Fiji’s coups have created lasting myths that justify certain actions and behaviour, many of which have been destructive and contributed to ongoing turmoil.
This has been highlighted by Pro-Vice Chancellor Pacific and Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury, Professor Steve Ratuva while speaking at the Grand Pacific Hotel last night on the theme Turmoil and Hope: Where is Fiji Heading.
Professor Ratuva provided deep insights into the enduring effects of Fiji’s history of coups.
He says that the issue of intergenerational trauma resulting from these political upheavals is often overlooked, and that trauma is not confined to immediate victims but can be passed down through generations via genetic changes, known as epigenetics.
The Professor says that trauma stemming from coups is pervasive, affecting both victims and perpetrators alike, with feelings of guilt and psychological distress lingering for years.
Professor Ratuva also connected these traumas to present-day challenges in Fiji, including rising violence, drug use, crime, and alarming health issues such as the country’s high HIV rates, and warned that these social and psychological problems are deeply interconnected with Fiji’s political history.
Another major concern he raised was the normalization of a culture of violence in Fiji, especially among young people.
He highlighted how coups have become an almost accepted alternative for political change, with some even calling for new coups to “clean up things.”
He says this fuels a dangerous cycle where violence trickles down from politics into families and communities, perpetuating further social instability.
Notably, 2000 coup instigator George Speight attending the lecture.
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