Worsening road congestion
THE congestion on our roads is getting worse every year. What should only take 20 minutes, from Nausori to Suva, is now taking hours instead. One solution, I believe, is to change the hours that government and some businesses open. For example, all government branches could start at 9am instead of 8am but finish off at 5pm. This will enable our schoolchildren to board buses between 6am and 7am so that they arrive at their respective schools by 8am. We all know that during school holidays our roads have less traffic. This is due to the fact that there are no school buses or children. For a tiny island nation like Fiji, the congestion on our roads is becoming a nuisance and a source of frustration at times. The heat makes things worse. It’s about time some drastic changes were made to solve this issue. Manoa Kaleca, Nakasi, Nausori
The word is respect!
IN a world increasingly driven by tribal loyalties, political passions and national identities, one emotional force seems to be rising above all others — anger. Fierce passionate anger. And it’s spilling across borders, dominating headlines, flooding social media feeds and too often erupting into conflict and chaos. Narratives clash. Truth becomes tangled in propaganda. Positions harden and somewhere in the noise, our shared humanity begins to fade into the background, confused, disturbed and disappointed. Across many countries, including Australia, we’ve witnessed large and emotionally charged passionate protests. Some voices cry out in pain and solidarity. Others cross a dangerous line into dehumanising language and threats. Many ordinary citizens, meanwhile, are left feeling angry, frustrated, helpless, weary and distressed by the violence. They’re becoming fearful of division and concerned about where this path is leading to. When public expression turns into public hatred, everyone loses something of value. The country goes into a form of cardiac arrest from the trauma of the fear and uncertainties that start filling their lives. It feels, at times, like we’re not merely facing political crises but a crisis of conscience, a crisis of safety, security and stability. Yet if we strip away all the slogans, the flags and the fury, we discover something surprisingly simple is missing — something so basic that its absence is easily overlooked. A seven-letter word. Old-fashioned to some. Unfashionable to others. But powerful enough to cool tempers, open dialogue and rebuild broken spaces and broken bridges. That word is respect. Aretha Franklin immortalised it in song, turning it into a global anthem of dignity and equal worth especially for women. But respect is more than a lyric or a slogan. It is a discipline of the heart and mind. It is a decision about how we treat another human beings especially when we disagree with them. Respect does not mean agreement. It does not mean surrendering conviction or diluting belief. It means recognising that the person across from me carries the same inherent human worth that I claim for myself. It means I can oppose your argument without attacking your humanity. I can challenge your ideas without denying your dignity or denigrating and demonising you with hurtful hateful remarks that cut you down and slice deep into your heart and soul. Imagine how different our conversations would be in Parliament, on the streets, online and around family tables if respect set the tone and atmosphere for dialogue and discussion? Respect changes the temperature of disagreement. It slows reactions. It invites listening. It replaces shouting with speaking and accusation with inquiry. It allows two opposing views to exist in the same room without the room catching fire and disintegrating into chaos. In Fiji, we understand, at least culturally, the value of relational space. Concepts such as vanua, community, kinship and shared belonging remind us that identity isn’t only individual but interconnected. Disagreement within a village does not cancel relationship. It calls for wiser dialogue. There’s something deeply instructive in that for the wider world. Respect is not weakness. It is quiet strength that understands the discipline of control. It is emotional maturity in action and discourse. It is the guardrail that keeps passion from spilling over into hatred and violence. Without respect, freedom of speech becomes a weapon. With respect, it becomes a bridge. Without respect, protest becomes intimidation. With respect, it becomes persuasion. Without respect, differences become division. With respect, difference becomes dialogue leading to compromise instead of confrontation. The world does not need less passion. It needs more principled restraint. It doesn’t need fewer voices. It needs better ways for voices to meet. Respect may not make the headlines. It rarely trends. But it quietly builds the only foundations on which lasting peace can stand with fairness, dignity and mutual recognition. Seven letters. One forgotten virtue. Perhaps the missing link our fractured world is searching for. Respect! COLIN DEOKI Australia
