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HON FILIPE BOLE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, NATIONAL HERITAGE, CULTURE AND ARTS, YOUTH AND SPORTS A ADDRESS ∑ MEMBERS OF THE FIJI ARTS COUNCIL ∑ THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE 10TH PACIFIC ARTS FESTIVAL ∑ PERFORMERS ∑ LADIES AND GENTLEMEN B INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AT THE OUTSET I WISH TO THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR HONOURING US WITH SUCH A SPECTACULAR TRADITIONAL CEREMONY OF WELCOME. 2. TODAY’S CEREMONY MARKS THE COMPLETION OF THE LAST PHASE OF OUR PREPARATION FOR THE 10TH PACIFIC FESTIVAL OF ARTS. AND INDEED, I AM VERY MUCH AWARE AND GRATELY ENCOURAGED BY ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO. 3. FOR THIS REASON, I WISH TO THANK THE COMMITTEE, THE FIJI ARTS COUNCIL, THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND ARTS AND ALL THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY BEHIND THE SCENES. 4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WISH TO SINCERELY OFFER A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION TO THE PERFORMERS WHOSE WONDERFUL DANCES WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED. 5. THE GRACE AND BEAUTY WITH WHICH YOU PERFORMED YOUR ITEMS ARE REFLECTIVE OF YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO BEING FIJI’S BEST DIPLOMATS IN SAMOA. 6. THEY SAY THAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS THE BEST RECIPE FOR PERFECTION AND INDEED, THE WELL-POLISHED MOVES AND THE SPECTACULAR DISPLAY OF TALENT, THAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN, ARE INDICATIVE OF THE LONG HOURS YOU MUST HAVE SPENT TRYING TO PERFECT YOUR EVERY MOVE. C IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE 7. A COUNTRY LIKE FIJI, TODAY SURVIVES AND PROSPERS BY THE TALENT AND THE ABILITY OF ITS PEOPLE. HUMAN CAPITAL IS THE KEY. THE MORE IT IS DEVELOPED, THE BETTER WE ARE. 8. IT IS IMPORTANT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT WE MAKE ARTS AND CULTURE PART OF OUR CORE SCRIPT. CULTURE, FOR A MULTI-CULTURAL SOCIETY LIKE OURS CAN NO LONGER BE ON THE PERIPHERY. IT CAN NO LONGER BE AN ADD-ON OR A VALUED BIT OF FUN WHEN THE SERIOUS WORK IS DONE. 9. RATHER IT SHOULD BE CENTRAL, IT SHOULD BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE NARRATIVE ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF A NEW AND DIFFERENT FIJI, WHERE ALL RACES SHOULD COME TOGETHER AS ONE! 10. THE PROCESS OF STIMULATION THROUGH DANCES, SONGS AND THE ARTS ENLARGES A COUNTRY’S CAPACITY TO BE REFLECTIVE, TO BE INTERESTED AND TO BE BOLD. DYNAMISM IN ARTS AND CULTURE CREATES DYNAMISM IN A NATION. D BEING GOOD AMBASSADORS 11. WHILE WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WONDERFUL TRIP TO PAGOPAGO, MAY I REMIND US ALL THAT WE WILL BE THERE AS THE BEST AMBASSADORS OF OUR NATION. 12. AND WHILE WE HAVE A RIGHT TO ENJOY THE GAIETIES OF THE OCCASION, I BELIEVE IT IS WORTH NOTING, THAT OUR PRIORITY IS TO ENSURE THAT WE VIGOROUSLY PROMOTE THE BEAUTY OF OUR CULTURE. 13. WE OWE IT TO OUR NATION AND TO THE TAX- PAYERS WHO ARE FUNDING OUR TRIP, TO SHOWCASE THE BEST, AND NOTHING LESS THAN THE BEST OF FIJI! E CONCLUDING REMARKS 14. TO CONCLUDE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT I WAS GREATLY ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I SAW THIS MORNING. AND IF THIS IS A REFLECTION OF WHAT OUR DELEGATION WILL BE SHOWCASING IN PAGOPAGO, THEN I AM INDEED EXCITED AND PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS DELEGATION. 15. I THANK THE PERFORMERS, ONCE AGAIN FOR THE MARVELOUS DISPLAY THIS MORNING AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PART OF THIS JOYOUS OCCASION. VINAKA VAKALEVU! *************************** |
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