Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum Chair, Sitiveni Rabuka says in reflecting on the challenges and complexities that lie ahead of them as a region, he is more certain than ever, that these present times demand a leadership style that is innovative, yet grounded in the Pacific context and culture.
While hosting a dinner for Pacific leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat, Rabuka says the recent challenges within the foreign family has for him personally reaffirmed the need for them as leaders to make concerted efforts to invest in the leadership potential within the region, but not just for any kind of leadership.
Rabuka says they need to invest in leadership that is contextualised in the Pacific cultures and in traditions.
The PIF Chair says he has seen how this works in his recent visit to the Kiribati and he prays that it will also contribute to a stronger and united Forum family.
He says now that Fiji has performed the traditional ceremony of matanigasau, an age old and proven ceremony of rebuilding destroyed leadership, coming back from the ruins and committing themselves to new relationships that will stand them in good stead as they navigate those rough waters again, they will have learnt from the past and will remember the idealists that they performed the matanigasau when they were in Denarau.
The Prime Minister says the last whale's tooth that was presented today was a tatau which was a request from the Forum family, not only to Fiji but to each of them, to please not to unsettle it again.
Rabuka says he accepted it on their behalf.
He further says the Forum leaders gathering is of a family reconciled, a family that worked through its differences and as a result, stand stronger and united today.
Rabuka says having emerged from a global pandemic, they continue to grapple with economic recovery and navigate the daily threat of climate change.
He says they now find themselves having to contend with increasing geopolitical interests both bilaterally and as a region.
He adds these complexities demand innovative approaches and solutions, and require stronger collaboration and partnership.
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