It is good to know that HIV and drugs will be at the centre of this year’s Fiji Day activities.
Understandably it should be a day when we celebrate our independence, reflect on the decades we have lived through since 1970, and embrace the lessons we have learnt along the way.
It is usually about commemorating a very special day in our history. This is when we took our first steps to determine and chart our path forward as a nation. This is when we stood up to be counted, and to be independent of Great Britain.
Let’s face it. We are facing great challenges as a nation right now. We have a massive drug problem and this is made worse by our staggering HIV numbers. It would have been a shocker any other time or day. But it isn’t right now given the circumstances we find ourselves in.
We know what should be done. That’s unless we are digging a hole and burying our heads in the sand like an ostrich. Yet many of us feel they are immune to the troubles of the world, and push or live a risky lifestyle.
Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua said Government ministries were using the celebrations to raise awareness and address some of the major challenges facing the country.
He said the Ministry of Health would focus on HIV awareness, while the Fiji Police Force would lead counter-narcotics activities across the country.
He said the Ministry of Defence would also use the occasion to highlight its role in strengthening defence capabilities and mechanisms to support police and other law enforcement agencies.
Drugs, HIV, and Independence Day, he said, were being raised now as the focus of attention, for the nation to come together.
The main Fiji Day celebration will be held in Suva and will culminate in the Fiji Day parade on Saturday, October 10.
Activities, he said, would also be held in other major centres, including Lautoka and Nadi.
He said one of the major activities would involve visits to orphanages and old people’s homes.
Mr Tikoduadua said the private sector traditionally contributed towards Fiji Day activities, while Government had allocated funding for the celebrations.
It makes sense that we should be setting out these challenges, and actually doing something about them.
We need to be vigilant. We need to be actively nurturing an appreciation of our challenges as a nation.
Again, we say, we know what must be done. We know the challenges we face as a nation.
And we know the negative impact these challenges have on our people and our nation.
Sadly, there are far too many people who are not doing what they should be doing, and are contributing to the dilemma we face.
Our challenge is to get everyone onboard in this fight against drugs and HIV. Together.
