Building communities in unity for peace, stability and development
Dec 5, 2005, 11:30

The Ministry of National Reconciliation and Unity in partnership with the Ecumenical Centre for Research Education and Advocacy (ECREA) and the United Nations Development program (UNDP) is conducting extensive consultations to obtain views around Fiji on how to build ‘Communities in Unity for Peace Stability and Development.’

These consultations, undertaken from this month to February 2006, are the central component of the Peace Stability and Development Analyses process sponsored by UNDP through technical and financial support.

Chief Executive Officer Reconciliation Ministry, Apisalome Tudreu said good planning for a peaceful, stable and prosperous future requires consultation with the people.

“This is why eight communities throughout Fiji are being offered the opportunity to present their views through this consultation process,” he said.

Preparations for the consultations began in November this year with training of local facilitators in peace building and conflict analysis.

International experts in the field of peace building and conflict prevention have been training local people in the art of conflict assessment.

“The purpose of the community consultations is to provide an opportunity for local people, especially those that do not normally get a say, to have their voices heard on how Fiji’s future can be made safer, stronger and better for us all,” said Mr Tudreu.

He said the results of the consultations will be presented to the Ministry of National Planning and used by other key Government departments, including the Ministries of National Reconciliation so that they can build the outcomes of the consultations into their programmes and budgets for 2005-2008 and beyond.

The Provincial Councils of the eight chosen districts have been asked to select a number of local community, religious and business people, including youth and women representatives from various organizations to speak with the research team.

The teams will visit Rakiraki, Nadi, Labasa, Savusavu, Levuka, Taveuni, Nausori and Suva central for three days each.

During this time, Mr Tudreu said participants will work towards envisioning a future for Fiji that is peaceful, stable and moving toward further development, then identifying what the obstacles to meeting that vision might be.

“They will then be asked to articulate how to overcome these obstacles. It is these insights that can be interpreted by planners and decision makers at the local and national levels and by development practitioners including bilateral and multilateral donors to help them design assistance programmes that meet the needs of Fiji communities, as expressed by them.”

The Ministry, he said urges those who have been asked to collaborate in these meetings to talk with their families, friends, work mates and congregations about the kind of future they want for their communities, and to discuss what needs to be done to make that dream for a prosperous and peaceful future come true.

“This is a rare opportunity for the people of our country to participate in national planning in a real way. I encourage you all to support this process,” Mr Tudreu added.

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