FIJIANS do not know how to disagree without “going for the jugular”, says FBC presenter Josateki Nailati, and that lack of empathy is fuelling toxic debates online.
Speaking at the International Day of Peace Youth Forum at Pacifika Communities University in Nasese on Tuesday, Nailati said his previous show “Beneath the surface” was built to address that exact problem.
The show interviewed public personalities as well as ordinary people doing extraordinary things to dig deeper beneath their public identity and find out their motivations, aspirations, failures, and fears.
“It’s civil discourse, right? As soon as people have differing or opposing views, you’re going to be like, ‘oh, your mother, your father, the people who haven’t been born yet, your ancestors, your descendants. It’s crazy,” he said.
Nailati said people naturally had more empathy for friends, colleagues at work, classmates, and family because they have an in-depth understanding of why they are the way they are.
“But when it comes to public debate or discussions on the online forum, we are interacting with strangers. So, we don’t have that immediate connection.
“When we enter spaces with the mindset that these are living, breathing, feeling human beings like you and me, who have complex backgrounds, who have been through trauma, who have personal battles, I think we approach it with a bit more empathy and a bit more understanding, as opposed to just going in for the shotgun.”
Nailati said this was what social cohesion was about, understanding that people were members of different groups that often overlapped.
“Understanding that people are members of different groups that overlap. Two people who look disconnected may share interests in video games, church activities, youth leadership or basketball.”
