Adi Vulori Baleiwai had to juggle her work as an agriculture subject teacher while studying the art of diplomacy since the beginning of the year. She had missed family time to make it to her class, not as a teacher, but as a student every Saturday.

The course she studies delves into the importance of multilateralism where the international community acts on its concerns about topics including peace and security, human rights, the environment, food and hunger, economic development, and globalisation.

It is a course by the United Nations Association of Fiji, a non-government organisation that enhances the relationship between Fijians and the United Nations, raises public awareness of the U.N. and its work, and promotes the U.N.’s general goals.

Ms. Baleiwai was among 18 graduates who successfully completed the course. Twenty-five participants had initially enrolled in the programme.

“To graduate from this training is an achievement because in order to make decisions, you first need to identify yourself in terms of your strength and weakness and you learn them here,” she said.

“One of the things you learn here too is self-care. The decision making you do sometimes will not depend on your personal experience but on the community as a whole.”

She was proud about broadening her mind in the area of diplomacy, despite the odds.

According to UNA Fiji, the trainees through this programme also looked closely at the needs, goals, and foreign policies of countries.

The insights they gain from their exploration of history, geography, culture, economics, and science contribute to the authenticity of the simulation when the role-playing gets underway in summations.

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