The University of the South Pacific is not Fiji’s university, it is our contribution to the collective dreams of our forefathers that we, the people of Oceania should be able to access world class learning right here at home, in our islands close to our matavuvale, our aiga, our famili.
Our role in that matavuvale is veimaroroi, of hosting family, of keeping safe in the bosom of The Fijian Way, of the Pacific Way, the learned men and women of the world who would come to our USP.
More than 50 years later, Fiji continues to challenge, chop and change the Pacific Way to remove the veilomani and veirokorokovi.
The undignified inhumane removal of the USP Vice Chancellor under cover of darkeness is a slap in the face of the hard work, vision and dreams of our founding fathers and has reduced us all to mere thugs.
Professor Pal Ahluwalia has shone a light into darkness and confusion that has cost our university millions of dollars and has sent our own islander academics off into the world away from the growing generation of Pacific leaders who need their wisdom.
As members of the Oceania family, we must all, each of us think very carefully about our part in the region of Pasifika, because the message we continue to give our aiga, our whanau and our famili – is that we are not of Pasifika.
That we stand alone and do whatever we want, regardless of who suffers and without shame or respect. This is a message that the rest of the international community hear quite loudly too!
Make no mistake, if they come for our teachers, for those who seek to uncover evil, they will come for anyone. This unacceptable behaviour can not be allowed to continue.
