GCC: Community unity key to fighting drugs

The Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) says growing community awareness of the threat posed by illicit drugs is strengthening efforts to protect villages and communities from the drug problem.

GCC chairman Ratu Viliame Seruvakula said the growing awareness was one of the positive outcomes of efforts to encourage communities to embrace the spirit of solesolevaki (working collectively) to address social ills, including illicit drug use.

He said the approach was gaining ground because solesolevaki was already deeply embedded in iTaukei communities, where people traditionally worked together to protect and support one another.

“We have our people now becoming aware of the forces that threaten our peace and, with that self-awareness, people are standing up and putting their foot down, demanding the change they want for a better future for their children,” he said.

The Government, through the Ministry of Policing, has been promoting various solesolevaki initiatives to upskill villagers, increase awareness of the seriousness of Fiji’s drug problem and highlight the collective role communities must play in addressing it.

Last month, Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua used the Solesolevaki ni Veitaqomaki initiative by the United Nations Development Programme to promote maritime safety on two fronts — guarding Fiji’s waters against drug trafficking syndicates following the recent discoveries of white parcels, while also encouraging safer travel and survival skills during emergencies.

Ratu Viliame said community cooperation was not a new concept.

“It has been in existence within our iTaukei communities since the inception of time. It was always within every Fijian setting.

“The very fabric of our community exists with every one of us working and depending on each other to create a harmonious environment.”

Government, religious and traditional leaders have collectively acknowledged that the fight against drugs cannot be won by enforcement agencies alone and requires the involvement of communities.