Page 12 - IB December 2024

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politicians in the region, like Ralph Regenvanu in neighbouring family and clans of the two slain UC leaders to reconcile with
Vanuatu. Regenvanu is the eldest son of Presbyterian church the family of their killer. In 2019, on the 30th anniversary of
leaders Sethy and Dorothy Regenvanu, both pivotal figures in his father’s death, I travelled to Tiendanite and spoke with
the New Hebrides campaign for independence from France Emmanuel about the importance of reconciliation, memory
and Britain. Ralph studied anthropology and indigenous and history – he stressed that the strength of Kanak culture
languages, and was a driving force in the creation of the made reconciliation possible. As is common across Melanesia,
music festival Fest’Napuan. As director of the Vanuatu after fighting, there must be dialogue and a breaking of bows
Cultural Centre, he mounted campaigns on oral history, and arrows to rebuild community harmony.
protection of intangible cultural heritage, and promoting the “Just as in Papua New Guinea, or Solomon Islands, or
traditional economy. Vanuatu, custom is what makes us Pacific Islanders,” he told
Then, founding the Graon mo Jastis Pati (Land and Justice me. “The yam, the sacred, respect for others, respect for
Party) in 2010, Ralph Regenvanu entered politics, serving in a the community, the dimension of justice, of sharing: it was
minister in several governments over the last decade. Today, through these cultural values that we were able to reconcile
he is Vanuatu’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, and last with the family of Djubelli Wea, who killed my father.”
month led his nation’s campaign to seek an advisory opinion Today, many New Caledonians hope that Tjibaou can
on climate change and human rights from the International draw on this experience to reach out to other non-Kanak
Court of Justice. communities, battered by the five months after conflict that
erupted on 13 May. He must also inspire the young Kanak
Family history activists who faced off against police for months on the
Like Regenvanu, Emmanuel Tjibaou carries the weight of barricades, with 2600 arrests and many youth jailed.
family history and the expectations of successive generations Already, there are signs that Tjibaou can maintain UC’s
of independence supporters. strong commitment to independence while also reaching
His late father, Jean-Marie, remains an iconic figure in the out to others. During his electoral campaign for the French
Kanak struggle for self-determination, honoured by statues in National Assembly, Tjibaou’s running mate was Amandine
the Place des Cocotiers—Noumea’s main square—and at the Darras, a young Caldoche environmentalist from the rural
Cultural Centre that bears his name. After Jean-Marie Tjibaou town of Bourail. At UC’s party congress in November, Darras
took a leading role in Union Calédonienne in the 1970s, a was elected as UC deputy secretary general, as part of the
central feature of his work was promoting Kanak culture new leadership team.
and identity, which had been marginalised in French colonial Choosing Tjibaou as 2024 Pacific Person of the Year, Islands
society. In 1975, he organised the Melanesia 2000 festival, an Business acknowledges this role as a cultural leader and
unprecedented celebration of indigenous culture, music, and negotiator – skills that are not only important for post-conflict
dance. Two years later, UC called for independence rather New Caledonia, but also for other nations riven by conflict in
than greater autonomy within the French Pacific dependency. the region.
On 1 December 1984, Jean-Marie Tjibaou raised the flag From the beginning of this year’s crisis in New Caledonia,
of Kanaky for the first time, as he declared the Provisional the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Melanesian Spearhead
Government of Kanaky: “In 1853, our country saw the French Group (MSG) have called for dialogue and an end to violence.
tricolour raised at Balade, robbing Kanaky of its sovereignty. The MSG has played an important role at the United Nations
Today, we take up the challenge and hoist this flag.” Special Committee on Decolonisation, calling on France to
Tjibaou then led the FLNKS through the four years of meet its obligations under international law. In October,
conflict between 1984-88 known as Les évènements, which the Forum deployed a monitoring mission with three Prime
culminated in the May 1988 Ouvea massacre. Shaking hands Ministers, a Foreign Minister, and the Secretary General
with anti-independence leader, Jacques Lafleur, and signing and Deputy Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat.
the Matignon-Oudinot agreements, Tjibaou made the gamble It was the highest-level delegation ever sent on a Forum
that peace and dialogue was the way forward. It cost him his mission to New Caledonia, and a recognition that this year’s
life. crisis has important regional implications. The future of
On 4 May 1989, Kanak activist Djubelli Wea shot and killed self-determination will remain on the regional agenda, as
Tjibaou and his lieutenant, Yeiwene Yeiwene, on the island of struggles continue in Bougainville, West Papua, and other
Ouvea, as they marked the death of 19 Kanaks a year before. parts of the region.
Just 13 when his father was assassinated, Emmanuel Tjibaou’s hope is that the spirit of reconciliation in New
Tjibaou has since walked a long road for understanding and Caledonia will “inspire others—in Bougainville, in Solomon
reconciliation. Memory and apology play a crucial role. A Islands—to bridge the gulf between combatants and
small plaque marks Jean-Marie Tjibaou’s grave in Tiendanite: their clans still living with the loss. We hope to share our
“Pardon – do kan ôdavi vin mala da – so a new dawn can rise.” experience of reconciliation, in the tradition of Wantok – one
way, one spirit.”
Reconciliation and dialogue
In later years, customary and church leaders assisted the

12 Islands Business, December 2024