Ba's youth must shape province's future: Tora

Ba’s development vision towards 2050 must put education, skills training and youth leadership at the centre of its long-term priorities, says Ba Provincial Council chairman Ratu Meli Tora.

Mr Tora said the province’s young people must be equipped to participate in shaping their future rather than simply inheriting decisions made by previous generations.

Speaking during the Ai Vola ni Gauna Vou gala dinner at the Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort last week, he said education was fundamental to building stronger institutions and a more competitive provincial economy.

He said the province needed to encourage technical and vocational training, entrepreneurship, leadership development, digital capability and lifelong learning.

“Our young people must not be asked merely to inherit the decisions of the previous generations. They must be equipped to participate in making the decisions that will shape their lives and their future,” he said.

Mr Tora said economic progress must also be balanced with the preservation of Ba’s cultural identity, oral histories, traditional knowledge, arts and heritage.

He added future generations should be able to participate confidently in the modern world without losing their understanding of their ancestry and responsibilities.

“Our task is to ensure that our children can stand confidently in the modern world without losing their understanding of who they are, where they come from, and the responsibility that they should carry.

He believes the province needed institutions that preserved its heritage while developing the capabilities of its people.