A mine despoiled the beauty of the rainforest. This Goldman Prize winner took action

The Panguna mine in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The mine has been closed for decades but left environmental scars. Goldman Environmental Prize

Goldman Environmental Prize

It also provoked a bloody, decade-long civil war — one that started when tension turned to violence as the mining company brought in outside labor and took out the profits. The military was brought in to stop the uprising and the conflict evolved into a separatist insurgency. The war claimed thousands of lives and wreaked havoc on the community. Just 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. But, Roka Matbob says, that led to new problems. There was no plan to address environmental damage and contamination.

"I was born into that broken environment. Growing up it's a life on survival mode permanently," Roka Matbob says. She adds that her mother and remaining family were "nomadic" as they looked for safety. They ended up moving into a government controlled camp.

When a peace agreement was signed, in 1998, Roka Matbob felt it didn't address the underlying issues, including the continued environment devastation and how thousands of people were being "denied a normal island life."

Her activism started as a high schooler leading protests. She went on to become the lead complainant in a landmark human rights complaint filed by the Human Rights Law Centre against Rio Tinto. The result has been hailed as a major win. In 2021, Rio Tinto agreed to fund an independent assessment and, in 2024, signed a memorandum of understanding to work with the impacted communities to address and remediate the situation.

"Theonila is leading a historic effort to obtain justice for decades of environmental and social devastation because of the Panguna mine," says Ilan Kayatsky, of the Goldman Environmental Prize in a statement to NPR. "She understood that no one else would step forward to coordinate a campaign and demand accountability. Her efforts have brought together a coalition intent on improving the lives of Bougainvilleans, today and into the future."

NPR spoke with Roka Matbob to learn more about her work and perspective on conquering challenges that can feel insurmountable. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

At what point did you realize that you could make a difference?

There were a couple milestones. In 2019, when we — the community — invited the Human Rights Law Centre to really come and listen to us. Just hearing us out was, for me, progress.

Then, when they supported us by publishing a report called After the mine: Living with Rio Tinto's deadly legacy, we got a note from Rio Tinto saying they've never been on the ground to understand the impact. And, to me, it was progress again: They read it.

And then, lodging a legal complaint and Rio Tinto responding in 24 hours was progress because that was a platform where I could speak directly [to them].

So you published a report and took legal action and the mining company responded. How did that make you feel?

It is a dream come true for me — the opportunity to represent the people's voice and to talk directly to the stakeholder who changed our lives. I shed tears to say, finally, my grandmother didn't [get to talk directly to them] but I'm going to do that now.

But, while we welcomed it, when you're permanently in a broken environment, it does not give you space to pause and celebrate and move on. So, the next layer is: How soon [can we fix it]? How long is it going to take?

You have been fighting for this for many years. Is there something you go back to that keeps motivating you?

I am from the indigenous Nasioi people and the Basikang clan, where the land, the environment is an inseparable part of my life. We co-exist. [We don't have that] and this is something that I can't take lightly.

Did you ever consider simply leaving?

I cannot move because, if I am going to be moving, I'm going to be moving into another tribal territory, and that is considered a no-go zone. So this is where my children and grandchildren will live as well. We'll always be here. We need a lasting solution, so that motivates me.

What else motivates you?

Being a mother. No mother would want to pass on to her child a broken, contaminated portion of the environment. I've got two children [ages 8 and 4] and there are so many children around who are their age but don't have mothers who are able to come out and fight.

You were one of a very small number of women elected to Bougainville's House of Representatives, where you continued your advocacy. How have gender dynamics played into your work?

It's a bit tricky. With politics — the culture — is very patriarchal. But, also, it's a blessing. [In my clan,] we women are the land guardians and keepers. There is this proverb in my language and territory: It takes a woman to cry to start a fight, and it also takes a woman's tears to broker peace. So [this fight to get answers and solutions] is really a woman's place in the community.

Theonila Roka Matbob (right) and community members in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Roka Matbob says she and her neighbors will decide how to spend the money that comes with her Goldman Environmental Prize. Goldman Environmental Prize

Goldman Environmental Prize

This Goldman honor comes with a cash prize. What do you plan to do with it?

That's a decision to make with the community. It takes a village to create a win. So it takes a village to make that decision as well.

When will you feel your work is done? When there's a green rainforest around you?

No. The damage caused is irreversible. I will work so long as this activism brings hope to the people. I want them to be able to understand their whys and start transiting out of living in survival mode to living in thriving mode.