Talanoa is a much used word and a commendable habit of us people in Fiji. It brings us together. It can spread knowledge and wisdom, or, sadly, it can just become gossip.
Issues that face us
TWO big issues, the Truth and Reconciliation and the Constitution are facing us as a nation and our Government as our leaders. It is the Government who will have the responsibility of action. However, it is very important that before Government acts, we, the people have our say, and before that, we need to know and to understand what these two big issues mean and involve for our future as a nation.
The importance of understanding the issues
For knowing about Truth and Reconciliation we have had the benefit of the expert, Ruben Carranza, from overseas to help those who had the luxury of hearing him speak. Let us hope those who benefitted from his expertise will help us all to understand what is involved and what can be achieved. For knowing about Constitution I can add a little. I have been involved in the composition of several NGO constitutions. The first was that of the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum (CCF). For this constitution I was most fortunate in working with a well-qualified lawyer and great gentleman, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi. I have never forgotten his advice. “Make it as concise as possible. Do not put details in that you will not be able to fulfil later.” How I wish many had heard that advice. Every constitution I have known to be sent to a lawyer has come back with lots of added detail and the details required since the Registrar of Companies has got busy can be too complicated.
How can we educate ourselves
Understanding these two big issues of truth and reconciliation and constitution will require education and explanation. Without this, any attempt at consultation or talanoa will be worthless. Already we are hearing and reading some nonsense about the truth and reconciliation process. Who is going to explain and help us to understand truth and reconciliation as a national undertaking, what it will do, what it may or may not achieve. Everyone needs to know their part even if we are only listeners or interested bystanders. We need to know what a constitution is, and what it can do and how it affects each one of us, as well as the Government, the Police and all the other constitutional agencies.
The problems with talanoa
Our beloved Fiji stands at a crossroads and the future depends on our reaction to these two huge issues. Talanoa is a gift we have. It is the way we can engage, all of us, each in our individual way. Talanoa gives us a chance to speak and to be heard. In recent years we have become used to consultation, but unfortunately this word has been abused by those members of the previous Government who held consultation. There has been no room for genuine talanoa in these consultations, only speech from the Government side. Unfortunately, because of our patriarchal society talanoa struggles to achieve its purpose when the gathering is large. When there is one person in the room who has some cultural status that places them above the rest of us, we are disinclined to speak out the thoughts in our minds. This is a sad reality we have to overcome. Otherwise we will be lost before we start. Those who can help us to understand what truth and reconciliation mean and what a Constitution is and does will inevitably have some form of status.
NGOs to assist
We will need those of us involved in the NGO work who understand how to work in genuine talanoa and consultation to educate ourselves to be able to bring these issues to the people around us, and to the wider public so that we can all come together in genuine talanoa. This needs to happen before we move any further. Then only can we move forward, and call on the Government to hold consultations around the country, in the towns, in the villages, in the mountains and on the islands. This will all take time and we need to think in terms of years, not months or weeks.
Past experience to build on
How I personally wish I were younger, or could live my life again. Looking back, I think we could have done much more before we introduced ourselves to our 1997 Constitution, even though we tried to prepare very well. That 1997 Constitution came after public consultation which was extremely well organised. It was very good to have a chair from outside, Bishop Sir Paul Reeves, a Maori from New Zealand who had the talents needed to understand people and their needs and to listen, with two chosen, one from our Taukei side, Tomasi Vakatora, and one from our Indian side, Professor Brij Lal. Both of them also listened carefully. They provided us with a good start and gave us a tremendous amount of necessary wisdom. I fear we never gave them enough credit. A lot of preparatory work was done by CCF in bringing in speakers from outside Fiji who had good understanding of constitutions. Though these speakers were heard only in Suva and over the radio to some extent, their contribution helped organisations like CCF working with rural people to understand what constitution means and spread knowledge widely.
The place of social media
There was one big advantage then, social media was only just beginning to influence our lives. Now it has developed and is potentially a wonderful instrument for sharing knowledge, but seems to have become very seriously involved in lies and character assassinations. It has killed ordinary conversation and talanoa while we wait to see the doctor, or the dentist. We used to share casual conversation and more in places like waiting rooms. Now there is no interaction and people sit silently engrossed in the instrument held in the hand. It was a special delight and surprise, when we entered the waiting room this last week, to be greeted by the one person sitting there with a big smile and “Bula”. Then we enjoyed a stimulating conversation and now have a new friend.
Past experience lost
Since 1997 we had some good experience in the work done by Yash Ghai who devised a constitution to replace the 1997 one. He travelled extensively all over the country speaking and listening before he made a remarkable contribution to the history of constitutions in Fiji. Sadly that work was trashed and publicly burned in a shameful episode in our short history. We have engaged ourselves in this issue of constitution-making not only once, but four times and been handed one without any consultation in our short fifty-four years as an independent nation. Maybe we hold a record for the greatest number, but it is nothing to be proud of. This time it is very important that we get it right.
Where to now
Already we seem to be moving ahead with the Truth and Reconciliation process too fast. I hope the committee organising the setting up of the commission are prepared to do the ground work needed, and not rush to get it going too soon. With the Constitution there is no harm in the Government having a look at what can be done easily to amend some of the parts of the 2013 Constitution that hold the Government back from achieving some of their efforts to improve our lives. Work on a new constitution or revision of the 2013, or even revision of the 1997 constitution can be done later
What can we the people do
For us, the public, there is much we can do to practise genuine conversation. We need to look at the social status and the position of those who rank higher than ourselves in society. We need to learn to treat them with respect without giving them undue honour and glory. I will not say do away with leis and garlands as they are now a source of income for some small businesses, but perhaps they could be less ostentatious in design. Let’s do away with the cakes, even if some businesses suffer. Some foods that are less damaging to our health can be substituted. It is good to share food. It gives us an opportunity for genuine conversation.
Conclusion
Fiji can make good use of the opportunities given to us at this time in our history to make great steps forward that will benefit us all. But it is also very likely that we will rush the processes of talanoa about these two great issues facing us. As I enter my last decade in life I implore us all, government and people, not to mess this up. Government members involved in the processes to move these issues forward, please go slowly. We as a nation are so good at throwing away our opportunities. Please let us get things right this time. May God guide us and bless our beloved nation.
- TESSA MACKENZIE, known as the woman who designed the Fiji national flag, is a regular contributor to this newspaper. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the views of this newspaper.
