambassador to Indonesia, wanted to leave Jakarta and visit the interior. I do not know how he and his body guards decided to visit our valley. But we 9 Americans that lived there excitedly began to prepare for his visit.
The tribal people in the valley were called "Dani's." Without governmental structure themselves, they had heard that the Big Man from America was coming. At this time it was very difficult for missionaries to keep their visas. They lived from day to day not knowing when they would suddenly be asked to leave immediately. The Dani's wanted the missionaries to STAY! They thought they should show Mr. Big Man the difference the missionaries had made in their lives.
Hundreds gathered nightly on the top of the steep airstrip close to our house, and pow-wowed concerning what they could do.
They decided to re-enact their former lives. They would put pig grease and soot on their faces, put leaves or bird feathers in their hair, wear almost nothing except fake goiters, carry their bows and arrows and spears, and dance in a counter-clockwise motion and chant. Afterwards, one of them would make a speech.
We radioed the ambassador and told him to tell his body guards not to shoot when they landed in Mulia. This was a friendly demonstration!
The big day arrived. The Big Man came. The Dani's carried out their plan to perfection. The ambassador was hustled past them to our house where he would have coffee with all the Americans living there. Very politely he drank his coffee, but his eyes were always looking out the window at the continuing demonstration. Finally, he graciously asked if it would be OK for him to go outside so he could get closer to the excitement. Off he went!
Now it was time for the speech. The chosen Dani spokesman told of how much their lives had changed since the missionaries had come. Their revenge intra-village killings had stopped. With better living and access to health care their life span had increased. And those fake goiters represented the real ones that used to be so prevalent.
Peace reigned in the valley; peace in their hearts that no longer feared the spirits of the jungle; and peace between villages. They even widened the walking paths through the mountains so that two people could walk side-by-side and fellowship with each other. And then came the plea."Mr Big Man, we hear that the missionaries need a paper to stay here. Can you please help them get that paper?"
Ambassador Wolfowitz arose in this open outdoor sit-on-the-ground meeting and gave a very gracious response saying he had learned a lot and that he would do what he could about the problem.
Now it was time for the pig feast. My sister explained to Mr. Wolfowitz, a Jew, that this was the only way the Danis knew to honor special people and apologized that they would be giving him some of their pit-roasted pork. As hundreds of people milled about all were fed this succulent pork, using banana leaves as plates.
Next came the presentation of gift stone axes to Mr. Big Man for having come, and to my husband for appreciation in having enlarged their hospital. The stones are chosen very carefully, and the handles are wrapped in wet vines and held over a smoky fire to burn a pattern on them.
That evening the Americans met informally with their ambassador and gave him a crazy quiz which he flunked, and was thus pronounced unable to leave the valley!
My husband's stone axe is still with us in our easily accessible attic where other mementos also remind us of our incomparable 18 months in Mulia Valley. I wonder where Mr. Wolfowitz's axe is??
I was impressed by this man, and knew if he ever ran for president I would vote for him. It saddens me, if we can believe the news reports, that he's gotten himself into some trouble as president of the World Bank. Maybe the world should take a lesson from the Dani's, who use shells as a means of exchange!
Donna Doan
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Thanks, mom, for the most interesting story about Paul Wolfowitz in the news today!
