Assistant Minister for Women Sashi Kiran has called on the public to come together as the country attempts to heal from scars of the past.
She told Parliament this was the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the need for Fiji to collectively heal from its tumultuous past.
She paid tribute and acknowledged the efforts of Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) commander, Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, for his own initiative of healing and reconciliation within the RFMF.
“We know that the RFMF has played a role in many disruptive political events in the past,” she said.
“And as the commander stated recently, for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to succeed in Fiji, it was important for RFMF to work on healing and reconciliation from within. I am grateful that we live in times with leaders such as the commander and our honourable Prime Minister who are committed to steering the nation forward from its painful past.”
She also urged all segments of Fiji’s communities to engage in the truth and reconciliation process and create an environment of learning about each other’s cultures and faith traditions.
“Enabling a Muslim worker to quietly conduct his or her midday prayers at work during Ramadan, or reflecting together in a neutral and non-religious way on the message Easter brings, would be ways in which we could bring people together, show respect and support inclusion.
Only when we have learnt each other’s values in each of our cultural and faith traditions, do we embrace each other’s authenticity and only then do we enable each other to grow to their full potential.”
