NI sa yadra vinaka and a warm welcome to you all.
Thank you for turning up in numbers this morning.
Today, we commence this year’s celebration of the life and legacy of the late Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabavu Vanayaliyali Sukuna.
He was born on April 22, 1888, into high chiefly status and privilege. In his education, he was the first iTaukei to qualify as a university graduate.
His studies at the University of Oxford and at the Middle Temple in London earned him a BA and Bachelor of Law degrees.
Who is this great man that we are remembering?
He passed away 66 years ago yet his legacy endures.
Ratu Sukuna was a high chief, a soldier and a statesman. He was a brilliant student like most of you here this morning.
His early education was at the Wairuku Indian School in Ra.
He then attended Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand.
When the First World War broke out Ratu Sukuna was studying at Oxford University, like many young Fijians he was keen to see battle, but because the British Army refused to enlist non-whites he crossed the English Channel and joined the French Foreign Legion in January 1915 where he received one of France highest decoration for bravery the Cross of War.
He was instrumental in Fiji’s participation during the Second World War from 1939-1945 when our soldiers fought in the Solomon Islands. Through Ratu Sukuna’s influence, our soldiers saw action in Malaysia during the Malayan Emergency from 1952-1956.
Ratu Sukuna Day public holiday used to be celebrated in Fiji before it was removed in 2010.
In 2023, Cabinet reintroduced the public holiday. This is why we are celebrating today. We want our young generation of today and tomorrow to learn about famous historical figures who helped shape Fiji’s development. And Ratu Sukuna was the best equipped iTaukei leader of the 20th Century.
Ratu Sukuna was an influential voice for, and advocate of, indigenous issues. He established the Native Land Trust Board now known as the iTaukei Land Trust Board.
He was a major influence in the creation of the Fijian Affairs Board, now the iTaukei Affairs Board.
Born nine years after the arrival of the first indentured workers from India, he recognised that Fiji had become a multi-ethnic society and this sociological fact could no longer be ignored.
He was mindful of the future of Fiji in a multi-ethnic society when he convened the Great Council of Chiefs in 1936 and told them:
“We cannot in these days adopt an attitude that will conflict with the welfare of those who like ourselves live peacefully and increase the wealth of the Colony. We are doing our part here and so are they. We want to live; they do the same. You should realise that money causes a close inter-relation of interests. If other communities are poor, we too remain poor. If they prosper, we also prosper. But if we obstruct other people without reason from using our lands, following the idlers there will be no prosperity. Strife will overtake us, and before we realise the position, we shall be faced with a situation beyond our control, and certainly not to our liking. You must remember that Fiji today is not what it used to be. We are not the sole inhabitants; there are now Indians and Europeans”.
Ratu Sukuna made this statement four years before his Native Land Trust Board Bill was presented in the Legislative Council.
The proposed legislation, drafted in 1937, encapsulated his vision of what he thought would be the best arrangements for native Fijians and for Fiji as a whole.
He knew it will be unpopular, but making unpopular decisions for the sake of the common good is a mark of a great leader. One of the cornerstones of Good Leadership is Courage; Physical and Moral Courage, Ratu Sukuna had lots of both of them
Throughout his life, Ratu Sukuna was an avid reader. He loved books. This is a lesson for all of us particularly in this age of technology. And indeed, with the influence of Artificial Intelligence. The three-Legged Stool is a collection of writings by the great leader. I would encourage you to look it up in your own free time. Last year’s theme was “Celebrating visionary leadership”.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating visionary leadership through education and culture”.
By now, you have guessed right if you are trying to answer the question why education and culture? Ratu Sukuna was a giant of both.
There are two outcomes of this education symposium. The first is to gather ideas from you, our students, on how to integrate culture more effectively into our curriculum: how culture can strengthen leadership at all levels. The second is to help influence our education system on the pressing issues Fiji is facing today under the three symposium themes:
Theme 1: Indigenous identity
Ratu Sukuna recognised the importance of embracing his indigenous identity and values while also supporting the work of the colonial administration, the government that ruled in his time. He was a man of two worlds.
Theme 2: Culture and education
Ratu Sukuna achieved significant academic success while steadfastly maintaining his cultural heritage. How can culture and education enhance social and cultural cohesion in Fiji today?
Theme 3: Bravery in battle
Ratu Sukuna was awarded the Cross of War, a highly distinguished French military decoration for bravery in combat. How can we inspire such valor in today’s youth to address social issues such as poverty, drugs, gender-based violence, and climate change?
At the heart of visionary leadership is a fundamental belief. The belief that education and culture holds the key to unlocking our individual potential and also creating a more just, sustainable and prosperous society. By investing in quality education for all, we empower our youths with knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities to become agents of positive change for Fiji. By celebrating and embracing lessons and values learnt from Ratu Sukuna, we promote the diversity of Fiji’s cultures, fostering mutual understanding, cultivate creativity, and build the social cohesion necessary to address Fiji’s shared challenges.
Fiji needs future leaders who can see beyond the immediate horizon – leaders with the courage to make the right decisions, leaders with great courage and foresight to steer a course for a better Fiji. Such visionary leadership is essential if we are to tackle Fiji’s complex issues.
Today, I want us to tap and explore how visionary leadership can leverage the transformative power of education and culture to shape Fijis’ future.
The themes you will discuss will help in shaping our education system that will inspire our youths, who will be future leaders who will bridge divides and build a strong Fiji.
Through this discussion I hope we can all leave here today with renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to champion visionary leadership in our schools and communities.
I wish you great success in today’s symposium and hope it will yield a clearer vision on how we can strengthen the vital connection between education and culture.
With those few remarks, I declare the Education and Culture symposium 2024 open.
May you all have a wonderful day.
