WRITER and culture advocate Mary Rokonadravu has described as disappointing the move to split culture and arts along ethnic lines between the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs and the Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs.
Ms Rokonadravu said the move was “deeply problematic”, warning it risked dividing a sector that should unite people.
“Culture is the glue that keeps us together. Culture is the adhesive,” she said. “It tears into the fabric of our soul”.
She said the administrative separation could force artists and institutions to compete for limited funding along racial lines, creating “deeper chasms between races” and increasing the invisibility of minority cultures.
Ms Rokonadravu questioned why a system that had taken decades to build was being altered, noting major milestones had recently been achieved through legislation, including the Fiji National Policy on Culture, the Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture Act and the Heritage Act.
“To achieve so much only to be cast backward along ethnic lines is shocking and disappointing,” she said.
While supporting a petition to the Prime Minister, Ms Rokonadravu said her call was not confrontational, but rooted in “caution”, urging the Prime Minister to reflect independently on the advice he had received.
She argued the sector should remain under one department serving all communities, saying artists need a shared platform rather than “competing for space and visibility based on political curation”.
Ms Rokonadravu also renewed calls for a standalone Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Arts after the next election, saying it would strengthen arts education, employment and economic contribution.
She confirmed encouraging submissions to the Prime Minister as soon as possible, with organisations urged to act by early 2026.
