In every Pacific nation, people contribute in meaningful ways to the lives of their people.
We have highlighted some of that work in the pages of Islands Business, our sister publication, Fiji Traveller, or through electronic media.
While some of the best contributions to the Pacific are made by leaders and public figures, there are countless private citizens who go about their daily lives without fanfare while making immense impacts to national development through their work.
We pay tribute to some of these quiet achievers and to those whose contributions are more public.
Ratu Wiliame Katonivere – Fiji
When Ratu Wiliame Katonivere was pulled from the relative obscurity of provincial leadership in northern Fiji to become Head of State, he was not a well-known person.
Chief, farmer and territorial soldier, Katonivere was the figurehead leader of the political party FijiFirst, in which he was overshadowed by disgraced Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
Two years into his political appointment as President of Fiji, Katonivere showed his true mettle when FijiFirst was defeated at the polls.
Katonivere’s stoicism in the face of pressure from Bainimarama and Khaiyum to reject the election results proved critical to the smooth transfer of power. For two years, he showed calm, committed leadership.
And at the end of his four-year term, Katonivere did what most Pacific leaders find extremely difficult – he gave up his position and returned to private life.
Katonivere is an example of how heads of state must remain apolitical, despite their political beliefs.
Aunofo Havea Funaki – Tonga
On Vava’u in Tonga, Aunofo Havea Funaki runs a number of small businesses, including whale watching tours for tourists in waters around the island.
A central theme of Funaki’s business is respect for, and conservation of, the giant mammals which transit through Tonga on their journey from north to south or vice versa.
When she’s not with the whales, Funaki tries to keep traditional ocean voyaging alive, sailing on board the Hinemoana II to introduce young people to conservation and navigation.
This month, the Hinemoana II is in Auckland after sailing from Vava’u via Tongatapu with a mainly female crew. The cost of keeping traditional voyaging alive is not inexpensive, and much of the funding in Tonga has been provided by Funaki because of her love for the ocean and tradition.
Funaki shows that passion is an invaluable trait in good leaders.
Ralph Regenvanu – Vanuatu
For more than a decade, Ralph Regenvanu has served the people of Vanuatu as a Cabinet minister, parliamentarian, and activist.
Regenvanu rose to prominence in Vanuatu’s scene as a promoter of cultural knowledge preservation and sustainable development. Later, he dabbled in painting and drawing but it was his research that allowed this proud ni-Vanuatu to make valuable contributions at the United Nations and international fora on issues of sustainable development and cultural preservation.
His brand of politics has been at grassroot level, holding regular conversations with the people about matters of local and national interest.
In the Pacific, the use of public funds by politicians to further personal gain has become a sad reality. Regenvanu, however, used his parliamentary allowance to help finance student scholarships and youth business projects. He is a model leader, an example to which both old and young should aspire if they truly wish to serve their people.
Ariana Kilner – Marshall Islands
Violence against women continues to rise across the Pacific, usually at the hands of intimate partners or family members.
This is the scourge Ariana Kilner attempts to end through her work in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where the violence of nuclear testing also contributes in many ways to violence against women and girls.
About 70 years after the first nuclear tests on Bikini Atoll, the Marshallese continue to face health issues caused by the fallout.
Kilner is one of the few who dare speak out on the national and international scene against the United States and its refusal to act justly towards the victims of nuclear testing.
As chairperson of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission, Kilner leads the efforts towards achieving better health intervention for victims and justice for survivors.
She has assembled a young but formidable team to raise awareness about an issue many politicians in the US, United Kingdom, and France, wish would go away.
Kilner shows through her work that age is no barrier to providing credible, thoughtful leadership.
This list was compiled by the Islands Business team.
