Page 5 - IB April 2022

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Managing Director / Publisher When Australia announced it was opening its borders to commercial kava imports
Samisoni Pareti
at the end of last year, Pacific Island governments, exporters and growers who had
long been lobbying for the development were delighted. Many of them are also cau-
Managing Editor
Samantha Magick tious though, as the program is a two-year pilot and much depends on a high-quality
supply being maintained, and the market growing beyond the Pacific Island diaspora
communities. In this issue we look at some of the key issues and challenges, what
the region’s leading players did to prepare for the trial, and their plans for future
innovations.
Designer
This issue also includes a summary of the vision recently laid out by Tuvalu’s leaders
Dick Lee
for their nation, as it faces climate change and the possibility of its landmass disap-
pearing. It’s an ambitious plan based on four pillars: culture, digitisation, climate
Contributors
advocacy and the definition and longevity of statehood. It’s also a well-articulated
Nic Maclellan
and coherent strategy based on consultation across the community, which sets an
Kite Pareti example for many of our countries.
Leila Parina
Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti All too often, these ‘consultations’ are shallow political exercises, where the person
Rowena Singh holding the mic uses them as an opportunity to push their own agenda, campaign,
Dionisia Tabureguci ‘validate’ their own conclusions or simply berate anyone with an alternative view-
Kaliopate Tavola point (usually by accusing them of being a stooge for a opposition political party).
This election year (in the region’s two largest nations; Papua New Guinea and Fiji),
there is an opportunity to elevate the conversation and consultations to understand
the concerns and ideas that voters and citizens bring to the table. Unfortunately, on
current evidence, we look like we’re just going to get more of the same posturing.
Islands Business is published monthly by
Front Page Pte Limited We hope to make space for some of these bigger conversations in future issues in both
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