Page 12 - IBs November 2022

Fiji Votes

mate justice movement. cultural) loyalties of the past.
Fiji’s 2022 inflation He notes the cultural and “A lot of youths of today, they read a lot and they’ve been
rate is estimated at traditional lens with which youth engaged in surfing the net and understanding what’s hap-
5% are considered in the Pacific, and pening around the world, so they’re much more politically
(Fiji government, writes that urbanisation is changing conscious [of] the Black Lives Matter movement, the various
April 2022)
this: youth movements around the world and climate movement.”
“If children from villages move to Professor Ratuva identifies “unachieved expectations” as
urban areas without being exposed the real challenge facing young people today.
to community decision-making processes, how well prepared “You’ve promised them jobs, for instance, after they do
will they be to take the mantle of elders of their communi- finish a particular degree or whatever, and it doesn’t come
ties whether they remain in cities or return to their village? about, and that will create a sense of resistance.”
Similarly, if urban children grow without the social supports of Professor Ratuva notes that for some young people, there
the village, how well prepared will they be to lead their com- is a degree of cynicism about democracy itself, and “whether
munities and cultures as they age?” it is real or not”, promoting young voters to “vote with their
Fijian academic and Director of Macmillan Brown Centre for feet” and not turn up on polling day.
Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury, Steven Ratuva, “Democracy has to do with creating space for genuine en-
shares some of these observations, particularly in relation to gagement, for freedom of expression and for providing those
education. Speaking at a recent panel discussion, he stated voices which will be transformative, rather than using those
that Fiji’s education system is not fit voices as a basis to suppress,” he concludes.
for purpose, noting: “What we’ve seen
is that very highly specialised kind of 24.1% of Fiji’s editor@islandsbusiness.com
education that we cherish in Fiji over population is
the years tends to create a disadvan- living below the
taged position for our graduates in national poverty
terms of adapting to the fast-changing line. (ADB 2019)
world, to the complex, economic, politi-
cal, cultural, and technological changes PARTY PLEDGES
which are taking place. Some of the countries in the world Commitments around improving the status of Fiji’s
which have some of the best education system like Finland, young people feature in most party platforms.
for instance, they have a very student-centred, youth-centred The FijiFirst Party manifesto talks about recruit-
education [system with] minimal control from above, which ing professional counsellors to help students contend
is the opposite of what we have in our country where there with career and personal choices, and support for
is micro control at different levels. And the idea is to provide more training and awareness around entrepreneur-
space, open space within the education system to develop the ship, leadership, climate change and sexual health
resilience of the youth for tomorrow.” awareness.
He notes Fiji’s coup culture has also had an impact on young The People’s Alliance Party says it will forgive Ter-
people. tiary Education and Loans Scheme (TELS) debts, will
“Fiji has had coups since 1987. Those born in 1987 are now promote cultural education and recreational programs
35 years old. Those born in 2000 are now 22 years old. Those in schools and develop effective career guidelines for
born in 2006 are now 16 years old…so if you like, three gen- school leavers, improve vocational training, and focus
erations of coup youths.” on small business management and entrepreneurial
Professor Ratuva says studies have shown that the impact of skill building. It has also pledged increased funding
extreme political (and environmental) events can be intergen- and facilities for sports development. It will forgive
erational, but notes that when the political environment has student debt.
become toxic, people find other ways of The Fiji Labour Party has pledged to set up a new
61% of voters expressing themselves, such as through ministry for tertiary and vocational education, reduce
aged 18-30 social media. TELS repayments by 50%, introduce a ‘National Servic-
voted in the And he sees social media as broaden- es Scheme’ for young people not going on to tertiary
2018 election. ing the scope for independent political education, reinstate the USP grant and a full review
ideological alignment beyond the family of the education system, amongst other undertakings.
(FEO)
and kinship (and religious, ethnic and

12 Islands Business, November 2022