FIJI’S Deputy Prime Minister, Viliame Gavoka, delivered a strong message to Pacific youth this week: democracy in the region is holding, but it will not survive on autopilot.
He also called for young people to move from the sidelines into power.
Addressing the Regional Workshop on Youth and Democracy in the Pacific, Gavoka said the Pacific had reason to be proud of its democratic record but warned that the system is under strain from misinformation, declining trust and the speed of online political division.
“Democracy is not self-sustaining,” he said.
“Every generation must protect it, strengthen it and pass it on stronger than they inherited it.”
He argued that Pacific democracy must be judged on its own terms, not through imported models.
“Democracy in the Pacific must therefore be understood through a Pacific lens,” he said, pointing to the region’s indigenous traditions, community leadership and the realities of small island states.
But the sharpest part of his speech was directed at the region’s political class. Gavoka said a strong democracy is one where everyone can participate, yet women and young people remain underrepresented in many institutions.
“The Pacific has entered an era where young people can no longer be excluded from decision-making,” he said.
“Our communities, institutions and governments must evolve with the times.”
He singled out political parties as the gatekeepers of real influence, saying young people should not be treated as campaign labour alone.
“Young people must therefore have a stronger presence within political parties.
“Not simply as campaign volunteers. Not merely as supporters. But as contributors to decision-making.”
Gavoka also framed Fiji’s 2022 election and the formation of the coalition government as evidence that participation changes outcomes.
Young people, he said, were active throughout the process, from campaigning and community mobilisation to voter engagement. That involvement helped shape the result.
Empowering Pacific Youth
His warning broadened beyond domestic politics to the region’s biggest strategic threats.
“Climate change remains the single greatest threat facing the Pacific,” he said, adding that the region is also facing mounting geopolitical competition. External engagement must strengthen rather than weaken “democratic accountability and national interests.”
He closed with a direct challenge to Pacific youth: do not wait to be invited into politics.
“Do not wait for somebody to ask for your opinion,” he said.
“Do not assume that leadership belongs to someone else.”
Instead, he urged young people to join political parties, community organisations and public consultations, and to run for office when the chance comes.
“The strongest democracies are not built by spectators; they are built by citizens who choose to participate.”
Gavoka ended on a note of confidence, saying democracy is not foreign to the Pacific but rooted in the region’s own traditions.
“Democracy is not a foreign flower in the Pacific,” he said.
“It is firmly rooted in our traditions of dialogue, consensus, respect and collective responsibility.”
