Theonila Roka Matbob grew up in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The area should have been a lush rainforest. Instead, she saw mountains of rock and sand.
Her family warned her not to go near the water or eat anything from the ground. They said it was poisonous but didn't explain why. Roka Matbob, now 35, started asking questions to find out the reason.
A Mine's Legacy and a Fight for Justice
Roka Matbob discovered the cause of the environmental damage: the Panguna copper and gold mine. It was developed by Rio Tinto, a large mining company. The mine operated from 1972 to 1989, producing millions of tons of copper and hundreds of tons of gold and silver.
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Start Your News DetoxThe mine also led to a decade-long civil war. The conflict began when the mining company brought in outside workers and took profits, causing tension to escalate into violence. The war claimed thousands of lives, including Roka Matbob's father.
The mine shut down during the unrest, but no plan was made to address the environmental damage. Roka Matbob described growing up in a "broken environment" and living in "survival mode."
Leading a Movement for Change
Roka Matbob's activism began in high school with protests. She later became the main complainant in a human rights case against Rio Tinto, filed by the Human Rights Law Centre. This effort led to a significant victory.
In 2021, Rio Tinto agreed to fund an independent assessment of the damage. By 2024, they signed an agreement to work with affected communities on remediation. Ilan Kayatsky of the Goldman Environmental Prize praised Roka Matbob for her leadership in seeking justice.
Roka Matbob's work earned her the Goldman Environmental Prize for 2026, recognizing her efforts to repair the environmental and social harms caused by the mine.
Motivation and Future Hopes
Roka Matbob felt a sense of progress when the Human Rights Law Centre listened to the community and published a report. She was also encouraged when Rio Tinto responded to their legal complaint within 24 hours.
She said it was a dream come true to represent her people and speak directly to the company that changed their lives. However, she noted that living in a broken environment doesn't allow for much celebration. Her focus remains on how quickly the situation can be fixed.
Roka Matbob is motivated by her connection to her indigenous Nasioi people and the Basikang clan, who see land and environment as inseparable from life. As a mother, she doesn't want to pass on a contaminated environment to her children.
She also highlighted the role of women in her culture. Women are considered land guardians and keepers. There's a local proverb: "It takes a woman to cry to start a fight, and it also takes a woman's tears to broker peace."
Roka Matbob plans to decide how to use the Goldman Prize money with her community. She believes it "takes a village to create a win" and to make such decisions.
She acknowledges that the damage caused is irreversible. Her work will continue as long as it brings hope to her people. She wants them to understand the "whys" behind their situation and move from "survival mode" to "thriving mode."
Deep Dive & References
After the mine: Living with Rio Tinto's deadly legacy - Human Rights Law Centre, 2021
