Pacific Elders’ Voice Motivates Youths
“Sustainable leadership in the Pacific is hard work, but it is not impossible!” said Gabriel.
Thursday 05 October 2023 | 13:34
Sitting (left-right): Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, Dr Hilda Heine, Professor Konai Helu Thaman, Professor Robert Underwood, Dr Mahendra Kumar, Honourable Anote Tong, Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola, FNU Chancellor Semesa Karavaki and FNU Council member, Navin Raj Shayam with FNU staff and students.
The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation as the Fiji National University (FNU) hosted the Pacific Elders’ Voice (PEV) at the FNU Nasinu Campus earlier this month.
PEV, made up of respected and prominent Pacific leaders like Dr Hilda Heine, Professor Robert Underwood, Honourable Anote Tong, Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola, Dr Mahendra Kumar and Professor Konai Helu Thaman, were invited to speak at the University as part of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor’s ongoing Leadership Seminar Series.
The leaders had robust discussions on climate change, regional politics, nuclear impact, and the role of indigenous language and culture with a Pacific Island Youth Panel made up of FNU youth, namely Mohammed Iqbal, Rahul Chand, Margret Gabriel, and Setaita Suka.
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PEV Chair, former President of Kiribati, and Climate Change Advocacy International icon, Anote Tong, was grateful to the University for giving them the opportunity to speak to future leaders of the Pacific.
He also encouraged the attendees, especially the young people, to speak out about the issues that affect them and not stand on the sidelines.
“We must go in and engage and even take on the leadership, as I believe that our region has that capability,” motivated Honourable Tong.
“We need to take ownership of our culture, our people, and our future.”
He told the participants to stop seeing themselves as small island states but as large ocean states.
Agreeing with the Honourable Tong, youth panelist Margaret Gabriel stated that young people should take ownership of sustainability, as it is embedded in all Pacific Islanders.
“Sustainable leadership in the Pacific is hard work, but it is not impossible!” said Gabriel.
FNU Students’ Association (FNUSA) President and Youth Panellist, Mohammed Iqbal, agreed with Honourable Tong by stressing that young people need to take ownership of the issues related to the Pacific and take up spaces where they can lead in areas of environmental stewardship, education and awareness, advocacy, and political influence.
“As young people, we need to realise that this is our land and we are the custodians of this land,” stressed Iqbal
*FNU NIKUA LIFTOUT Issue No.9 September 2023*
