Paper short abstract:

The participants in Kula exchange (of Papua New Guinea) have recently decided on a set of written rules to improve and revitalize this system of delayed reciprocity. My paper will describe this process and outcome.

Paper long abstract:

In early 2016, a team of kula masters and anthropologists circulated the kula "ring" to meet with every community and discuss ways to prevent kula from extinction within the next generation. The growing impact of the global cash economy, mass tourism, technological advances, evangelical preaching, and the school curricula are distracting the young generation and cause them to reject "old custom".

In ca. 30 meetings on 20+ islands, a "constitution" for kula exchange was drafted based on general consent. While people are aware of the rules for kula exchange, they increasingly disregard them as they are less fearful of sorcery as retribution. If one could complain to the local village court, the islanders said, a better enforcement can help to rebuild a strong kula network. These rules fall into three categories relating to proper attitudes towards the exchange partner and to the valuable objects in circulation. The draft is now being further discussed and in some places implemented at the village court level.

The paper will describe the process and its outcome while also asking if cooperation in such a conversion from oral to written rules is an ethically appropriate for an anthropologist.