FRA presence
KUDOS to The Fiji Times for printing my letter (FT 20/02) in regards to the whereabouts of Fiji Roads Authority’s presence at major traffic lights along the Suva-Nausori corridor. Whether it was a coincidence or because of my letter, FRA officers appeared in the afternoon. They greatly eased traffic flow for the thousands of daily road users. I hope FRA will be present again from Monday, during peak traffic hours. It just goes to show that the authorities do read The Fiji Times. VIKEL V LAL Makoi, Nasinu
Trade skills gap
THE Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF) existed for that very reason. Sadly, the new kid on the block decided to shut that institution down after the 2006 mishap. Now, we have foreigners to try and fulfill the trade skills gap. But it’s not the end of the world. We can always revert to what was successfully running before the smart one interfered. DAN URAI Lautoka
Army’s role
HOME Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua is absolutely right in reminding all the people of Fiji that “the duty of the RFMF is clear, uphold the constitution and respect the will of the people” (FT 21/2). That is how it should be in a democracy. Unfortunately, for the people of Fiji, the RFMF forgot its role repeatedly beginning with the first military coup of 1987. As a result, the country and the people of Fiji suffered greatly. Let us hope lessons have been learnt and Fiji’s military does not repeat the dark mistakes of its past. RAJEND NAIDU Sydney, Australia
Selective solidarity?
HUNDREDS of Southeast Asians have served in the Israeli Defence Force as recently as last year. These include Filipinos, Thais, and Vietnamese. Of these, 201 held Indian passports. However, there might not be a single Fijian serving in the IDF, even though many Fijians claim to be Israelites who have a passionate regard for the Holy Land. What is even more interesting is that Fijian pilgrims who were in the Holy Land when Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023, could not wait to pack up, put their tails between their legs, get out of the Holy Land and arrive home with great pomp and ceremony, welcomed by the PM. There was an air of glory all around. At the time, I dubbed it “The Great Escape from Tel Aviv”. But, as with everything in Fiji, there must be a logical explanation for all this, one that the vulagi will never be able to understand. JAN NISSAR Lautoka
World of influencers
MARK Zuckerberg is in court, apparently for the first time, defending his products from the accusation that they are addictive, and deliberately so. As a retired, grumpy, senior I try to avoid the world of influencers, the latest challenge that may injury me and certainly online medical advice that could kill me. Of course much of it is right but how can I tell? I get my medical advice from my local, living, doctor. The only service I regularly use is YouTube. I use it as a learning tool, how to use my new coffee machine or how to turn off all of the beeps on our new car. This sort of information is reliable and accurate but I am still getting videos about coffee grinding a month later. It keeps feeding me suggestions that I might be and usually am interested in and it’s hard to stop. I worry when YouTube knows more about me than many of my friends. DENNIS FITZGERALD Melbourne, Australia
Diabetes and lifestyle
DIABETES Fiji executive director Kini Marawa is absolutely correct when he says that the high number of Fiji’s diabetes-related amputations is because of late diagnosis, not taking medication on time and having limited access to structured lifestyle counselling. In addition, many people are in a denial mode, a psychological state where an individual refuses to acknowledge obvious facts, truths, or uncomfortable realities. Personally, I have been diabetic for the past 16 years. During a medical check-up, (angiogram) I was informed of three blockages. Subsequently, I had an open heart surgery in 2017. Today, I use tools to work in my vegetable and flower gardens. I also use the brush cutter and knife to cut grass and clean the compound. My doctor has always advised me to manage diabetes well in order to enjoy long happy life. Eat five small meals per day. Take medication on time. Check sugar level every day. Use parboiled rice, roti flour and skim milk (with tea or coffee). Use sweet potato (kumala) more often (has lower glycemic index) and eat plenty of vegetables. Diet, exercise and medication are most important. RAKESH CHAND SHARMA Nadi
Swimming pool
I struggled to find any recent communication on the swimming pool in Lautoka. It has gone really quiet. “Out of sight, out of mind”. Isa! NIGEL FIU Owls Perch, Lautoka
Feeling gutted
AFTER watching the Drua vs Waratahs game, only one word can describe how I feel. Gutted! MANOA KALECA Nakasi
