Marilyn Taleo Havini married Bougainvillean, Moses Havini, after being formally adopted in a traditional assembly by Buka chiefs in 1970 and has come to regard the village as her true home. She has taught Visual Arts for over 30 years and designed the Bougainville flag that was raised in 1975 by the Republic of the North Solomons in the first struggle for independence. She was a founding member of the Bougainville Women’s Association in 1972. In Australia, Marilyn has become an activist as a member of the Bougainville Freedom Movement (BFM). With the BFM she has published a two-volume compilation of human rights abuses. She has represented Bougainville at many international conferences and forums, including the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna 1993. She was appointed to the Bougainville Interim Government Secretariat Technical Team for Peace Talks and the Peace Process Consultative Committee. The Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom appointed her as their overseas coordinator at the time of the BWPF formation and in this capacity she has worked to assist Bougainville women to train, lead, travel and represent their people both in Bougainville and internationally.

Author's Pandanus publications