Page 18 - IB September 2024

Education

USP COUNCIL SUMMONED AS DISSENT
CREEPS INTO STUDENT BODY

Continued from page 13 the reports that we’ve heard,” she continued, “that they’re
starting to actually take notice.
in August. “And the reason they’re starting to take notice is because
Within a few weeks, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met the staff decided to use the strike as a platform,” she said.
with Fijian government representatives on the USP Council, “If they [Council] see that the University is not running
including the Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro and effectively, then this is the time for the Council to really
Permanent Secretary for Education, Selina Kuruleca. step in and say, ‘OK, these are our taxpayers’ dollars we’re
Following that, Radrodro called for a special meeting of the investing in this institution. They’re producing graduates
Council to discuss the decision by staff to go on strike, and that will come and make decisions, that will come and run
Osborne-Naikatini’s dismissal. our country’s economy sometime. We have to take that
Speaking to Islands Business after her dismissal, Osborne- responsibility a bit more seriously and ensure that if this
Naikatini agreed with our questions on whether the present management team is not doing its job, we’re going to make
state of affairs at USP may have been due partly to a culture them do their job or we’re going to replace them to find
of the Council becoming too reliant on management to run people who will do that job better’.
the University while failing to provide adequate oversight and “That’s really all it boils down to.”
scrutiny. The General Secretary of the Association of USP Staff,
“I don’t want to disparage the Council, but I think it’s very, Rosalia Fatiaki confirmed that the Special Council Meeting is
very important that the people who sit on Council take that set to be held on September 24.
responsibility more seriously,” she said. “To have a special Council meeting be called, it’s really
There would be hope “if the Council were to step up and a show of the Council taking our grievances seriously and
take more accountability for what’s going on at USP and really we’re grateful to the [Fiji] Government for their part in this,”
pull up the strings of the management and say, ‘No.... you Fatiaki said.
need to fix these problems’. Which is what we got the sense is “We await the outcome of this Council meeting. We are
happening, particularly at the last Council meeting, and from looking forward to resolving these issues.”

Agriculture

PROTECTING OUR LIFEBLOOD

Continued from page 11 origins. These efforts to profit from Kava often strip away the
sacred and communal aspects that are central to its use in
Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa, said the regional Pacific Island cultures, reducing it to a mere commodity,” she
strategy will “continue to position Kava globally, but at the said.
same time transform our economic development. Kava can “This is not just a threat to the economic integrity of our
bring economic benefits to farmers and communities in the Kava industry – it is a threat to our cultural heritage. Kava
Pacific, through a united approach, with one voice, one ceremonies are more than just rituals; they are a way of life,
position.” teaching us about respect, community, and the importance of
maintaining our traditions in the face of change.”
Intellectual rights and cultural property Just as champagne is recognised as a brand from a region
As the Regional Strategy was launched in Nuku’alofa, the in France, can Kava be recognised internationally as a true
ceremony was accompanied by a striking performance of the symbol of the Pacific? There is still work to be done to ensure
milolua lakalaka, a traditional Tongan dance and chant that that Kava is recognised as a uniquely Pacific product, with
depicts the Kava mixing process. common branding that respects its cultural and geographic
For Princess Angelika, the performance highlighted origins.
the cultural significance of Kava and the challenge of Regional organisations and industry groups are applying to
commercialising Kava without honouring its cultural origins: the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), seeking
“Just as the milolua dance brings to life the stories of our ‘Geographical Indications’ for Kava. As Princess Angelika
ancestors, this strategy breathes new life into the traditions explained, “geographical indications will ensure that Kava
that have sustained our people for generations. produced in the Pacific Islands is recognised and protected
“We have seen a growing number of foreign-based globally for its distinct quality and origin, preventing misuse
companies and individuals attempting to commercialise Kava and misrepresentation by external entities.”
without proper acknowledgment or respect for its cultural

18 Islands Business, September 2024