Invest
Now, the same level of courage must be shown in the long and difficult decisions needed to deal with climate change.
We need leaders to change the way we look at everything from an economic perspective and make development decisions, because this is the right thing to do for the overall well-being of humanity and the planet.
They must have the courage to reject lucrative development opportunities like extractive industries and ask-who are they? They must only support projects that focus on the well-being and environment of all Fijians.
This requires thorough tolerance. Fiji needs to reassess how it has structured its development issues, involving who we listen to, who should sit at the decision-making table, and, most importantly, who is missing from the key decisions that affect the quality of life for all of us . citizen.
This is essential for our country to take responsibility to re-prioritize short-term investment, which will be withdrawn and exported abroad anyway soon.
Acted
At present, in important forums that determine general well-being, the ones who are always missing are remote rural women, the disabled, indigenous people, young people, LGBTQI communities, and faith organizations—their voices are either suppressed or distorted.
It’s time for us to stop talking about people experiencing vulnerability and marginalization in society, and instead listen to them.
When we incorporate those voices that have been degraded and marginalized for a long time into the core of our development solutions, new and profound solutions to development problems including climate change will begin to surface.
I believe that Fiji does not need great ideas to solve most of our obvious development problems-what we need are insights and priorities from the practical experience of the local people being valued, listened to, and acted upon.
educate
Covid-19 shows us that, in the final analysis, our safety net is our community. Our ability to remain resilient in the face of great uncertainty lies in our relationship with each other and our values.
As Fijians, we urgently need to relearn our local and indigenous values and principles and integrate them into the core of our development and education system.
A famous itaukei idiom resonated with me here: ni dau loveci ga na kau ni se -You can only change people’s behavior and thinking when they are young.
Building an education system for young people that does not follow the neoliberal model that promotes competition, individualism, consumerism, and material wealth is the key to transforming the system into a fair future for all—in a sustainable and long-term way.
This author
Dr. Jale Simuwai is an Oxfam Pacific Climate Finance Consultant in Suva, Fiji Islands.
