Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong made a strong point the other day when she said communities must remain at the centre of our response to the rising drugs and HIV crisis.
She makes sense. In fact, it is the way to go.
We are well into a crisis where our numbers are growing.
We can talk about how shocking it looks.
But the numbers have been rising for some time now. We have had decades to deal with this effectively.
Whatever we are experiencing right now did not suddenly pop out of the woodwork.
We can talk about someone, or some people, sleeping on the job, and we may not be far off the mark.
It is difficult to shrug off the feeling of anger and frustration because somehow we all allowed this drug situation to reach the stage it has. In many ways, we may have inadvertently empowered those driving this trade.
That may be difficult to accept, but the harsh reality is that the drug challenge has been with us for years. The networks, systems and methods behind it were built over time. They did not emerge overnight. The fact that people in positions of trust and responsibility have allegedly been implicated is a concern. With the number of cases involving influential people, we are staring at a frightening situation.
Ms Wong was part of a roundtable discussion on HIV and drugs.
The roundtable highlighted the importance of solutions driven by communities, stronger engagement and co-ordination, and responses founded on compassion, dignity and inclusion.
The discussion was facilitated by Reverend James Bhagwan, the general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches.
Mr Bhagwan urged leaders to unite in helping Fijians and their families navigate the growing challenges posed by HIV and drugs.
Ms Wong reaffirmed that Australia is committed to working with faith leaders, indigenous groups and communities on issues affecting Fiji and the wider Pacific.
She said the insights shared during the discussion would help shape Australia’s continuing support for Fiji’s national response.
The meeting brought together representatives of faith-based and community organisations to discuss the twin challenges of HIV and drug abuse in Fiji.
Participants acknowledged that policies and programs are only as effective as the communities that put them into action.
We have always said that this war against drugs requires broad engagement. No one sector can fight it alone.
That means raising awareness about the devastating impact of illicit drugs. It means educating people about HIV, and the dangers associated with sharing needles and syringes. We face a massive challenge as a nation. It demands engagement.
It demands honesty.
It demands leadership.
It demands that we place our faith in the very people who bear the greatest burden of this crisis. Our communities.
Every village, settlement, school, church and household must become part of the solution. We must stand at the heart of this battle to have any real hope of protecting our people!
